January 30, 2017
Singletracks.com has ranked Virginia Tech a top 10 Best US College/University for Mountain Bikers. Read more at https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/the-10-best-colleges-and-universities-for-mountain-bikers/10/
Although this list is far from comprehensive, we hope that it gives you a good overview of how the New River Valley stacked up against the rest of the country (and world!) in 2016.
Safety First
• Blacksburg (#6) and Christiansburg (#11) were ranked by Backgroundchecks.org as two of the top 25 Safest Cities in Virginia.Happiness Counts
• Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, Floyd, and Pulaski all earned top awards in Blue Ridge Country magazine’s Happiest Town in the Blue Ridge survey.• Christiansburg was ranked #3 Happiest City in Virginia by OnlyInYourState.com.
• WTKR rated Blacksburg the #7 Best City for Singles.
• Southern Living listed Floyd among its Best Small Towns.
• Forbes called Blacksburg a Top 25 Best Place to Retire.
• Pulaski rang in at #10 on the Best Small Towns That Offer Peace and Quiet.
Leading Metro
• AIER named the a Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA #19 Top College Town.• In its Leading Locations survey, Area Development Magazine ranked the MSA as #30 overall and #12 among mid-sized metros.
• The MSA ranked #4 overall and #2 among mid-sized metros in Area Development’s Prime Workforce rankings.
• The Milken Institute recognized the MSA as #41 out of 201 small metro areas.
Tech-Savvy
• Blacksburg was named one of the Best Tech Hubs in Virginia by Southern Business & Development Magazine.• Southern Business & Development Magazine also named Montgomery County as one of the Best Data Center Locations in Virginia.
• NaCo ranked Montgomery County the #4 Top Digital County for counties with populations under 150,000.
College Town Love
• Garden & Gun ranked Blacksburg as the #1 Southern College Town.• Southern Living’s Facebook fans awarded Blacksburg the #1 College Town.
• WalletHub gave Blacksburg the #27 ranking and Radford the #90 ranking out of 202 college towns.
Get Outside
• Singletracks.com named Blacksburg the Mountain Bike Capital of Virginia.• Canoe & Kayak Magazine named Pembroke one of America’s (Next Best) Paddling Towns.
• Fox News called Floyd Fest the #7 Hottest Music Festival in the U.S.
• LifeOutside Magazine recognized both Pulaski and Floyd as top Weekend Getaways in Southwest Virginia.
• Blueridge Outdoors magazine listed the Flat Peter/Dixon Branch Loop in Giles as a Top 10 Fall Foliage Favorite.
Top Tier Colleges & Universities
• Princeton Review ranked Virginia Tech as having the #1 Best Quality of Life and the #7 Happiest Students, among others.• Washington Monthly Magazine dubbed Radford University a Best Bang for Your Buck school.
• New River Community College was named one of Virginia’s Best Community Colleges for Workforce Training by Southern Business & Development Magazine.
• Giles County was awarded the NaCo 2016 Achievement Award for its Access to Community College Education program.
• Virginia Tech ranked #9 in Research Expenditures by the National Science Foundation.
If you’d like to stay up-to-date with the latest rankings for the New River Valley, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram!
About Us:
Virginia’s New River Valley is a vibrant community that’s home to two state universities, Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a diverse industry base ranging from large international corporations to small technology startups. The region is designated the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area and encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and the city of Radford.
The New River Valley Economic Development Alliance is a public/private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market the New River Valley, to foster job creation, facilitate new investment and to improve the quality of life in the region.
Date: December 22, 2016
New River Valley Economic Development Alliance
New River Valley, VA – This past Wednesday, the Alliance hosted its investor organizations, Board of Directors, and local allies at its 2016 December Quarterly Investor Luncheon. With over sixty in attendance, the event was one of the Alliance’s larger quarterly meetings, and allowed for prime networking, an organizational update, and a keynote address by President Brian Hemphill of Radford University, an Alliance Board member.
Charlie Jewell, Executive Director and Radford University alumnus, kicked off the event by updating the room on fiscal year 2016-17 prospect activity, strategic plan implementation, and marketing initiatives. Some of the major shifts in organizational activity midway through the fiscal year included building stronger ties between the Alliance, local economic developers, and investors by forming a LEDO group that meets monthly to discuss projects, focusing on marketing events to target site selectors, and strategizing a more inclusive and defined investor relations program.
With an eye to the future, Charlie discussed two of the biggest projects the Alliance will begin in 2017—1) developing a targeted industry strategy that supports the growth and competitiveness of vital sectors in the NRV and 2) a full-scale organizational and regional rebranding initiative. The Alliance teamed with the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development in 2016 to develop a targeted industry study. This study will provide recommendations on which specific industry sectors the organization should focus it efforts on supporting.
