Editing Martinsville, Virginia (section)

==Economy==
The city's chief industry for many early years was the manufacture of plug chewing tobacco. The Henry County area became known as the "plug tobacco capital of the world".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mhchistoricalsociety.org/the-tobacco-industry-in-the-city-of-martinsville-and-henry-county/|title=The Tobacco Industry in the City of Martinsville and Henry County|last=Rucker|first=Steve|date=May 15, 2016|website=mhchistoricalsociety.org|access-date=July 11, 2022}}</ref> In the wake of the collapse of the plantation economy following the [[American Civil War]], the local economy was reeling. Stepping into the breach were several thriving plug firms which sold their merchandise across the nation beginning in the nineteenth century.

Local families were heavily involved in these companies, bestowing their names on them and reaping sizeable profits until the early twentieth century, when the tobacco monopolies created by [[R.J. Reynolds]] and [[James Buchanan Duke]] bought out most firms.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://greensboro.com/family-the-american-tobacco-company/article_e3078f9d-6d42-5b10-968a-893f83440f29.html|title=Family/ The American Tobacco Company|last=Morris|first=Bill|date=July 1, 1995|website=[[Greensboro News & Record]]|access-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref> (In most cases, in bold anti-competitive moves, the two tobacco titans simply shut down their acquisitions overnight.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VmICAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA14 ''The Tobacco Worker,'' Tobacco Workers International Union, 1907]. Books.google.com. Retrieved on May 9, 2012.</ref> These actions resulted in a U.S. government lawsuit against American Tobacco Company.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2uiy9-hSHzIC&pg=PA221 Federal Anti-trust Decisions, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1917]. Books.google.com. Retrieved on May 9, 2012.</ref>) Among the earliest of these firms were [[Spencer, Virginia|D.H. Spencer & Sons]] and Spencer Bros. Other families soon joined in founding other early firms, including the Gravelys, the Comptons, the Ruckers, the Wittens, the Lesters and the Browns.

The city's main industry for a century was furniture construction, and today [[Virginia furniture]] makers still reside in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitmartinsville.com/deep-roots/furniture-heritage|title=Furniture Heritage|website=VisitMartinsville.com|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>

On the retail front, [[Liberty Fair Mall]] opened in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powell |first=Mickey |date=January 6, 2017 |title=Martinsville mall doesn't include Sears building |url=https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/martinsville-mall-sale-doesnt-include-sears-building/article_cede3e60-d3cf-11e6-91d6-53f2cf508b49.html |access-date=July 4, 2022 |website=[[Martinsville Bulletin]]}}</ref> In 2014, it was renamed the Village of Martinsville.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lambertsen |first=Kirsten |date=November 22, 2014 |title=Liberty Fair Mall gets new look and name |url=https://www.wsls.com/news/2014/11/22/liberty-fair-mall-gets-new-look-and-name/#:~:text=MARTINSVILLE%20(WSLS)%20%2D%20Liberty%20Fair,has%20been%20needed%20for%20years. |access-date=June 12, 2023 |website=WSLS.com}}</ref>

On October 28, 2021, it was announced the Colorado-based apparel and footwear company [[VF Corporation]] will continue to expand in Martinsville creating 82 new jobs, while investing $10 million into the area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wdbj7.com/2021/10/28/82-new-jobs-planned-apparel-company-expands-martinsville/|title=82 new jobs planned as apparel company expands in Martinsville|last=Thomas|first=Pat|date=October 28, 2021|website=WDBJ7.com|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> Other companies such as [[Georgia Pacific]], [[Radial, Inc.]], [[Crown Holdings]], and [[Eastman Chemical Company]] are also located in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gp.com/about-us/locations/virginia/|title=Our Locations – Virginia|publisher=[[Georgia Pacific]]|access-date=June 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eastman.com/en/who-we-are/locations/martinsville-va-usa|title=Eastman Performance Films, LLC Martinsville, VA USA|publisher=[[Eastman Chemical Company|Eastman]]|access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radial.com/about-us/locations|title=Radial Locations|website=[[Radial, Inc.]]|access-date=October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crowncork.com/news/crown-holdings-build-new-beverage-can-plant-henry-county-virginia|title=Crown Holdings To Build New Beverage Can Plant in Henry County, Virginia|date=January 28, 2021|website=[[Crown Holdings]]|access-date=October 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wset.com/renderer/wset/amp/news/local/we-are-the-magic-behind-the-click-martinsville-is-looking-for-400-seasonal-employees-october-2023|title=Radial in Martinsville is looking for 400 seasonal employees|last=Stanbridge|first=Alexia|date=October 27, 2023|website=WSET.com|access-date=October 31, 2023}}</ref>