Torc Robotics Headquarters

Torc Robotics Plans to Grow Company 50% by End of 2020

Press Release from Torc Robotics Blacksburg, VA– Torc Robotics, a leader in self-driving vehicle systems, continues its strong recruiting efforts even under social distancing and safer-at-home orders. Torc has steadily added new employees since January and plans to increase the company size by more than 50 percent before year end. Torc’s recruiting process has changed to accommodate personal safety during the pandemic. “We are very fortunate that most of us can work from home – and our team has been using this time to scale up our virtual testing and future fleet infrastructure,” said Michael Fleming, Torc’s CEO. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve built our culture on winning teams and find that Torc’rs are great at solving problems – including bringing on new team members during a pandemic,” he said. Adaptations for full-time hiring have included video panel interviews and additional relocation assistance for full-time employees. Until the Torc offices reopen, new hires are working from home and being onboarded remotely. A new cohort of team members started this week, and all are quickly learning the ropes, according to Fleming. Torc is hiring across multiple software engineering areas, including infrastructure and tools, web development, Linux, and cloud technology. Torc also remains committed to summer internships and co-op positions, which have been transformed to remote work opportunities for summer 2020. Students in these positions are fully embedded into technical teams and interact with Torc’rs across the company via coffee chats, lunch & learns, and other collaboration opportunities. The company’s continued growth supports Torc’s automated truck development in partnership with Daimler Trucks North America, the market leader in trucking. “Over the next several years, we will continue to hire aggressively,” said Fleming. “Commercializing automated trucks on public roads is complex and we will need additional talent to get us there,” he said. “This is a marathon, not a sprint and our team is committed to the long-term.” To accommodate its growing team, Torc is completing a new headquarters expansion later this year, which will add nearly 16,000 square feet and is designing additional future expansion projects. Torc develops Level 4 self-driving technology, which does not require human intervention, but operates within specific areas or use cases, such as locations, or types of roads. Torc partners with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and mobility companies to integrate the technology on their vehicle platforms. In 2019, Torc joined the Daimler Trucks family to partner on commercializing self-driving truck technology. “At Torc, our mission is to save lives through self-driving technology,” Fleming said. “The fastest path to commercialized is through OEMs and the strongest business case is in trucking.” To learn more about employment opportunities at Torc Robotics, visit their Careers page. About Torc Robotics: Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is a member of the Daimler Trucks family. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing self-driving trucks. Torc has more than 10 years of experience in automating heavy equipment for safety-critical applications.
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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.” Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech Ranked 19th Best Golf Course in Virginia for 2020

Fairlawn, VA – The Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech was recently ranked #19 in the 2020 list of the Top 50 golf courses in Virginia.  The course was also rated #9 on the 2020 list of courses which do not require a membership to play.  Both lists were compiled by the Virginia Golf Ratings Panel and highlighted in Virginia Business Magazine’s April 2020 issue.

The River Course, home of the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s golf teams, is well known for its scenic views and 2.5 miles of frontage on the New River, which is the oldest river in North America.  It has won many accolades since being redesigned by famous golf course designer Pete Dye beginning in 2003.

Located in Pulaski County, this par 72 course is one of the many golf courses available to avid golfers living and working in Virginia’s New River Valley.  To learn more about the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, visit www.petedyerivercourse.com.

See the full golf course rankings list here.

Correction:
September 1, 2021: This blog post was corrected to reflect that Pete Dye River Course was ranked #19 in the top 50 golf courses in Virginia for 2020. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the course was ranked #18.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.” Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
Harmonia Recognized as one of Virginia's "Fantastic 50"

Harmonia Recognized as One of Virginia’s “Fantastic 50”

Montgomery County, VA – The Virginia Chamber of Commerce recognized Harmonia Holdings Group on it 2020 Fantastic 50 list, a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Virginia. It was the only company from Virginia’s New River Valley to make the list.

Harmonia Holdings Group was born in 2006 at Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg to bring innovation and change to the federal IT sector. It believes that with federal budgets shrinking, there was a huge opportunity to bring more efficiency to government through innovative technology solutions. From the start, Harmonia focused on two simple foundational ideas, recruit top talent to the team and provide world-class benefits and an environment to succeed, as well as develop innovative solutions for the government.

To be eligible for the Fantastic 50 list, a company must be privately held with headquarters in Virginia, show revenues between $200,000 and $200 million, and demonstrate positive revenue growth and positive net income in its most recent fiscal year over the previous year. Companies are judged on four-year revenue history.

