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Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter
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November 2019: Volume 19, No. 11
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
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Historic William Byrd High School sees modern facelift
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After five years of planning and redevelopment, the Billy Byrd unveiled its renovated apartments at its ribbon cutting this month. Many know the building as the old William Byrd High School and much of the historic integrity has been preserved, with old classrooms, auditorium, and gymnasium transformed into modern living spaces.
At this month's ribbon cutting, we heard from David McCormack, owner of Waukeshaw Development, Inc., who led the charge on this historic rehabilitation. We also heard from Honorable Phil North, Honorable Jason Peters, Vinton Mayor Brad Grose, and Chairman of the Economic Development Authority, Steve Musselwhite.
For more information, visit the Billy Byrd website. |
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General Inquires
P: 540-772-2069
5204 Bernard Drive, SW
Room 421
PO Box 29800
Roanoke, VA 24018
Administrative Assistant
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.
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Economic Development Department Welcomes New Manager
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Tom Rowley Joins Economic Development Team
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Please join us in welcoming Tom Rowley, the new Economic Development Manager. Tom comes to Roanoke from Oregon, where he served as a Regional Development Officer with the state's Business Development Department.
Tom brings nearly 30 years of experience in the economic and community development arena and we are thrilled to have him on the team.
Tom and his family are thrilled to be returning to Virginia to be near friends and family, as well as national forests, fishing streams, and golf courses. |
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Roanoke Regional Chamber Recognizes Four County Businesses
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Four Roanoke County businesses brought home awards from the Roanoke Regional Chamber's Small Business Awards ceremony held at the Taubman Museum of Art in early October.
Congratulations to all of our winners this year!
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Fleet Feet Roanoke
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Medeco
Clyde Roberson, Amy Fulton, and Joseph Kingma
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Total You Health
Linda Bailey and Jess Stevens
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Valley Cryotherapy
Leslie and Chris Mason
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State of the Corridor Reveals Plans for 419
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The State of the Corridor took place on November 1, bringing together stakeholders in Roanoke County to share future plans for Tanglewood Mall, the 419 Corridor, and surrounding neighborhoods. We welcomed Dr. Michael Friedlander of Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to speak on VTC's impact on the community, as well as Dr. Kimberly Dunsmore of Carilion Children's who shared more about the plans for Tanglewood Mall. We also heard from Philip Thompson, Deputy Director of Planning for Roanoke County, who shared current transportation projects that will support the greater 419 Town Center vision
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| Roanoke County business, Plastics One, celebrated its 70th anniversary this month and was recognized for its contributions and achievements as a legacy company in the region. Ted Lineberry, Senior Vice President, and Kathy Carter, Vice President, were presented a congratulatory resolution at a Board of Supervisors meeting to commemorate their anniversary. |
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Virginia's Blue Ridge Receives Grant
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Community Foundation Awards Grants Totaling $250,000
for
Regional Wayfinding Project in Virginia's Blue Ridge
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On October 16, The Community Foundation announced it had awarded $250,000 in grants to five local jurisdictions to support tourism efforts to bring Wayfinding Signage to the region within Virginia's Blue Ridge footprint. The Cities of Roanoke and Salem and the Counties of Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke will each receive $50,000 as part of a 2:1 challenge, with each jurisdiction committing an additional $25,000 of their funds to the project. This will enable each jurisdiction to begin planning, purchasing and placing gateway, vehicular or pedestrian signage throughout each locality.
This project started in August 2017. Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge (VBR) chose Merje Design to develop a comprehensive wayfinding system to help navigate visitors and residents throughout VBR showcasing the region's top assets. This strategic goal aligns with the Destination Vision Plan as well as the VBR brand and offers a consistent message with a subtle identity for each locality.
Read More
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Appalachian Power EDGE Grant Funds Economic Development Efforts
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In an effort to support local economic development efforts, Appalachian Power provided grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations that oversee programs and initiatives tied to economic development.
Of the nine organizations in Virginia and West Virginia that were awarded funding, the Roanoke County Economic Development Office received a $15,000 grant for the development of a new comprehensive community and economic development strategic plan.
The EDGE (Economic Development Growth Enhancement) program was launched in 2014 to promote local and regional programs that attract industry and support business expansion in Appalachian Power's service area. The grant funds may be used to support site development, marketing and promotion, or new business development and retention.
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| The Roanoke County Economic Development Office recently received a $15,000 EDGE Grant from Appalachian Power. AEP/Appalachian Power's John Smolak is pictured with Roanoke County Economic Development Director Jill Loope. |
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VWCC Opens State-of-the-Art STEM Building
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Virginia Western Community College held the grand opening of their new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) building this month, after six years of planning and development. The $37 million facility promotes innovation and hands-on learning with four floors of classroom and laboratory space. Thanks to input from faculty and staff, the building is home to cutting-edge equipment to support their Mechatronics, Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Physics, and Mathematics students.
The Grand Opening event welcomed over 300 attendees, along with speeches from Delegate Terry Austin, Roanoke City Mayor Sherman Lea, notable Roanoke businessman W. Heywood Fralin, and Virginia's Community Colleges' Richard Farthing.
The STEM field is a key driver in the region's economic growth, with VWCC's new building as an investment in the future of our community and workforce.
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New Data Shows Regional Economic Growth
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The
Roanoke Regional Partnership released new data, as of August 2019, that show the Roanoke metro area performing well in key economic indicators. Below are some of the numbers that project a positive future for our region and its workforce.
