Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter
July 2020: Volume 20, No. 7
 
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 .
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely and negatively impacted the region’s businesses--their employees, customers and owners. In response, Roanoke County and the Town of Vinton have established a $1,000,000 grant program to help our small businesses recover. Funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (or CARES) Act, these one-time grants of up to $10,000 will help eligible businesses cover some of their operational costs, deep clean facilities, pivot to respond to new market conditions, and more. Grant amounts will be based on the number of employees a business had pre-COVID-19 and are subject to availability of funds and the number of applications received.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Monday July 6, 2020. For more information, including eligibility requirements, and to download the application form, please go to www.yesroanoke.com
General Inquiries  
P: 540-772-2069
F: 540-772-2030
 
Address   
5204 Bernard Drive, SW 
Room 421 
PO Box 29800 
Roanoke, VA 24018
 
Contacts  
Director
 
Manager 
   
Specialist
 
Mission Statement  
To attract and facilitate the growth of innovative businesses, jobs and population that increase taxable investment and ensure sustainable world class community resources.  
  
QUICK LINKS

   

Major Employers         
    
News from The Advancement Foundation
Now in its 6 th year, The Gauntlet Program helped 170 entrepreneurs from around the region (including 26 from Roanoke County) turn ideas into profitable businesses. Due to COVID-19, the 10-week program of classes followed by a pitch competition and award ceremony had to pivot and go virtual. Winners were announced June 26 in an online awards ceremony . Award winners from Roanoke County together received a total of $65,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. Among those were New Moon Creative Media, Anderson Music Therapy and Total You Health, which are featured in this month’s Roanoke County Business Partners television show below. Congratulations to all Gauntlet award winners!

As part of its overall support of the program, Roanoke County Economic Development staff served as one of the pitch competition judges.
GAUNTLET entrepreneur and Innovation Mill participant Cowden Technologies, LLC has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRFC) administered by Virginia’s Center for Innovation Technology. Mickey Cowden, owner of Cowden Technologies, LLC, will use the grant award to build a prototype and program software for smart docking stations for drones. Mickey cited the resources and support from the Innovation Mill as being instrumental to the award of the grant.
Opportunity Zone Events and Announcements
Opportunity Zone Workshop

Thursday, July 16
10 a.m.-noon
Virtual event / Zoom webinar

You are invited to a free workshop with information on the Opportunity Zone program and on opportunities in zones in the Greater Roanoke Region. This information is important for:
  • Investors
  • Business-owners
  • Community leaders
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Developers
  • CPAs and financial advisors
  • Attorneys
  • Bankers
Roanoke County Receives Grant for Opportunity Zone Marketing
The federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allowed the designation of “Opportunity Zones” in which qualified investments receive preferential tax treatment. Roanoke County’s Opportunity Zone is located at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 581 and contains 33 parcels totaling nearly 200 acres of undeveloped or underdeveloped land targeted and zoned for industrial, commercial or multi-family development. To procure a professionally produced marketing prospectus for the Opportunity Zone, Roanoke County Economic Development applied and has been approved for a $15,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Block Grant program.
Virginia's Blue Ridge Stay Safe Pledge

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge is asking you to join their Virginia's Blue Ridge Stay Safe Pledge as a commitment to keeping each other safe and healthy. They've prepared a Stay Safe Pledge Business Toolkit , which is available for download on the Visit VBR website (see link).
News and Announcements
Roanoke County-based software company markets KlariVis, a solution to banks' data conundrum

KBS Analytics, a Roanoke County software company has raised $2.5 million, primarily from outside investors, to market KlariVis, a data tool for bankers.