Harmonia Holding Group is one of over 80 technology companies located in the New River Valley. Collectively, the sector employs over 1,1600 professionals that are helping define and advance cutting-edge technologies of tomorrow in blockchain, unmanned systems, cybersecurity, software, and digital creative.

To learn more more about Harmonia Holdings Group, including current job openings, visit: www.harmonia.com

Virginia Tech Commencement

Virginia Tech a top 10 college with alumni who will jump-start your career

Montgomery County, VA – The Princeton Review compiled a list of the 25 colleges with the best alumni networks in the country, featured in the book “Colleges That Pay You Back: 2016 Edition,” published in February, based on students’ ratings of how visible and active alumni are on their campuses.

Virginia Tech, whose main campus is located in Blacksburg, ranked No. 10 on the list, ahead of some marque colleges such as Stanford (No. 24), Cornell (No. 22), Ohio State (No. 15), and the University Virginia (No. 11).

Here is what the Princeton Review had to say about the Hokies:

Once a Hokie, always a Hokie. And through Virginia Tech’s Hokies4Hire program, students and alumni can apply for jobs, internships, and co-ops. Current students can even land on-campus interviews from the program. Post-grad, VT’s alumni association keeps Hokies in the loop through LinkedIn groups, webinars with career experts, and networking opportunities with fellow alums.

More and more Hokies are jump starting their career in Virginia’s New River Valley. Alumni are realizing that Blacksburg is more than a great place to go to college and are sticking around the NRV post graduation. The region offers meaningful career opportunities paired with a small town charm, urban amenities, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.

Plugging into the New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. is a great way for Hokies to jump-start their career in the NRV.  

Floyd Growth Center to be built using $2.6 million in grant funds

Floyd County, VA – The Economic Development Authority of Floyd County was just awarded a $2.305 million grant from the US Economic Development Administration (their press release attached) for Building 1 of the new Floyd Growth Center This is in addition to the $302,000 grant already awarded for the project by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. The project cost is estimated to be $2.88 million.

The Floyd Growth Center will be a small campus on Lot 4 in the Floyd Regional Commerce Center providing small graded sites for non-retail businesses. Building 1 will be a 13,000 SF resilient light industrial building on one of those sites. It will have two main spaces: one will be about 4,300 SF and the other about 8,700 SF with each having a production area, drive-in door, and an office suite. The building will have 3-phase power, fiber to the premises with Gigabit service, public water and sewer, and dock-access. It will have special resiliency features including back-up generator, some solar photovoltaic, lightning protection system and reinforced walls and roof.

“When we applied for this last August, our goal was to develop affordable spaces for premium production or fabrication work, where local businesses could grow into and other businesses could consider space in Floyd,” said Jon Beegle, the local EDA Chairman.

“This is an exciting grant award. This project will provide construction work in the short-term and in the long-term will support more higher-wage job opportunities for those with technical and trade skills,” said Joe Turman, Chairman of the Floyd County Board of Supervisors. We deeply appreciate the support from the US EDA and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.”

Construction is expected to begin by the spring of 2021 on the building.

“We were very fortunate to get this US EDA funding,” Lydeana Martin, the Community and Economic Development Director shared. “They had special funding to help communities affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018. Thanks to input from more than 50 local businesses, we were able to document the impact of those storms including loss of power, blocked roads, and flooding. This building will provide a more resilient option to businesses looking for non-retail space.”

“It’s very expensive to create good building pads and to construct business facilities,” according to Beegle. “And many businesses cannot afford to do so. Leasing often fits their business model better, especially in the early years of the business.”

The Floyd County EDA completed the Floyd Innovation Center in 2015. It provides spaces from 120 SF to 4,300 SF for businesses. It is fully occupied.

The Tobacco Commission is committed to developing a diverse economy in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Having infrastructure including sites and facilities is an important part of accomplishing that goal and the Commission looks forward to continuing to support projects that will bring jobs and investment to the areas served.

For more information, contact Lydeana Martin at the lmartin@floydcova.org or 540 267-4083.

Sky-high deliveries benefit NRV small businesses, consumers during pandemic

From Virginia Tech — Written by Jenny Kincaid Boone

Montgomery County, VA – Like most restaurant owners across the nation in the past month, Luke and Cassie Brugh have had to think fast to keep their business afloat. They turned their Christiansburg coffee shop into a curbside-only business, with the bulk of their orders coming through an app, to comply with government orders to limit customer contact because of COVID-19.

But in navigating the challenges of this shuffle, the Brughs have discovered a silver lining. Brugh Coffee is selling double the cans of its cold brew java — by drone. That’s compared with cold brew sales through its new curbside business.

