same warm welcome when they moved to Martinsville in 2004. “We love our house, our neighborhood and the low cost of living,” says Pigford, 37. “The terrain is beautiful, and we love getting out in the mountains. There are lots of lakes and places for hiking and boating, and you can drive just an hour to see a show and have a nice dinner out.” A mechanical engineer from Maine, Pigford came to town with MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. and found Martinsville to be an ideal place to start a business. He made a career change and in 2006 opened Theme Cuisine, a company that combines catering, refrigerated meals-to-go and a gourmet food market. “There’s so much opportunity here for people to get in on the cutting edge of things and start some funky new businesses, because there’s no competition,” Pigford says. Theme Cuisine’s prepared meals-to-go are a dream come true for working moms and dads who don’t have time to cook. They can swing by the shop in the Brookdale Shopping Center and pick up a freshly prepared meal to pop in the oven at home. “We change the menu every week to keep things interesting, and it’s on our Web site [www.themecuisine.com],” Pigford says. “We also maintain an e-mail list and fax out the menu on Monday mornings.” Grab-and-go lunch selections include items such as a Cajun catfish sandwich or creamy apple and cabbage slaw in a pita pocket and fresh corn chowder. Dinner selections might include chicken pot pie, baked pasta or a green bean dinner salad. Pigford isn’t the only young entrepreneur spicing up the business environment in Martinsville. “One of our friends started her own Web design company, and [another friend] runs Cool Knobs and Pulls, which designs and sells cabinet and bath hardware all over the world,” Pigford says. “They’re doing very well.” “This is a wonderful place for small businesses because of the low tax rate, and it’s a great place to raise a family,” says Pam Joyce, broker and owner of Pam Joyce and Associates Realtor in Martinsville. “We’re also close to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.” Low home prices add to Martinsville’s appeal. The average price of a home is between $90,000 and $110,000. “You can buy a nice brick three-bedroom, two-bath ranch home for around $100,000 to $110,000,” Joyce says. “We have all home styles and price ranges. A local builder is building some cluster homes that have been really successful with retirees because they don’t require yard work or maintenance. Most have been sold before they’re even built.” Though people come to Martinsville and Henry County for different reasons, they agree on one thing: there’s no place they’d rather be. “When you travel,” Joyce says, “you come back home and realize you’re already living in one of the most beautiful places in the world.” 12
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MARTINSVILLE- HENRY COU NT Y