Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter |
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August 2021: Volume 21, No. 8
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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Vistar Eye Center Breaks Ground in Hollins |
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Vistar Eye Center celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony last month for their new facility to open at 6125 Airport Road in Hollins. The state-of-the-art facility will feature 26,355 square feet and utilize energy-efficient technologies to minimize environmental impact. Vistar Eye Center consolidated its operations at this new location and will offer retinal eye care, anterior surgical eye care, as well as routine and primary eye care. Learn more about Vistar's new facility on the August episode of Roanoke County Business Partners.
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New Hotel Planned in Vinton |
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The Town of Vinton is getting closer to developing a hotel in the downtown area. The McDevitt Company, based in New England, is entering a sales agreement to receive six downtown Vinton parcels on Cedar Avenue and South Pollard Street and plans to invest $12 million for the construction of a 90- to 120-room hotel. After a six-year effort, Vinton plans to add a limited-service hotel, such as a Hilton, Marriott, or Wyndham, which could generate almost $500,000 annually in new tax revenue. With recent redevelopment projects in the downtown Vinton business district, this hotel is adding to the revitalization of the area and will help generate tourism and business activity in the downtown area.
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Homeplace Honored for 38 years in Roanoke County |
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The Homeplace Restaurant, a staple for southern cuisine in Roanoke County, was honored last month for nearly four decades of service in our community. Kevin Wingate and his Homeplace team made the difficult decision to permanently close their doors this year following hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank The Homeplace, the Wingate family, and the entire Homeplace team for providing both meals and an atmosphere that perfectly represent the southern hospitality of Roanoke County. Thank you, Homeplace Restaurant, for all that you have done for our community! |
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AEP Operations Center Making Progress at CRT |
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American Electric Power - AEP is making way on the construction of a new office building at the Center for Research & Technology (CRT) in Roanoke County. This is a part of the Glenmary Substation Project, which will also include a substation and approximately a quarter of a mile of transmission line in the CRT.
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Virginia is the Top State for Business |
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CNBC named Virginia #1 for the Top State for Business in 2021 rankings! Virginia's strong workforce and education system are noted as factors that propelled VA to the #1 spot, and Virginia is the only state to have won the top spot 5 times!
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Business Facilities Magazine Honors Virginia in High Rankings |
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Business Facilities named Virginia the state with the Best Business Climate and Tech Talent Pipeline. Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world and cumulatively represents the largest state commitment to computer science education.
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Business Facilities named Virginia #2 in state customized training programs. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership's Virginia Talent Accelerator Program (VTAP) has helped provide employers with a talent pipeline that is specially trained before their first day on the job.
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Governor Announces Appoitments |
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Jill Loope Appointed to Manufacturing Development Commission |
Roanoke County Director of Economic Development, Jill Loope, has been appointed to the Virginia Manufacturing Development Commission. In this role, Jill will work in coordination with Governor Northam's administration to assess manufacturing needs and formulate legislative and regulatory remedies to ensure the future of the manufacturing sector in Virginia. Congratulations, Jill!
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Dr. Susheela Shanta Appointed to STEM Education Advisory Board
Dr. Shanta, Director of the Center for Engineering (a part of the Governor’s STEM Academy at Burton Center for Arts and Technology) will be joining the team tasked to create a unified vision regarding STEM education initiatives, language, and measures of success to promote a culture of collaboration for STEM programming in the Commonwealth. Congratulations, Dr. Shanta!
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Investment Opportunities in Roanoke County |
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Through the federal Opportunity Zone program, banks, communities, investors, companies, and others may create Opportunity Funds to direct tax-advantaged investments to one of several opportunity zones in the Roanoke Region of Virginia. Roanoke County has established an Opportunity Zone at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 581 and has published the Opportunity Zone Prospectus to promote the Zone. Inside the Prospectus, you will find an overview of the federal Opportunity Zone program, Roanoke County's Opportunity Zone and its districts, and a local and regional overview that explains why Roanoke County is a great place to do business.
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Let Us Know How We Can ELEVATE Roanoke County |
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Help us ELEVATE Roanoke County's economic development efforts by identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges we face in growing the local economy. You can submit your comments by emailing Marshall Stanley Learn more about the Strategic Plan Here
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Roanoke Valley Greenway Coordinator Retires |
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Credit: The Roanoke Times |
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Roanoke Valley Greenway Coordinator, Liz Belcher, retires after 25 years of service in the region. Belcher has been an integral team member in growing the Greenway system, including the recent completion of the Barnhardt Creek Bridge, which now connects the Cities of Roanoke and Salem. Belcher was highly involved in the community, having served on numerous local outdoor and transportation boards, in addition to instructing at Virginia Tech, Hollins University, and Roanoke College. Thank you, Liz, for your leadership and service to the Roanoke Valley! |
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Saint Francis Service Dogs Earns Stormwater Clean Award |
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Roanoke County’s Department of Development Services selected the Saint Francis Service Dogs Pavilion project, located at 8232 Enon Drive, Hollins, VA, as the latest recipient of the Stormwater Clean Award. Stacey Lucas and Kim Roenberger of Lionberger Construction were proactive regarding the site's erosion and sediment control measures throughout the project. The efforts in this project helped protect downstream waterways from receiving sediment-laden stormwater runoff from the site. Land development in Roanoke County presents difficult challenges in the management of stormwater runoff due to the very steep slopes and highly erodible soils in the region. Congratulations to Saint Francis Service Service Dogs and Lionberger Construction! |
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Vinton Welcomes New Business |
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Arabella Permanent Makeup and Advanced Esthetic LLC celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month in the Town of Vinton. Arabella offers a variety of services such as facials, peels, waxes, and permanent makeup treatments customized to fit your needs. You can visit Arabella at 211 Hardy Road, Suite 8 in Vinton. Welcome to the Vinton business community, Arabella!