The maker of KlariVis has landed five paying clients in the six months that have passed since its national product rollout in January, and that it has identified 170 potential clients. Read More>>
Fralin’s Produce on Bent Mountain now operates as Grateful Produce
The store, which sells fruits, vegetables and other staples, now operates under the name Grateful Produce. Dave and Dawn Trible, who live in the area and own Bottom Creek Farm, recently took over the business, which opened for the season a few weeks ago. Read More>>
Sol's Hair Salon Relocates to Larger Space
Roanoke County business, Sol's Hair Salon, has moved to a new, larger location on Franklin Road, which will allow them to provide spa services in addition to the salon. Read More >>
Roanoke Outside Featured in Roanoke Times
Roanoke Outside was featured in The Roanoke Times in an op-ed titled, " If Einstein was right, we are in the right place at the right time ." Read More >>
Virginia SBSD Offers One-on-One Business Counseling
The Virginia SBSD is offering free 1-hour one-on-one virtual counseling as the region approaches recovery and reopening. By appointment only.
Roanoke County Recognized for Model Program
 The National Association of Counties (NACo) has recognized Roanoke County with an Achievement Award for its Public Schools Planning Workshop program.
Do your employees need to improve their IT or computer skills?
Virginia Western can help! With fast-paced concentrated short programs offered online or in a classroom setting, the coursework can be completed in just a few months.
Blue Ridge PBS Offering New Educational and Entertainment Programing for Southwest Virginia
PBS now has two internet channels with separate program schedules which can be viewed on YouTube. They include Blue Ridge Streaming and Project Southwest.
Catawba Valley Farmers Market is Open
The Farmers Market is held each Thursday from 3:00pm to 6:30pm, operating under COVID-19 guidelines. Visit the CVFM website or facebook page concerning safeguard details, vendors, operating hours and weekly available products . CVFM Newsletter

Salem-Roanoke County Chamber Launches Community Currency Program

The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new program to assist in the economic recovery of our local merchants: SRCC Community Currency, which promotes buying locally through “currency” that can be used only at participating merchants. For more information and to participate, see the SRCC website .
RIDE Solutions Rewards Program
Connects Local Businesses to Customers
RCPL Curbside Pickup
Virginia International Trade Events
Registration is now open for VEDP - International Trade's new calendar of events!

  Face-to-face meetings are critical to international business. We help Virginia companies meet potential customers and partners through trade missions and trade shows.

Trade Missions
Trade Missions are customized visits of business meetings arranged on your behalf. These meetings are pre-qualified based on your export market objective. Our schedule of upcoming Trade Missions includes:

Trade Mission to South Korea and Japan  - October 12-16, 2020-Registration Deadline August 14

Trade Mission to Czech Republic and Slovakia  - October 19-23, 2020-Registration Deadline August 14

Trade Mission to Brazil  - October 26-30, 2020-Registration Deadline August 14

Trade Mission to South Africa and Tanzania  - November 9-13, 2020-Registration Deadline Sept. 11

Trade Shows  
At select international Trade Shows, Virginia's booth provides the ideal base for co-exhibiting companies, allowing you to exhibit products and services and network with prospective customers. Our schedule of upcoming Trade Shows includes:  

AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition 2020 - October 12-14, 2020-Registration Deadline August 14

Commercial UAV Expo Europe - December 1-3, 2020-Registration Deadline October 2
Upcoming Events from Virginia Tech Roanoke Center
Virginia Tech Roanoke Center is hosting the Leadership Academy in Roanoke from August 2020 through March 2021. This is a training series focused on   developing skills necessary for navigating leadership challenges and opportunities.
A two-hour interactive and uplifting virtual event focused on leading and learning during a multi-dimensional time of crisis - health, economic and racial - by applying The COACH Approach. You will be introduced to The COACH Approach and demonstrate how this innovative model is designed to immerse school and district leaders in conversations and practices that optimize professional, personal and organizational growth.
In this engaging and fun workshop series, participants will rediscover and strengthen skills of observation and responsiveness; increase their willingness to risk, fail, and risk again; increase their tools of personal communication including imagination, relaxation, observation, and concentration; and increase appreciation for the importance of connecting through sharing emotion. In addition, they will develop their appreciation of the communicative importance of voice and body.

This is a full-day workshop from 9 am-4 pm on Thursday, September 24th.
Upcoming Events from Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center
Casual Fridays
Small Business Conversations
July 10, 24, 31
Expert-led digital meetup series
for small business owners.

OSHA Programming has Resumed at the
Roanoke Higher Education Center
Roanoke County Business Partners on RVTV
Due to the spread of COVID-19, we recorded this month’s show remotely using Zoom to practice social distancing.

This month, we highlight three Roanoke County businesses that won awards in the 2020 Gauntlet Program of the Advancement Foundation: Linda Bailey of Total You Health; Denise Membreno with New Moon Creative Media; and Noel Anderson from Anderson Music Therapy Services.
P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, VA 24018-0798