Economic Development News
TechNite awards showcase innovation and entreprereurship
May 20, 2013 - The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) held its annual TechNite Awards Banquet at Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center on May 16 to celebrate the regional technology sector. A record crowd of over 500 leaders from business and innovation attended the event. The Montgomery County Economic Development Department sponsored the Rising Star award, which was presented to Blacksburg-based MiserWare. READ MORE
Report showcases economic development in Montgomery County
April 5, 2013 - The Montgomery County Economic Development Department is pleased to release its 2012 Annual Report. "2012 was another outstanding year of growth and achievement in Montgomery County," said Craig Meadows, County Administrator for Montgomery County. "As you'll read in the report, we experienced over $256 million in new investment during the year, and saw nearly 1,300 jobs created for our citizens. National publications such as Forbes and USA Today recognized our community with accolades that showcase our business environment and high quality of life." READ MORE
OBMS rezoning request moves ahead to bring up to $5 million for schools
March 22, 2013 - The long awaited development plan for the old Blacksburg Middle School property is expected to bring up to $5 million for school capital construction and generate approximately $1 million annually in new town and county taxes once the project is complete. After nearly two years of deliberations, the rezoning request by Fiddlers Green Partners LLC and Modea is expected to be filed early next week. The developer today released details of the 20-acre mixed use development for residential housing, hotel, fitness center, office, retail and open green space for community purposes. READ MORE
Montgomery Co. official joins Startup America for meeting at the White House
February 27, 2013 - A Montgomery County economic development official recently attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., with senior White House and agency officials focused on the importance of fostering vibrant startup communities throughout the United States. Charlie Jewell, Project Manager of Marketing & Business Development for the Economic Development Department, was one of more than 50 individuals from 10 states and the District of Columbia who attended the Feb. 5 meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on the White House grounds. READ MORE
Blacksburg metro biggest mover on Best-Performing Small City list
January 22, 2013 - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area has once again been recognized for its 2012 economic performance. The Milken Institute's annual index of the best performing cities ranked the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area the No. 32 Best-Performing Small City of 2012. Most impressively, the metro skyrocketed 128 spots over its 2011 ranking - making it the biggest mover on the list. READ MORE
Blacksburg metro ranked No. 2 American City Adding Jobs by 24/7 Wall St.
December 27, 2012 - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area has been ranked the No. 2 American City Adding Jobs by 24/7 Wall St. Based on Bureau of Labor Statstics employment data for the metro area, the unemployment rate of 5.6% in October was down from a yearly high of 7.2% just three months earlier and more than 8% more jobs were available in October compared to July. READ MORE
Local entrepreneurs recognized among best in Virginia
December 13, 2012 - The Center for Innovative Technologies (CIT) announced the winners of the Gap 50 Entrepreneur Awards today in Herndon, Va. Part of Governor Bob McDonnell’s “Year of the Entrepreneur” initiative, the statewide program is intended to identify and celebrate Virginia’s next generation of entrepreneurs who are creating high-growth companies. Montgomery County was well represented among the finalists and award winners. Impressively, seven of the 50 entrepreneurs who received a Gap 50 Entrepreneur Award were from Montgomery County. READ MORE
Blacksburg named No. 2 best college football town by USA Today
December 6, 2012 - According to a recent survey of over 50,000 USA Today readers, Blacksburg is the No. 2 "Best College Football" Town in America. Home of the Virginia Tech Hokies, Blacksburg was one of 15 college towns included in the survey, all of which were nominated by five sportswriters and broadcasters. Madison, WI. – home of the University of Wisconsin – took home the top spot with Athens, Ga. (University of Georgia), Columbia, S.C. (University of South Carolina), and South Bend, Ind. (University of Notre Dame) rounding out the top five. READ MORE
Blacksburg metro area ranks high for college students
December 4, 2012 – The American Institute for Economic Research has named the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area one of the top college destinations in the America. According to the 2012 College Destinations Index, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metro area ranked high for its quality of life, academic environment and professional opportunities available to students after graduation. READ MORE
