Influx of businesses recorded in Uptown Martinsville since the start of the pandemic

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Since the onset of the pandemic, Martinsville has been celebrating the expansion of companies in Uptown.

On Tuesday morning, the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce hosted a ceremony to honor new companies in Uptown.

Since the epidemic began in February of 2020, 46 companies have opened or grown in Uptown.

Chamber members gave the business owners keys to show their appreciation for what they had done during the epidemic.

“Before the pandemic, there was little foot traffic especially on the weekends. That was nonexistent. Now, it is foot traffic every day and on the weekends especially because of Uptown Pinball. The streets are packed and we’re seeing a lot of people come in from out of town,” said Kathy Lawson, mayor of Martinsville.

Following the keynote address, the company owners were allowed to network with one another.