Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter

December 2021: Volume 21, No. 12   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.

Shop Local this Holiday Season

Support small businesses and find the perfect gifts this holiday season with the Holiday Shopping Guide program. When you shop small, you help a small business owner, the local economy, and our community as a whole - make holiday gifts even sweeter by supporting our local businesses! Visit FaLaLaLocal.com to see participating businesses, find holiday deals, and learn how you can win by shopping small!

State of the County Address

Roanoke County delivered the State of the County Address at the Green Ridge Recreation Center, presented by Appalachian Power Company and hosted by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. The State of the County Address was given by Roanoke County Board of Supervisors chairman, Jason Peters (Vinton) and highlighted many economic and community wins this past year. Watch the State of the County Address Here See more resources Here

Holiday Events happening in Roanoke

Illuminights at Explore Park Illuminights tickets are on sale now! Brighten your nights and explore your holiday spirit through a dazzling world of over 600,000 lights at Illuminights Winter Walk of Lights. Roanoke County and Center in the Square will operate the signature event over the span of 35 nights from November 20 through December 30! Visit Here to purchase your tickets and learn more about Illuminights!

Holiday Cheer is in Virginia's Blue Ridge Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge has published a guide to a wide selection of holiday events happening locally this season. You can find holiday parades, light shows, tree displays, and more by visiting their Roanoke Holiday Events page Here.

Happening in the Town of Vinton

RND Coffee Opens in Vinyard Station RND Coffee, a local coffee house favorite located in the City of Roanoke, has opened its doors for its second location in Vinyard Station in downtown Vinton. After many months of anticipation, RND Coffee held a soft opening to invite customers into their new location. You can visit RND Coffee at 101 Washington Avenue in Vinton and will be open 7 AM - 6 PM daily.

From Vinton to the White House The Town of Vinton has had a lot of announcements this past year worth celebrating. Capping off 2021 with another exciting announcement is local small business owner, Mark Frye of Creative Occasions Events Flowers and Gifts was invited to Washington, D.C. to help decorate the White House this holiday season. Learn more on the December episode of Roanoke County Business Partners.

Revitalization in the Town of Vinton The Town of Vinton has taken many steps in the past few years to revitalize the urban core of Roanoke County, especially in the central business district. Having completed various redevelopment projects, receiving state and national recognition for said projects, and announcing a new approximately 100-room hotel coming to the downtown area, Vinton has recently gained a lot of momentum. Read an article from The Roanoke Times about Vinton's revitalization Here.

Read the Draft ELEVATE Roanoke County 2026 Plan

Roanoke County Economic Development has published the Draft ELEVATE 2026 Strategic Plan. The draft Plan is a culmination of a yearlong coordinated partnership between Roanoke County Economic Development, Virginia Tech, and local and regional stakeholders. ELEVATE 2026 includes goals, strategies, and tactics for advancing Roanoke County's economic landscape over the next 5 years. The final Plan document will be adopted by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors in January 2022. Learn more about the ELEVATE 2026 Plan Here

Draft ELEVATE 2026 Plan presentation Draft ELEVATE 2026 Plan overview

PBS Blue Ridge Appointments

Congratulations to Jill Loope, Director of Roanoke County Economic Development, for being selected to the Blue Ridge PBS Board of Directors!

Lionberger Recognized Among Leading Virginia Builders

Virginia Business recently published a list entitled 100 People to Meet in 2022: Builders featuring prominent development and construction leaders throughout Virginia. Among those featured was Samuel L. Lionberger III, CEO, Lionberger Construction Co. Congratulations to Samuel and Lionberger Construction Co. for the recognition! Read More Here

Roanoke County 200 Plan

Nearly 500 citizens attended the Roanoke County 200 Plan community meetings and nearly 300 citizens completed the 200 Plan survey this Fall. More information and past community meeting summaries can be found online Here. Sign up for the email list to stay in the loop about future input opportunities in the spring of 2022.