Building on this targeted industry study, the Alliance is also launching a comprehensive organizational and New River Valley branding initiative in January 2017. Thanks to the Appalachian Electric Power Economic Development Growth Enhancement (EDGE) program, the Alliance was awarded $15,000 to support this rebranding project. In December, Eddy Communications was chosen to lead this rebranding initiative, and the Alliance looks forward to unveiling its new organizational and regional brand, as well as a new website, in 2017.
Finally, President Hemphill of Radford University presented a keynote address that stressed the importance of partnerships in economic development. Both he and the University, he noted, have a “common desire to encourage more young people to establish roots, develop careers and raise their families in this region.”
Radford University, through its involvement with bringing AMTRAK passenger rail service to the New River Valley (NRV Rail 2020), its nonprofit partnerships throughout the region, and its dedication to developing undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs that enable students to graduate and thrive in the New River Valley, is a leader in economic development in the region.
To learn more about President Hemphill’s keynote address, please visit Radford University’s news release, President Hemphill Talks Economic Development and Community Partnerships.
If you are interested in learning more about joining the Alliance as an investor, please contact Tabitha Hodge, Investor Relations and Operations Manager.
About Us:
Virginia’s New River Valley is a vibrant community that’s home to two state universities, Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a diverse industry base ranging from large international corporations to small technology startups. The region is designated the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area and encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and the city of Radford.
The New River Valley Economic Development Alliance is a public/private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market the New River Valley, to foster job creation, facilitate new investment and to improve the quality of life in the region.
Date: December 15, 2016
New River Valley Economic Development Alliance
Photo Credit: Virginia Tech/Jim Stroup
New River Valley, VA – Did you know that Wade’s Supermarkets, a local New River Valley grocery chain, pioneered online grocery shopping decades before AmazonFresh?
Or that Montgomery County Public Schools were the first in the nation to be 100% connected to the internet?
At a time when the internet was in its infancy, the Town of Blacksburg piloted a revolutionary new community internet network—the Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV)—that defined the way New River Valley businesses operate and innovate today.
In 1991, the Town of Blacksburg and Bell Atlantic’s subsidiary, Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone, partnered to create a groundbreaking online network to connect New River Valley communities together. The resulting BEV allowed for companies, organizations, and individuals to create webpages, promote e-commerce, operate list-serves, participate in chat rooms, and even join a mentoring program for local middle and high school students.
With over 87% of Blacksburg residents wired through dial-up and Ethernet connections and 100% of Montgomery County Public Schools directly connected to the internet, BEV resulted in the Guinness Book of World Records dubbing the region as the “Most Wired Community” in 1998.
Though the landscape of the internet has changed over the past twenty years, BEV’s contribution to connecting the New River Valley to the wider world is still felt today. Several startups resulted from the network’s online commerce and connectivity, and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s high speed Ethernet connection allowed for innovation and job creation at the research park which now hosts over 180 research, technology, and support companies.
While dial-up internet and chat rooms seem like ancient history, BEV redefined what community meant in the New River Valley and helped pave the way for today’s ever-present social media.
To read more about the Blacksburg Electronic Village’s history and influence in the New River Valley, visit The Verge’s What Happened to the Most-Wired Town of the 1990s?
About Us:
Virginia’s New River Valley is a vibrant community that’s home to two state universities, Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a diverse industry base ranging from large international corporations to small technology startups. The region is designated the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area and encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and the city of Radford.
The New River Valley Economic Development Alliance is a public/private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market the New River Valley, to foster job creation, facilitate new investment and to improve the quality of life in the region.
BLACKSBURG, VA – Lane Stadium is the largest stadium in VA according to Fox Sports. The well-known home of Virginia Tech football has 66,233 seats, which beats Scott Stadium in Charlottesville by about 5,000.
The Hokies’ stadium has been around since 1964, and has undergone many expansions and renovations since.
The stadium also ranked as the #1 homefield advantage stadium by Rivals.com. Plus, back in 2007, ESPN’s Bruce Feldman also ranked Lane Stadium as the #2 scariest stadium for opponents to play.
For more information about Lane Stadium and Worsham Field, visit HokieSports.
Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s 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.
Date: November 9, 2016
New River Valley Economic Development Alliance
New River Valley, VA – This November, the New River Valley, along with communities all across America, are celebrating National Entrepreneurship Month by hosting community workshops. These workshops aim to educate and empower individuals interested in starting or expanding their small businesses in the region, and will be led by local business leaders and entrepreneurs.
Learn more about how you can join a local entrepreneurship workshop and launch your next big idea in the New River Valley!
