This story originally appeared at the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) website.
BLUEFIELD, VA – APRIL 9, 2025 — A $1.315 million loan was closed recently between the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) and Lawrence Brothers, Inc., a manufacturing company in Tazewell County, to be used to assist in a company expansion which will result in the creation of several dozen new jobs.
The funds are being used to finance the purchase of a Mitsubishi fiber optic laser.
“VCEDA is pleased to once again assist Lawrence Brothers, Inc. (LBI) with yet another expansion at their Bluefield, VA location,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “With this latest expansion, the company has indicated it plans to add up to 37 new full-time jobs and invest at least $2.8 million.”
LBI was incorporated in Virginia in 1975. The manufacturing company specializes in heavy metal fabrication and custom metal applications for various industries, including underground mining, energy and electrical, automotive, material handling, airline and the general metal industrial goods industry. The company has its origins in a welding business started in 1974 by brothers Jim and Dale Lawrence in a three-car garage in Springville, VA, where they fabricated mine battery trays for Exide Battery, now known as EnerSys.
Gould Battery was added as a customer and in 1976, LBI acquired a site just outside of Bluefield and constructed a 10,500 square foot building. Today, the company has grown to more than 80,000 square feet of building space and has more than 100 employees.
According to the company application for funding, LBI holds 45 percent of the market share of mine battery trays, which are utilized in battery-powered equipment produced by manufacturers including Komatsu, Caterpillar and General Electric. In the past several years, the company has significantly diversified and now also has a 50 percent market share of all material handling battery boxes in the motive power, ground support and cold warehousing industries.
The company still manufactures new mine battery trays, but LBI’s primary products are steel enclosures for motive power and material handling industries. Areas of diversification for the company include transformer components, battery and energy storage systems, material handling equipment, small industrial parts manufacturing, ground support and airline industry and custom metal fabrication. The company’s products may be found throughout the world.
VCEDA previously approved a $600,000 loan to help purchase a new laser and associated costs in 2019, which has since been paid in full. At that time, the company had 40 employees and added 25-30 new jobs ahead of schedule – within less than two years.
In fact, the company’s growth was at such a rapid rate that an additional laser was needed. In 2021, LBI secured another VCEDA loan of up to $400,000 to purchase a new Mitsubishi laser. That loan has since been paid down by three-quarters.
The funds recently closed will allow for the addition of a third laser and is expected to increase the company’s manufacturing capacity by 75 percent, according to the application.
“Lawrence Brothers is honored to continue our partnership with VCEDA,” said Melanie Protti-Lawrence, president of Lawrence Brothers, Inc. “This strategic acquisition of our new fully automated 10K Mitsubishi laser with fiber optic technology will not only boost our capacity, but also enable us to embrace more technical projects both with existing and new customers. LBI is only able to successfully continue to grow, diversify and help strengthen the local and regional economy through valuable partnerships like ours with VCEDA.
“Our robust workforce benefits from working in a modern, technologically advanced and increasingly automated facility,” she continued. “While the perception may be that automation replaces actual human workforce, LBI strives to prove the contrary; rather, we continue to humanize automation by growing our workforce to 110 full-time employees all the while boosting automation. We would not have our sustained success without the dedication of our entire LBI team.”
VCEDA worked with Tazewell County and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to support the expansion. A resolution of support for the project was issued by the Tazewell County Industrial Development Authority.
“The Tazewell County IDA is pleased to support Lawrence Brothers growth plans with the purchase of new modern equipment for product efficiency at their facility,” said Kyle Hurt, Tazewell County IDA chairman. “For the citizens’ ability to be gainfully employed by quality businesses in Tazewell County, the IDA believes it wise to support local business growth with equal enthusiasm as new business growth.”
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
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PHOTO CAPTION: A $1.315 million loan to Lawrence Brothers, Inc. was closed recently with VCEDA. On hand for the ceremonial check presentation were, from left, Marketta Horton, VCEDA economic development specialist; Ashley Harris, Tazewell County economic development manager; Chuck Presley, Tazewell County Eastern District supervisor; Melanie Protti-Lawrence, LBI president; Fernando Protti, LBI CEO; Brandon McCracken, LBI COO; and Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel.
