Dewberry has been selected to engineer the 200-acre site for Swedwood North America’s new furniture manufacturing plant at Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park in Pittsylvania County, Va., that has been developed jointly by the county and the city of Danville. A subsidiary of The IKEA Group, Swedwood anticipates employing more than 700 at the plant, with operations starting up in late 2007.

The new facility represents one of the largest economic development investments ever in the Southern Virginia area. Dewberry, which has an office in Danville, provided site/civil engineering services for the entire 800-acre park, including environmental permitting and design of a Norfolk Southern rail spur.

“Cane Creek Centre’s ready site and the available, trained workforce pushed Virginia ahead,” noted Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine in making the announcement about Swedwood’s plans.