Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter
March 2021: Volume 21, No. 3
 
The E-newsletter of the Roanoke County Economic Development Department is designed to showcase the investments and achievements of our existing business partners. For additional information about doing business in Roanoke County, visit our website.
5 New Businesses Coming to Tanglewood
Blackwater Resources has announced five new businesses are coming to Tanglewood. Panda Express, Jersey Mikes, Aspen Dental, Blaze Pizza, and Chipotle will come to Tanglewood in two new buildings that will be located along Electric Road in front of the new Carilion Children’s (former JC Penney) space. Along with the new businesses coming to the area, craft supplies giant, Michaels, is now officially open for business in Tanglewood following their grand opening at the end of February.

Read the full release here.
Renderings of the new buildings
Investing in the Future of Tanglewood


Can you see your business at Tanglewood? Join us on March 18, noon - 1 PM to discuss exciting new investment opportunities for your business!

Tanglewood is a high-traffic area surrounded by restaurants and retail, with easy access to I-581/ Route 220/ Route 419. If you can see your business in a great location like this, click the registration link below to join the discussion!


Register here.
Tribal Rug Gallery Ribbon-Cutting
Owner Mohammad Hassanzada, County Supervisor Paul Mahoney, and others gather to cut the ribbon for Tribal Rug Gallery
Congratulations to Tribal Rug gallery for a long-awaited and well-deserved ribbon cutting! Owner Mohammad Hassanzada relocated his business from Roanoke City to the County and has been operating in Oak Grove Plaza on Electric Road. You can find beautiful handmade rugs and jewelry, as well as various rug maintenance services provided by Tribal Rug Gallery.





County Supervisor and Cave Spring District representative, Paul Mahoney, presents owner Mohammad Hassanzada with a Certificate of Appreciation
Roanoke County Restaurant Week(s) 2021
Roanoke County's first-ever Restaurant Week(s) wrapped up at the end of February and we can't thank everyone enough who participated. The 24 participating restaurants, as well as our partner organizations, the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce, Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce, Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge, and the Williamson Road Area Business Association, all helped make restaurant Week(s) a success!
Get Unplugged with the Vinton History Museum
Celebrate National Unplugged Days March 5 and 6 at the Vinton History Museum and their Little Free Library. Little Free Libraries across the world are conducting scavenger hunts and Vinton is joining in! InVinton Community Scavenger Hunt Packets will be available in the Little Free Library beginning March 5.

The museum will be open from 10 AM to 2 PM both days to feature historic unplugged artifacts such as victrola record and cylinder players, treadle sewing machine, butter churn, washboards and “Limberjacks” and much more.

Visit the Vinton History Museum website for more details.
North Cross Headmaster Announces Departure
North Cross School announced that their Headmaster, Chris Proctor, will step down from his role following the 2021-2022 school year. Chris has been with North Cross since 2011 and has helped lead one of Roanoke County's fantastic educational institutions. Help us in wishing Chris the best of luck in his new endeavors!
Opportunity Zone Prospectus Underway
ROANOKE, VA – Roanoke County has engaged Golden Shovel Agency, an economic development communications firm, to create a prospectus and marketing strategy to promote the County’s Opportunity Zones to developers, investors, and businesses. “Roanoke County offers numerous strategic advantages for businesses and investors looking to grow within our region. This marketing strategy will help us to better position the opportunities available here, specifically within our Opportunity Zones,” said Thomas Rowley, Economic Development Manager for the County.

Read the full release here.
Learn more about Opportunity Zones here.
Explore Park Updates
Adventure Saturday
Next - Saturday, April 3

On select Saturdays throughout 2021, Explore Park's Adventure Saturday Series will have expanded outdoor activities from 10 AM to 5 PM!

*Times for Artisan Saturday will run from 10 AM - 5 PM this year

Learn more about Explore Park here.
Business Partners Needed
Envision your business in Explore Park! This is a fantastic opportunity to submit proposals for opening an outdoor, gas, RV camping, or retail service in Explore Park.

Bids will open soon. Bidders can find more information via the Roanoke County Bids website.


Click here for more information.
Grant Available for Affected Venues
The Small business Administration announces the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program, which was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

SBA is in the process of setting up the grant program and is not yet accepting applications. See SVO Grant details here.
Partners and Programs
Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge - VBR Life publication

VBR Life is a complete guide for anyone visiting, living, or doing business in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

Request VBR Life here and view VBR's visitor's guide, Trailsetter, here.
OSHA Training Opportunities at Roanoke Higher Ed. Center

OSHA 510 face-to-face, March 8-11th at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. 

Learn more here.
Innovation Mill at The Advancement Foundation

The Innovation Mill’s mission is to increase the number of potential high-growth companies across the Commonwealth.

Learn more about Innovation Mill here.
VEDP International Sales Training

Enroll in this 3-part training series focused on sales and communications, designed to help you perfect your virtual presentation, communication, and sales pitch skills.

Learn more and register here.
VCW-Blue Ridge Strategic Plan

VCW - Blue Ridge releases 5-year strategic plan for 9 localities in Local Workforce Development Area 3.


Read the strategic plan here.
Events, Workshops, and Resources

Stay up-to-date on upcoming Roanoke SBDC news, events, and workshops, including upcoming PPP application and loan forgiveness assistance, by visiting their website here.


Sign up for 1:1 advising sessions with Roanoke Regional SBDC mentors here.

Virginia Western Offers Training Opportunities
Become a competitive candidate with Virginia Western Community College's academic and certification programs. View the Project Management and SHRM prep courses below, and see all course offerings here.
Roanoke County Business Partners on RVTV
On this month’s show, we visit Brad Hall, vice president of external affairs with Appalachian Power, to learn about his involvement in the Roanoke County Economic Development strategic plan and what the plan means for our community. We then head to Vinton to speak with Grace Murtagh, the manager of the fourth and newest Our Daily Bread location to hear how the bakery and bistro is doing in their new spot. And finally, we speak with Roanoke County Director of Economic Development, Jill Loope, to learn about exciting business activity coming to Tanglewood.
(540) 772-2069
P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, VA 24018-0798