Floyd County Archives | Page 11 of 12 | Virginia's New River Valley

Floyd County Tourism Office Receives $10,000 Grant from Virginia Tourism Corporation “Crush Friday” Program Marketing Fund

FLOYD COUNTY, VA – Floyd County (VA) Tourism Office announced that it has received a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) “Crush Friday Program” grant fund. “Crush Friday” is part of VTC’s ongoing efforts to support U.S. Travel’s “Project: Time Off” initiative, encouraging citizens to utilize unused vacation days. In total, VTC awarded $250,000 to 25 tourism marketing projects across the Commonwealth to help increase visitation and revenue for Virginia’s localities through tourism. More than 155 partners will participate in this cross-state marketing program effort.

“We are thrilled to be supporting U.S. Travel’s Project: Time Off with our brand new Crush Friday campaign. The Crush Friday initiative is a engaging, creative, and collaborative way for Virginia localities to leverage critical marketing dollars to attract more visitors to the Commonwealth, increasing the economic impact of tourism,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “This program will also help to change the way millennials think about vacation and the importance of time off not only to their quality of life, but quality of work.”

“We are excited to be working in partnership with the VA Tourism Corporation – and local partners – on this 2018 campaign encouraging folks to take that vacation day – and do so in Virginia – and especially in Floyd, Virginia, ” shared Pat Sharkey, Floyd County Tourism Director.

The Floyd Tourism Office received a $10,000 grant for their Crush Friday project. Local Floyd businesses and organizations already committed to partnering in the project with the Floyd Tourism Office include: Floyd County Government, Town of Floyd, Floyd Country Store, Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Chateau Morrisette Winery, Chantilly Farm, Five Mile Mountain, On the Water, Riverstone Farm, Stonewall B&B and Floyd Yoga Jam.

Crush Friday in Floyd will include suggested itineraries and special promotions starting on Thursday nights through the weekend in Floyd. Crush Friday visitors can stop by the Floyd Visitor Center to pick up their Crush Friday in Floyd passport that offers them special deals and activities. Specials and itineraries will be posted on VisitFloydVA.com website and will change quarterly throughout the year. Visitors who use their passport are also eligible for Crush Friday in Floyd getaway packages valued at over $500 given away later in the year and good through the following year.

What can folks do in Floyd Virginia? Get outside on the mountain top- Bike, Hike, Float Floyd; Sip the Spirits (beer, wine, shine) at our wineries, new brewery, distillery and many restaurants; and Move to the Music at numerous venues and festivals Thursday through Sundays. Floyd County is nestled atop the Blue Ridge Plateau bordering 40 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Southwest Virginia.

“For a small mountain community, we offer an amazing diversity of things to do and enjoy! And VA Tourism Corporation continues to provide incredible support to communities like ours to help us share about our great offerings”.

American workers left 662 million vacation days on the table last year. Of these workers, the millennial sub-set is the most likely to want to be seen as work martyrs. In an effort to be seen as valuable to the company a work martyr is the most likely to forego taking vacation days. The VTC Crush Friday Program is designed to encourage the millennial work martyr to give vacation a try. VTC and its industry partners aim to change that mindset and show the benefit that even one day of vacation can have. Virginia and Floyd Tourism offer a call to millennials to take a well-deserved Friday and crush it in Floyd, Virginia.

Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2016, tourism generated $24 billion in revenue, supported nearly 230,000 jobs and provided $1.7 billion in state and local taxes. Dollars invested in tourism are proven to provide a 7:1 return in tax revenue for Virginia, and the grant awards and matching funds provide a stimulus to localities seeking to increase tourism visitation and revenue.

Floyd tourism businesses and organizations are encouraged to come to our Crush Friday in Floyd Community Kick-off Meeting on Wednesday, February 7 at 5-8pm at Dogtown Roadhouse to learn more about the project and how they can participate. Presentation starts at 5:30pm with pizza provided and bar tab option.

For more information about Crush Friday in Floyd, go to www.VisitFloydVA.com or contact tourismdirector@floydcova.org or 540-239-8509

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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.

NRV Among Top Affordable Metros Attracting YPs

November 13, 2017/0 Comments/in Accolade, Floyd County, Giles County, Live Here, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Radford, Work Here /by Onward NRV

NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA- Virginia’s New River Valley (The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA) ranks among the top metros that are attracting young professionals while maintaining an affordable cost of living. According to PEW, the NRV is among 10 metros that are growing almost as quickly as other well-known, attractive cities for young people like Silicon Valley or Austin, TX, but have more affordable costs of living.

Still Affordable, But Attracting Young Professionals

These metro areas ranked high for affordability, education, and growth in young professionals.

Columbus, IN	Bismarck, ND
Midland, MI	Morgantown, WV
Bloomington, IL	Cedar Rapids, IA
Idaho Falls, ID	New River Valley, VA
Sioux Falls, ND	Rochester, MN
The data comes from the American Community Survey and was analyzed by Stateline.