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Fleet Feet Launches Program for In-need Students |
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Fleet Feet Roanoke has launched Project Forward, an effort to provide socks and shoes for in-need students. Roanoke City Schools currently enrolls 14,000 students, with 8,000 of those students identifying as economically disadvantaged. The goal of this program is to provide new socks and shoes to students at the Roanoke City Public Schools' Back to School Extravaganza. You can learn more about this program and can get involved Here.
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Local Produce and Crafts at Catawba Valley Farmers Market |
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The Catawba Valley Farmers Market (CVFM) is in full swing with fresh produce, homemade breads, and creative crafts still available this season. CVFM is located at 4965 Catawba Creek Road (Rt. 779), in Catawba, and is open Thursdays from 3 - 6:30 PM.
You can become involved in the Market by reaching out via Email.
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Rebuild VA Has Additional Funding |
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State representatives are reaching out to Rebuild VA applicants in regards to updating application information. If you hear from a State representative, respond immediately or your application will be removed from the queue.
If you have additional questions, the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center is here to help.
Contact the Roanoke Regional SBDC via Email or calling (540) 632-1174.
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Return to Earn Program Aims to Help Small Businesses |
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Governor Ralph Northam recently launched the Return to Earn Program, an initiative designed to help small businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia incentivize available positions. Small businesses with less than 100 employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia may be eligible to receive up to $500 per new hire with the requirement to match with $500 toward the $1,000 hiring support per employee. Small businesses that provide childcare may qualify for up to $500 per new hire without the requirement to match.
New hires must:
•Be a W-2 employee
•Be offered a position that pays at least $15.00 per hour
•Can be either part-time or full-time
•Self-attest that they were unemployed prior to being offered employment.
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
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Career Quest Volunteers
Career Quest, Virginia Career Works' annual secondary student and young adult career exploration campaign, needs volunteers! Career Quest takes place on September 28-29, 2021 and October 19-20, 2021 at the Salem Civic Center. Volunteers can register Here.
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Summer Fun with Roanoke County Parks, Rec & Tourism! |
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Adventure Saturday is back on August 7! Click Here to learn about more Adventure Saturday and upcoming activities from Roanoke County Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
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Splash into summer at Splash Valley Water Park as the 2021 operating season is underway! In 2021, operation will take place Friday through Monday, 11 AM - 7 PM.
Click Here for more information regarding the 2021 season!
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Virginia's Blue Ridge Featured on Cover of AAA World Magazine
Some of Virginia's Blue Ridge's amazing features, including a few Roanoke County businesses, were featured in AAA World Magazine! Check out where editor, Theresa Medoff visited and how complimentary she was of our region.
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Roanoke County 200 Plan
The Roanoke County 200 Plan is a 15-year plan to mark the County's bicentennial in 2038. The Plan provides guidance for public policies about land development, public services, and resource protection. Fall meetings will be held online and/or in-person dependent on Covid-19 public safety recommendations at that time.
With community meetings planned for Fall 2021, we invite you to sign up for the email list to stay in the loop about upcoming public input opportunities!
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RAMP 2021 Fall Cohort
Applications are now open for the RAMP fall cohort to begin in September 2021.
RAMP is looking for technology startups with scalability and coachable entrepreneurs who have a desire to do the work.
Application Close Date: August 15
Cohort Start Date: September 13
DEMO DAY (tentative): December 9
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Events, Workshops, and Resources
Upcoming Roanoke Regional SBDC events include:
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Leaders of Conscience –
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
August 11, 9-11 AM
As workforce demographics continue to diversify and concerns over equity and workplace climate gain more national attention, understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace is more important than ever. The Leaders of Conscience workshop will give you the practical knowledge and skills needed to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the workplace.
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Virginia Tech Roanoke Center Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy is a 9-month, once-per-month training series focused on developing skills necessary for navigating 21st century challenges and opportunities. During their monthly interactive and engaging classes, participants will experience discussions that provide valuable feedback, examine case studies that are relevant to workplace situations, and be introduced to materials that identify best practices to guide today's leaders.
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Get OSHA Certified
The Roanoke Higher Education Center is offering the next round of OSHA certification courses.
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Virginia Western Offers Leadership Training Opportunity
Become a competitive candidate with Virginia Western Community College's academic and certification programs. View the Supervisor prep course Here, and see all course offerings Here.
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Roanoke County Business Partners on RVTV |
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On this month’s show, we visit Vistar Eye Center in the Hollins area where they broke ground for their new facility coming to Airport Road. Then we check out the Catawba Valley Farmers Market to see what delicious and crafty things the Market has to offer for the month of August. Finally, we catch up with a 2021 Gauntlet winner, Roanoke Teach (part of Fit Learning Roanoke), to learn how they are helping make education attainable for more children in our community.
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(540) 772-2069
P.O. Box 29800, Roanoke, VA 24018-0798
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