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| Employment growth between 2018 and 2019 exceeds that of Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Lynchburg, and Blacksburg. |
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Roanoke's growth in taxable sales led the state this year, as well as ranking 82% higher than the Virginia rate of growth (Weldon Cooper).
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Home price appreciation is at a high 4.9% (Zillow). Local housing costs remain 19.4% lower than the national average, whereas overall cost of living is 10.4% below national average (ACCRA 2019).
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Roanoke County Public Library Wins Top Honors
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The Urban Libraries Council announced Roanoke County Public Library as one of 10 Top Innovators during the 2019 Innovations Celebration in Salt Lake City on October 17.
The annual Innovations award program recognizes leading practices from ULC's member library systems across the U.S. and Canada.
RCPL was recognized with the Top Innovator Award in the category of Workforce and Economic Development for its continued commitment to AI (artificial intelligence) through its cutting-edge approach, Meeting You at Your Wonder.
RCPL embraced AI when becoming the nation's first public library to recruit Pepper®, the humanoid robot.
The recruitment was in response to the cultural shift ushered in by the tech revolution and its implications for the region's economic development.
RCPL reimagined all tech programs in the context of digital citizenship, from basics to unique high-level workshops, to help establish the area as a desired destination.
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Shari Henry, Director of Library Services, and Michael Hibben, Administrative Librarian at South County Library.
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Bricks 4 Kidz Reopens in Oak Grove
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Local Roanoke business,
Bricks 4 Kidz Roanoke, has moved from its Towers location to Oak Grove Plaza. This month, they celebrated their grand reopening with a ribbon cutting and a week's worth of open houses and celebrations for families and children.
Owner Shelly Whitaker is committed to teaching children of all ages to learn STEM fundamentals through playing with LEGOs. She moved to Suite J in Oak Grove Plaza, an area that is already bustling with family-friendly businesses. For more, check out our latest episode of Roanoke County Business Partners.
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New Grant Helps with Down Payment for Home or Business Equipment and Inventory
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Contact Kelly Turner at [email protected] or (540) 283-7062
Download application
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Illuminights at Explore Park Begins November 29
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Don't just live in your community, play in your community!
Contact Wendi Schultz, CFEE -Tourism and Events Coordinator at (540) 777-6326 or at [email protected] to inquire about the exciting sponsorship and volunteer opportunities available for this event.
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inquire about the exciting sponsorship and volunteer opportunities available for this event.
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Catawba Valley Farmers Market
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Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport Report
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The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport continues to see 2019 traffic increase with August traffic up 1.06% on a year-over-year basis. August 2019 saw 58,439 passengers fly via ROA compared to 57,828 in August of 2018 an increase of 611 passengers. Year to date passenger traffic is up 6.93% versus 2018 with 460,144 passengers served this year compared to 430,331 in 2018.
Strong community support, additional capacity, and improved airline operational reliability have all played roles in the continuation of sustained passenger growth, which began in September of 2016. The increase of passengers in August 2019 versus August 2018, equates to 19 more passengers flying ROA each day. Year to date 2019 traffic is up an average of 122 passengers a day versus 2018. At this pace, the airport is on track to have its busiest year since 2000.
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Understanding eVA: Selling to the Commonwealth
Tuesday, December 10 from 10:30 am - 1 pm
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Roanoke County Library Events
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Richfield Living Job Fair
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Virginia International Trade Events
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Registration is now open for VEDP - International Trade's new calendar of events!
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Face-to-face meetings are critical to international business. We help Virginia companies meet potential customers and partners through trade missions and trade shows.
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Trade Missions
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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:
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Trade Shows
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At select international Trade Shows, Virginia's booth provides the ideal base for co-exhibiting companies, allowing you to exhibit your products and services and network with prospective customers. Our schedule of upcoming Trade Shows includes:
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Arab Health 2020
- January 27 - 30, 2020 - Registration Deadline November 22, 2019
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OSHA COMPLIANCE TRAINING
Roanoke Higher Education Center
Registration material online
call 1.800.875.4770.
For more information,
contact Carla Jackson at 540.767.6010 or
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2019 VIRGINIA CONFERENCE ON WORLD TRADE
November 12-13, 2019
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FastForward is a grant that will pay tuition to earn industry-recognized credentials in a variety of fields
Upcoming Open Houses
Nov 19, 2019
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A Conversation About How Hemp Can Impact Your Community
December 11, 2019
9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Vinton War Memorial
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Business of Brewing
January 27-31, 2020
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Project Management Professional Exam Prep
February 24 - May 4, 2020
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Implementing LEAN
the lean conference
March 4-5 2020
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Certification Course
Project Management
March 10 - May 26, 2020
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Blue Ridge Mountain Biking Conference
May 6-8, 2020
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Roanoke County Business Partners Show on RVTV
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| Roanoke County Business Partners - November 2019 |
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On the November Roanoke County Business Partners show, we start by celebrating the grand reopening of Bricks 4 Kidz in Oak Grove Plaza with owner Shelly Whitaker, who tells us more about her business and its role in the neighborhood.
Then, we'll learn more about the new Billy Byrd redevelopment in the Town of Vinton where we'll speak with David McCormack, president of Waukeshaw Development, Inc., about his company's efforts to revitalize the historic William Byrd High School and how it will transform Vinton.
Lastly, we're showing off Virginia Western's latest addition, the new STEM building, at the facility's grand opening. Dean of STEM, Amy White, tells us about the development project and how the new state-of-the-art building is already playing an instrumental role in students' education.
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Stay Connected
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