Virginia’s New River Valley, has a unique opportunity for young professionals. Our region enjoys the upscale amenities residents might find in larger urban areas (like public transit and fine dining), while maintaining the perks of low-cost living and small-town charm (like low traffic, and access to outdoor recreation). The presence of Virginia Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College elevate the importance of education in the region and provide excellent amenities in arts and culture and opportunities for young people and businesses alike to interact with the universities and benefit from their services.

The NRV was also ranked a top destination for college graduates based on eight economic and quality-of-life factors that AIER found to influence migration patterns of college grads ages 22-35 among 260 metro areas, large and small. A few of the factors contributing to the New River Valley’s high ranking included its favorable labor market conditions, affordable housing rents, ability to get around without a car, and density of people with a college degree.

YPs can find plenty of support in the NRV with clubs and networking opportunities such as Up on the Roof, Blacksburg YPs, The Newcomers Club, and more. Plus, the NRV is home to a myriad of festivals and burgeoning local music scenes that keep up with the times while remembering the roots of SWVA throughout history. For more activities and insight on what it’s like to live in the NRV, check out the Live Here tab! ### 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.

$1.5 Million Awarded to Begin Phase 2 of Floyd Regional Commerce Center

September 25, 2017/0 Comments/in Business, Floyd County, Sites & Buildings /by Onward NRV

Floyd, Virginia: The Floyd County Economic Development Authority (EDA) has been awarded $1.5 million in grant funding to begin Phase 2 of the Floyd Regional Commerce Center. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,081,958 in Appalachian Regional Commission grant funds to construct a road and sidewalks into a 51-acre tract that is part of the 169-acre business park. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission then approved $420,696 in grant funds to extend water, sewer and fiber into the tract as well.

The Floyd Regional Commerce Center is about a half-mile from the Town of Floyd, and one of only a few large tracts in the County served by public water and sewer. The property is adjacent to an Appalachian Power substation with multiple leads and Citizen Telephone’s 200-Gbps open access fiber network. The Floyd Regional Commerce Center is recognized as a Giga-Park due to its extraordinary telecommunications network. Ultimately these 51 acres will net about 27 acres of building sites, though this first step is providing road access and utilities. The property is bordered by a 60+ acre greenway where the EDA anticipates providing a walking trail in the future.

Currently, the County and EDA have only two pre-graded sites remaining available for expanding or relocating businesses. In the past couple years, 5 sites in the Floyd Regional Commerce Center and Floyd County Industrial Park have been sold, leased or built-upon.

“We’ve seen a lot of business growth in the past 4 years in Floyd County—with the number of businesses up 8.5%, the number of people employed within the County up 5.9%, and the average weekly wage up 14%,” said Case Clinger, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “However while we are grateful for recent successes and momentum, we still have a 70% out-commuting rate and among the lowest local wages in Virginia. Clearly we need to continue to work to strengthen and diversity our economy–including supporting local business expansion and targeting right-fit businesses.”

“Developing more sites is a top priority for the EDA, and extending the road and utilities is the first step of that,” said Jon Beegle, Chairman of the EDA. “We are very grateful for the strong support from the Floyd County Board of Supervisors, who provided funding for a preliminary engineering report necessary to pursue the grant funds, and to ARC and the Tobacco Commission.”

Floyd County provides a broad range of support for existing businesses and entrepreneurs. In the past couple of years, the County and EDA have:

Successfully sought $500,000 in Tobacco Commission Research and Development for Hollingsworth & Vose, the largest private employer in the County;

Built the Floyd Innovation Center in the Floyd Regional Commerce Center, now home to 8 small businesses;

Provided many free business development workshops to more than 250 people in the past 3 years—from how to start or grow your business, to how to access R&D funding, to specialty workshops for food, farming and wood-related businesses.

Provided business loans to more than 15 small businesses, and last month received an additional $75,000 from USDA Rural Development to loan to small businesses.

For more information, please contact Lydeana Martin, Community and Economic Development Director for Floyd County at 540 745-9300 or lmartin@floydcova.org.

Lydeana Martin
Community and Economic Development Director
Floyd County
PO Box 218
Floyd, Virginia 24091
www.floydcova.org

Contact me if you’re interested in starting or growing a business in Floyd County

And check out www.yesfloydva.org or www.facebook.com/yesfloydva

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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.

Onward NRV Launches New Website for Virginia’s New River Valley

September 21, 2017/0 Comments/in Floyd County, Giles County, Live Here, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Radford /by Onward NRV

Onward NRV has officially launched the new website (www.NewRiverValleyVA.org) for Virginia’s New River Valley.

The new site is designed with the river stone branding and reinforces the culture, lifestyle amenities, and business opportunities of the NRV.