The Entrepreneurship Option
When: Thursday, November 10, from 6 – 8 pm
Where: New River Community College, NRV Mall Site, 400 New River Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073
Cost: $10
Register: http://bit.ly/entrepreneurship112016
New River Community College is teaming up with VT KnowledgeWorks to offer a one-night entrepreneurship workshop. This workshop will help participants understand what it takes to embark on the entrepreneurship path and is open to anyone considering starting their own business.
Jim Flowers, Executive Director of VT KnowledgeWorks, will share his knowledge and experience on a variety of topics including things to consider before starting a business, common misconceptions about small businesses and fundamental characteristics shared by successful entrepreneurs. He will also offer individualized attention to answer questions and advise attendees of the session.
Register in advance at http://bit.ly/entrepreneurship112016.
Entrepreneur Express
When: Wednesday, November 16, from 9 am – Noon
Where: Pearisburg Town Hall, 112 Tazewell Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134
Cost: Free
Register: www.vastartup.org
In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the New River Valley Regional Commission, the Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity, Opportunity Southwest Virginia and the Roanoke Small Business Development Center have partnered to host a FREE training event. The Entrepreneur Workshop connects small business owners, and those thinking about becoming entrepreneurs with programs and resources to help move their plans forward. The program includes interactive discussions and exercises covering key elements of business practices and will be presented by Virginia’s small business support partners.
Advanced registration is required. Please register at www.vastartup.org.
If you have any questions, please contact Patrick O’Brien at the New River Valley Regional Commission at 540-639-9313.
About Us:
Virginia’s New River Valley is a vibrant community that’s home to two state universities, Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a diverse industry base ranging from large international corporations to small technology startups. The region is designated the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area and encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and the city of Radford.
The New River Valley Economic Development Alliance is a public/private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market the New River Valley, to foster job creation, facilitate new investment and to improve the quality of life in the region.
Date: October 28, 2016
New River Valley, VA – This summer, five towns (technically four towns and one city) were voted to top spots in the Happiest Mountain Towns reader poll by Blue Ridge Country magazine. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, Floyd, and Pulaski all received top honors in the magazine’s rankings which used quantitative data like unemployment rates and commute times as a baseline, but also accounted for readers’ passions for their hometowns.
The initial 96 towns were whittled down to 61 for readers to choose from, and the coverage area included the mountain regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and South Carolina. Blue Ridge Country vetted the 61 initial choices by setting “minimum happiness-base standards” (i.e. a commute of <30 minutes, a below-average cost-of-living, unemployment rate below 10%, etc.), but then left the poll open for readers all over the nation to vote for their favorites.
In the 10,000-49,999 category, three New River Valley towns cracked the top twenty: Blacksburg (#6), Christiansburg (#17), and Radford (#18). Blacksburg and Christiansburg, both located in Montgomery County, are strongly affiliated with Virginia Tech and the many companies that have spun-off from or located near the research university. Radford, of course, is closely tied to Radford University and its award-winning business, nursing, education, and liberal arts programs.
All three places boast a low cost-of-living, easy accessibility to the outdoors (the 7-mile Huckleberry Trail connects Blacksburg and Christiansburg and the New River snakes its way along the edge of Radford’s downtown and campus corridor), and a strong arts community.
Floyd (#3) and Pulaski (#26) clinched a top spots in the <10,000 category. Heralded by Southern Living as one of the South’s Best Small Towns, the top tier ranking is no surprise. What Floyd lacks in numbers, it makes up for with style, small town charm, and impactful events. Floyd’s innovative business climate offers start-ups, entrepreneurial ventures, and artisanal producers a welcoming place to do business.
Pulaski, a former furniture and textile manufacturing town, has undergone a massive revitalization initiative including the renovation of the Jackson Park Inn, clean-up of Peak Creek, and improvements to Calfee Park, the ninth oldest professional Minor League Baseball Park in use in America. While many diverse manufacturing jobs still exist in Pulaski, other home-grown business are sprouting up and the town is working to attract a mix of industries.
Both towns offer unlimited outdoor recreation opportunities like paddleboarding the Little River, biking the New River Trail State Park, or hiking the region’s trails. They also both promote large community farmers markets and music-oriented events like the Floyd County Store Friday Night Jamboree.
To learn more about the poll, its methodology, and to see how the New River Valley stacks up, visit Blue Ridge Country.
New River Community College emphasizes real-world experience, and one of its goals is to develop curricula that enable students to find jobs in their field here in the New River Valley. Not only does the college invest in the latest manufacturing technologies, but it also partners with local businesses to tailor programs to an employer’s specific needs (i.e. if there is a particular material that companies want future employees to be skilled in using, the business often donates samples of the material to NRCC to use).
In the Machine Technology program, John Somervell, Assistant Professor of Machine Shop Technology, teaches a group of 35 to 40 students each year the techniques required for a twenty-first century machinist. It’s a tight space filled with simulators, lathes, and milling machines, and John explained that he can’t place students fast enough. Although he advises students to complete their two-year degree to earn higher wages, some inevitably leave the program early for full-time employment—their skillset is that high in demand.