These air deliveries are made possible by Wing, a drone delivery enterprise and offshoot of Google’s parent company Alphabet that has seen a dramatic increase in its business since the pandemic began.

Wing recently added Brugh Coffee and other Christiansburg restaurants — Mockingbird Cafe and Gran Rodeo — to its food delivery options.

From March to early April, Wing saw a 350 percent jump in the number of people signing up for its services across its four sites in three continents. They are in Christiansburg, Virginia; Helsinki Finland; and two cities in Australia, Canberra and Logan City, said spokesman Jacob Demmitt.

Similarly, in a two-week period in early April, the company had 1,000 deliveries globally, a “dramatic increase” from the typical two-week business model, he said.

In October 2019, Wing launched the commercial drone delivery service in Christiansburg with the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP). MAAP is a test site for unmanned aircraft systems designated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Through the partnership, Wing also offers drone delivery from Walgreens, FedEx, and Sugar Magnolia, a Blacksburg gift and candy shop, in addition to the newly added businesses. Customers order items via Wing’s app, and the products are delivered quickly, sometimes in as little as three to five minutes to a designated area near the consumer’s home. Hovering in the air, the drone extends the package to the ground, where it lands softly.

“It became clear early on [in the pandemic] that delivery services were becoming more and more important,” said Demmitt, noting that Wing began its partnerships with Brugh Coffee and Mockingbird Cafe at the start of COVID-19. “It came at a time when it was getting harder and harder for them to reach customers.”

Brugh Coffee sells bags of coffee and cold brew for Wing drone delivery, but it hopes to add hot coffee drinks in the future, Luke Brugh said.

“This was kind of ideal for us as small business owners,” he said. “It’s been good to have that extra income.”

In addition to adding new businesses, Wing has changed its product catalog for Walgreens to match customers’ pandemic needs. For example, the service added grocery staples, including baby food, pasta, and snacks, along with children’s toys and games. Toilet paper and sidewalk chalk, in particular, have been big sellers, Demmitt said.

“It’s a small relief, but we wanted to do whatever we could to help,” he said.

As the success of Wing’s drone delivery grows, particularly during the pandemic, MAAP plans to share information and lessons learned with the FAA and other government entities, said Mark Blanks, director of MAAP.

“It is a unique situation, but at the same time, it really does showcase why this is such a good technology and opportunity to benefit people,” he said. “This is the first place in the country that this is happening, which means everybody’s watching.”

Rommelyn and Zach Coffren and their four-year-old son, Noah, began ordering from Wing last fall. The drone service is just as important now that the couple, both Virginia Tech alumni and university employees, are working from their Christiansburg home, caring for their son, and following social distancing guidelines.

Recently, the family watched a movie together in their backyard, and they ordered Walgreens snacks by drone. Also, this month, the Coffrens ordered lunch from Gran Rodeo, one of their favorite restaurants. It arrived via three separate drone deliveries due to weight restrictions.

The Coffrens, who were interviewed for a recent NBC Nightly News segment about drone delivery, watched as each drone hovered over their backyard, lowering street tacos, beans and rice, a burrito, and arroz con pollo to the ground, one at a time. The family also is fielding inquiries from their friends about how to use the Wing app.

“The drone deliveries have been a nice distraction” from COVID-19, said Rommelyn Coffren. “It’s a way for us to still feel connected to the community to locations that we would patronize anyway.”

 
NRV Working Smart Header

NRV Public Health Taskforce Releases Re-Opening Guidebook for Small/Local Business

The guidebook outlines promising practices for small/local business operations as they transition to re-opening in the age of COVID-19 following the expiration of the Governor’s Executive Order 53

NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA – In anticipation of the upcoming expiration of Governor Northam’s Executive Order 53, the New River Valley Public Health Task Force Recovery Team has created Working Smart, Working Safe., a resource for small and local business operations transitioning to re-opening following the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This guidebook is a tool leaders across the region developed for our local businesses,” said Kevin Byrd, Executive Director of the New River Valley Regional Commission. “It doesn’t supersede any forthcoming direction from Governor Northam; however, it does provide critical information that we want our local business leaders to have in an effort to help them prepare for re-opening their operations.”

Working Smart. Working Safe. is a resource to help local businesses navigate reopening in their communities amid COVID-19. It is to be used to as a guideline to help serve customers and accommodate employees. The collaborative and comprehensive document was created by the New River Valley Regional Commission, Onward NRV, and chamber of commerce and tourism offices across the region.