The new logo for Virginia’s New River Valley is a stack of river stones that represent the eclectic and intentional small town living of the region. The different, yet complimentary, colors invoke the NRV’s diverse and innovative business community and its collaborative culture.

This acts as the portal to a unique brand that stands out among other communities and economic development organizations. Just like the NRV, the river stones logo and collateral imagery are highly adaptable, and work to spotlight the loyal people and innovative industries of the region.

The new website features updates such as better SEO, interactive maps and sites and buildings database, and email content distribution devices.

The new site is the product of Onward NRV’s strategic planning to increase visibility for Virginia’s New River Valley. Research surrounding regional communities, industries, and lifestyles was conducted to create the content and design of the new website.

The website launch will be announced publicly tonight at the 2017 Onward Annual Investor Dinner.

For more information about Virginia’s New River Valley or Onward NRV, email info@onwardnrv.org.

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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.

2016 in the New River Valley, Ranked!

January 6, 2017/0 Comments/in Accolade, Business, Floyd County, Giles County, Live Here, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Radford, Work Here /by Onward NRV

New River Valley, VA – 2016 was a banner year for the New River Valley in terms of regional and national recognition. From Fox News to Southern Living to Area Development Magazine, both the region as a whole and the counties, city, towns, and universities within it were recognized for outstanding lifestyle, business, and educational opportunities.

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.

NRV Towns Voted Happiest in Blue Ridge

October 28, 2016/0 Comments/in Accolade, Floyd County, Live Here, Montgomery County, Pulaski County, Radford /by Onward NRV

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.

Floyd named a best small town by USA Today and Southern Living

April 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Accolade, Floyd County, Live Here /by Onward NRV

Date: April 13, 2016

New River Valley, VA – Floyd continues to rack up third party recognitions as one of the best towns in the South. Over the past year, it has been featured on lists by USA Today and Southern Living.

In February, Southern Living Magazine named Floyd as one of the South’s Best Small Towns for 2016. Published since 1966, Southern Living highlights the beauty and culture of the growing South and has a reach of more than 23 million people each month. Floyd was among 20 small towns to be featured on its list.

Southern Living had this to say about Floyd:

“You’ve got the mountains rising from all sides of town, the Blue Ridge Parkway running north and south, and all of the old time, bluegrass music you could ask for. A stop on The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, Floyd takes its farm-centric roots and adds a touch of artistic whimsy. Show up for the Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store to see the town at its finest.”

In 2015, Floyd was ranked the No. 9 Best Southern Small Town in the nation by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The top 20 nominees were picked by a panel of experts with the top ten being chosen by popular vote of USA Today 10 Best readers. USA Today is a national news and information media company with eight million readers daily.

USA Today had this to say about Floyd:

“A popular stop along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, Floyd is an artist’s enclave where the Friday Nite Jamboree is just one of the regular toe-tapping events that visitors enjoy. Galleries and studios abound and regular events allow buyers (and art-loving lookie-loos) to enjoy multiple venues on one visit with ease. Floyd’s lovely Mabry Mill, featuring a working blacksmith, wheelwright, grist mill and whiskey still, keeps history alive and interactive. Not to mention fun.”

To view the full lists, visit:

• Southern Living

• USA Today

NRV named Best of the Mountains, FloydFest

Floyd Fest a “Hottest Musical Festival”

March 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Accolade, Floyd County, Live Here /by Onward NRV

“[Floyd Fest is] Five days filled with music, plus outdoor adventure, brews and activities for kids. Set aside some time to go hiking and tubing down the nearby river…”

Read more from Fox News or www.floyfest.com.

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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.

courtesy of the Washingtonian Floyd County Resident wearing overalls plays the fiddle outside the Floyd Country Store

Floyd Named a “Great Small Town Near DC”

August 19, 2015/0 Comments/in Accolade, Floyd County, Live Here /by Onward NRV

Floyd, VA Named a Great Small Town Near DC”

“On Friday nights in the one-stoplight town of Floyd, Virginia, bluegrass invades. Floyd’s population explodes as visitors convene outside the tidy brick storefronts on Locust Street to hear impromptu performances. The main action takes place inside…”

Mountain High: A Travel Guide to Floyd County

July 1, 2015/0 Comments/in Floyd County, Live Here /by Onward NRV

“It’s 7 p.m. and what sounds like a stampede has overtaken this country store. Inside, merchandise is pushed up against the walls, and the store is transformed into an old-fashioned music hall. Dancers are the source of all the racket—old-timers sporting overalls, middle-aged couples dressed for a square dance, and twentysomethings in jeans…”

“Many wear taps under the heels and toes of their cowboy boots and shoes, as they shuffle up a storm Appalachian-style, keeping time with the banjo and fiddlers on the bandstand. Throughout the night, new bands take the stage, the tunes always tied to genres of traditional American music—mountain, bluegrass, classic country. And the dancing never stops…”

Read more by Stephanie Citron at Baltimore Magazine.

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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.