The program equips students to become machine tool operators—lathe operators, drill press operators, inspectors and tool crib attendants—all positions that employers like Federal Mogul, Kollmorgen, Moog, Wolverine Advanced Materials, and other New River Valley employers need.
The Instrumentation and Control Automation program, on the other hand, prepares students for careers in advanced manufacturing at employers like Celanese, American Electric Power, Hollingsworth & Vose, andTechLab. With a starting salary well into the $50 to 60k+ range, Instrumentation is popular at NRCC with over 150 students enrolled in the two-year program (55 students in their final year).
Much of the Instrumentation program’s success is due to Montie Fleshman, Professor of Instrumentation Technology, who piloted several innovative flex courses that incorporate both online and classroom teaching. Since students can now access recorded lectures online, incompletion rates dropped from 30% to 3%. Montie also dialogues with employers to develop new labs that meet workforce needs. As a result, New River Community College created a state-of-the-art mechatronics lab which teaches students how to combine electronics, mechanics, and computing into a streamlined process—a skillset that most advanced manufacturing and engineering employers look for in today’s graduates.
Advanced Manufacturing today requires that students learn a mix of electronic, mechanic, and computer science skills—whether testing a gas turbine or producing advanced materials for the automotive industry. From teaching students the newest in techniques and technologies to introducing them to local employers looking to expand their workforce, New River Community College primes students for successful careers in advanced manufacturing.
Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for a beautiful place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s 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.
Date: September 27, 2016
New River Valley Economic Development Alliance
New River Valley, VA – Last Wednesday, we celebrated the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance’s 26th anniversary with our biggest and most impactful Annual Dinner to-date. With over 115 local business, government, and community leaders in attendance, we recognized the past year’s accomplishments, outlined our vision for FY2017, and listened as our keynote speaker, Melody Warnick, presented research on current trends in economic development.
Over an hour of networking kicked-off the evening and gave our investors, friends, and guests a chance to mingle with fellow industry colleagues, as well as with those from entirely different regions or sectors. Given the unique makeup of the New River Valley—a geographic area of four counties, one city, and ten towns, as well as a region with a wide range of industries spanning technology, manufacturing, food, and the creative sectors—this Annual Dinner provided a critical opportunity for developing relationships across regional and industry boundaries.
Our motto, as Charlie Jewell, Executive Director, reminded everyone at the start of the program, is “All Together. Better.” With that in mind, not only did he provide an update on 2015-2016 employment, workforce, and prospect activity, but also emphasized the ways in which we, as business, elected, and community leaders, can work together to make the New River Valley the best place to live and work.
One of the main ways that the Alliance plans to work more closely with community members is through this upcoming year’s rebranding process. Part I includes the strategic target industry analysis that Virginia Tech’s Office of Economic Development is undertaking. This process will determine the specific and targeted industry clusters that the Alliance will focus its marketing efforts on. Part II requires a total brand overhaul (including website, logos, and messaging) in order to better represent our business and local communities. This rebranding will place our partner-based mission first and foremost: “To attract and retain world-class jobs, investment, and talent in the New River Valley by marketing the region as a premier destination to live and do business, and by building collaborative partnerships that promote economic vitality.”
Finally, Melody Warnick, author of This is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live, headlined the event with an engaging and eye-opening presentation on how quality of life affects economic development. As a local Blacksburg resident, Melody outlined how place attachment is directly correlated to GDP and described how site selection is increasingly concerned with sourcing a talented workforce with a good quality of life than just finding a site or building.
As we look forward to FY2017, we’d like, once again, to thank the investors, allies, and local communities who support the Alliance. This region is truly the best place to live and do business, and we are here to join with you to continue attracting and retaining the best companies and workforce to the New River Valley.
About Us:
Virginia’s New River Valley is a vibrant community that’s home to two state universities, Virginia Tech and Radford University, and a diverse industry base ranging from large international corporations to small technology startups. The region is designated the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area and encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and the city of Radford.
The New River Valley Economic Development Alliance is a public/private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to market the New River Valley, to foster job creation, facilitate new investment and to improve the quality of life in the region.
Canoe & Kayak featured an article titled, “(Next) Best Paddling Towns: Pembroke, VA Exploring the New River Water Trail through Giles County, Va.” Author Natalie Warren said:
Sometimes one town on its own is too small to truly be considered the Next Best Paddling Town. Sometimes it takes collaboration and pooling of resources by neighboring communities to provide paddler amenities for a larger region. The five municipalities in Giles County, Virginia do just that, focusing their energies on the New River, one of the geologically oldest rivers in America.
Read more at Canoe & Kayak.
Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of both worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s 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.