“The New River Valley has done a great job of addressing and containing the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Dr. Noelle Bissell, Director, New River Health District. “While this virus isn’t going away, we have to learn how to live with it and progress toward finding a new normal. The resource guide for re-opening we’re providing to local and small businesses is a step in that direction.”

Sources for the guidebook include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Virginia Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force; Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Virginia Department of Health; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; National Park Service; and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

To view the guidebook, visit www.montva.com/coronavirus/resources.

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About New River Valley Regional Commission

The New River Valley Regional Commission is one of 21 planning districts in Virginia whose commissions are chartered under Virginia law. The organization encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, and the City of Radford. The purpose of the Regional Commission is to promote regional cooperation, to coordinate the activities and policies of member local governments, and to provide planning assistance to local governments.

About the New River Valley Public Health Task Force

The New River Valley Public Health Task Force is composed of local health, public safety, education and government agencies that work to proactively provide local residents and communities with information about COVID-19, to coordinate efforts to reduce its local impact and to facilitate community recovery. For more information, visit www.montva.com/coronavirus and www.vdh.virginia.gov, or call the New River Health District public health call center at 540-267-8240. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. After hours, leave a message.

Red Rooster Coffee Featured In Virginia Review

Floyd County, VA – In the Q1 2020 issue of the Virginia Economic Review, a publication through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, focused on showcasing Virginia’s food and beverage industry. The New River Valley’s own Red Rooster Coffee was featured in an article in the reveiw, titled “Virginia Roosters Earn National Recognition for Quality.”

Here is what the article had to say about Red Rooster Coffee:

Red Rooster Coffee opened in downtown Floyd in 2010 with values reflecting its small-town origins: quality, environmental stewardship, and family. The company uses organic and fairtrade coffees whenever possible, with a particular focus on partnerships with farms that treat workers fairly.

“The way that specialty coffee is going to move forward in the world and replace plantation-style agribusiness in Brazil and Vietnam is that we have to be transparent about what we’re buying and why we buy the coffee that we buy,” said owner Haden Polseno- Hensley.

“We buy most of our coffee from a specialty coffee importer who has people on the ground who set price with the farmers or the export mill. They come to an agreement about the size of the premium they’re going to pay, but they always pay a premium above the price on the commodities market.”

Red Rooster evolved from a small community coffee shop that was one of three in Floyd, a town of 450 people in the New River Valley. Polseno-Hensley realized that he needed a differentiating factor to draw business in a saturated market, and he settled on upping the quality of his brew.

“My early coffee was better than 95% of the coffee that you could buy,” he said. “But how do you get from that to roasting world-class coffee? It was many years of trial and error and tasting.”

Red Rooster sells its coffee at Fresh Market and Whole Foods locations in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., as well as several other stores and coffee shops in the region. In addition to the Forbes honor, the company took first place in the Brewers Cup in the U.S. Coffee Champs qualifiers last year. Its cold brew won first place at Coffee Fest Baltimore in 2018, and its espresso earned the same honor at Coffee Fest NYC in 2016.

With the bounty of workforce and water paired with affordable land, a good culture for niche markets, and a history of agriculture, Virginia’s New River Valley proves a Natural Fit for companies in Food Processing & Agribusiness.

Blacksburg High School Ranked 30th in VA by U.S. News

Montgomery County, VA – U.S. News just came out with their 2020 Best High Schools Ranking by state and a NRV high school made the top 50! Among 386 public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Blacksburg High School ranked 30th. The ranking is based off of graduation rate, college readiness and enrollment. After taking this into consideration, U.S. News compiles a list of the top 100.

Here is the summary from U.S. News:

Blacksburg High is ranked 30th within Virginia. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Blacksburg High is 51%. The total minority enrollment is 21%, and 15% of students are economically disadvantaged. Blacksburg High is 1 of 4 high schools in the Montgomery Co Public Schools.

Of more than 24,000 public high schools in the U.S., Blacksburg High School ranked No. 1,328. The means that Blacksburg ranks among the top 10% of high schools in the country.

Fox News: Operation Face Mask with the Blue Ridge Fudge Lady

By Emily DeCiccio | Fox News

Robin Burdette, also known as the Blue Ridge Fudge Lady, has been bringing people together at her Pulaski, Va., fudge shop since 2015. That very sense of community is what led officials at Virginia Tech to tap Burdette to coordinate a coronavirus mask-making operation for local hospitals and first responders.

Read more at:

https://www.foxnews.com/media/america-together-from-making-fudge-to-coronavirus-face-masks