New Surgical Technology Program at VWCC

Virginia Western announces new Surgical Technology program. Healthcare is the largest employment sector of the Roanoke Valley economy and the need for well-trained surgical technologists is projected to continue to grow. New students can apply now for Virginia Western’s Surgical Technology program Here. Surgical Technology is included in the statewide G3 program, a tuition assistance program for any Virginia resident who qualifies for in-state tuition and whose family income falls below an identified threshold. Eligible students may enroll in designated programs at the state’s community college to gain the skills they need to begin jobs in high-demand fields.

G3 at Virginia Western Community College Learn more about the G3 Program and how to enroll Here.

International Trade and Innovation Resources for Businesses

Export Readiness Assessment The Export Readiness Assessment is a custom-programmed quiz that is designed to provide feedback to a company to let them know where they are on the export spectrum and to provide an easy way for our own International Trade team to “qualify” companies for our programs/services.

Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) ICAP helps Virginia-based technology and innovation-driven startups on their path to success. ICAP works with startups to provide support along their entire journey towards scaling – from the early idea stage, all the way through working on Series A level of funding.  Learn More Here ICAP Program staffing vacancies: Southwest/Western Virginia Tech Mentor Life Science Business Mentor (This position is not location bound)  International Trade The Virginia SBDC International Business Development Program works with Virginia-based firms to enhance their global success. Our Certified Global Business Professionals provide confidential counseling, training, and customized research to help companies mitigate risks, prioritize markets, identify financing, and grow export sales. International Trade Landing Page Trade Passport provides up to 20 FREE webinars and on-demand training for businesses to grow through international trade

Partners and Programs

Applications Now Open for Spring 2022 Cohort The Spring 2022 cohort will be focused on Health and Life Science startup companies. RAMP will select up to five companies for the 12-week cohort that provides: Expert 1:1 mentoring with the region’s top entrepreneurs and executives Free office space with high-speed internet Access to venture capital and equity-free funding More! Apply Here Roanoke Restaurants Get Top Dining Marks The Roanoker Magazine published the 2022 Dining Awards highlighting local restaurants and food & beverage vendors that received top honors. Among those recognized were a number of Roanoke County businesses that provide our community with creative, innovative, and delicious dining options. Read More Here

Return to Earn Program Update - No Match required The Return to Earn program now offers eligible small businesses the $500 employee hiring incentive award without requiring a match from the company. Funding for this program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more about Return to Earn and apply Here Read Return to Earn FAQs Here The GAUNTLET 2022 Program Applications are Open Virtual classes start Feb. 1, 2022 The GAUNTLET includes business training, mentorship, scaling strategies, and much more! Anyone can participate in the classes and decide to compete for over $300,000 cash and prizes!  Apply Here

Events, Workshops, and Resources Upcoming Roanoke Regional SBDC events include: Creating with Canva: Design Like A Pro with No Experience (Dec. 2, 2 PM) Have you claimed your Employee Retention Credits? (Dec. 8, 10 AM) Business Smart Start (Dec. 14, 4 PM) ongoing 1:1 advising. Virginia's SBDC workshops/Events Virginia Tech Roanoke Center Courses Management Essentials Workshops (Jan. 19, 11 AM) Lean Foundations (Feb. 16, 9 AM) Business of Brewing The Art of Public Speaking & Presentation Skills (Feb. 10, 9 AM) Women Impact Virginia Save The Date: Virginia Tech’s Annual Lean Conference will be held Feb. 23-24, 2022, at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

Roanoke County Business Partners on RVTV

On this month’s show, we feature a few small businesses to remind folks to shop small this holiday season and support our great local businesses! We speak with owners from Creative Occasions Events Flowers & Gifts and Rustic Creations in downtown Vinton, and J&J Fashions in the Forum Shopping Center on Starkey Road, to hear about why supporting local businesses is important for our community.

yesroanoke.com econdev@roanokecountyva.gov (540) 772-2069 P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, VA 24018-0798

‌ ‌ ‌