Blacksburg named No. 1 place for families, again
November 28, 2012
– Homes.com has ranked Blacksburg the No. 1 Best City to Raise a Family. The national real estate website cited a great educational base and plenty of economic opportunities as reasons for Blacksburg receiving the top spot. Blacksburg ranked ahead of 2) Raleigh, NC ; 3) Plano, TX; 4) Tampa, FL; 5) Boston, MA; 6) Rochester, MN; 7) Pocatello, ID; 8) Phoenix, AZ; 9) Honolulu, HI; and 10) Lincoln, NE. READ MORE
Mobile developer Atomic Axis to open Blacksburg office, create 30 jobs
October 2, 2012 - Atomic Axis, a mobile solutions company based in Austin, TX., announced today that it is establishing an office in Blacksburg, Va. The company’s new satellite office, which will be located at TechPad in downtown Blacksburg, will initially be targeted iOS development and creative roles. Atomic Axis’ decision to locate an office in Blacksburg is anticipated to result in the creation of 30 new jobs in Montgomery County over the next three years. READ MORE
Economic development council recognizes Montgomery County for third consecutive year
September 27, 2012
– The Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) has recognized the marketing efforts of the Montgomery County, Va. Economic Development Department for the third consecutive year through its 2012 Communication Awards competition. The SEDC honored the department with an Excellent Award for its Community Marketing Brochure and a Superior Award for its commercial real estate website, CRE.YesMontgomeryVA.org. READ MORE
TechPad coworking space expands in downtown Blacksburg
September 18, 2012 – TechPad will officially launch with an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 432 North Main Street, Suite 200, Blacksburg VA 24060. The 6,000 square-foot coworking space in downtown Blacksburg specializes in software startups and hosting entrepreneurial events. Located above PK’s Restaurant, TechPad features three private suites, two conference rooms, as well as reserved coworking desks in a shared environment that includes a kitchen, printer, broadband access, and a dozen bean bags. READ MORE
Student-founded social media company Heyo to expand Blacksburg operation by adding 50 jobs
September 11, 2012 – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that Heyo, formerly known as Lujure Media Inc., a fast-growing social media company, will invest $100,000 to expand its operation in the Town of Blacksburg in Montgomery County. The company helps businesses drag and drop together Facebook fan pages, mobile apps, and websites. The expansion is anticipated to create 50 new jobs over the next two years. READ MORE
Aeroprobe Corporation to invest $3 million in expansion
September 4, 2012 - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Aeroprobe Corporation, a manufacturer of high-accuracy instrumentation and software to capture air or other fluid flow data for applications in the turbomachinery, unmanned air vehile, automotive, and wind turbine markets, will invest $2.2 million initially and $3 million over five years to expand in Montgomery County. The company will construct a new 20,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility, expandable up to 40,000-square-feet, in Falling Branch Corporate Park in Christiansburg. The project will create 40 new jobs. READ MORE
Blacksburg named a Top 10 College Town by Livability.com
August 31, 1012 - Livability.com has named Blacksburg a Top 10 College Town for 2012. Livability.com's third annual list of the best college towns looked at communities where the college plays an integral part of the economy and culture. Blacksburg ranked 10th on the list for its ratio of students to residents, cost of living and entertainment options. READ MORE
Startup Weekend Blacksburg to host area entrepreneurs September 14 – 16
August 16, 2012 - Startup Weekend, an intense 54-hour brainstorming and business-building event, is coming to Montgomery County September 14 to 16. Startup Weekend Blacksburg will be held at at Rackspace and is open to anyone interested in starting a technology-based business or working on a startup. It's a unique opportunity to develop skills, get hands-on experience in new areas, and test ideas with local entrepreneurs and professionals. READ MORE
Forbes ranks Blacksburg metro among "Best Small Places for Business and Careers"
July 9, 2012 - Forbes magazine has again ranked the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) among the “Best Small Places for Business and Careers” in America. The metro - also known as the New River Valley - ranked 32nd in the nation out of 184 MSAs with populations less than 255,000. READ MORE
Blacksburg metro named a 2012 "Leading Location" by Area Development Mag.
June 26, 2012 - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has made Area Development Magazine’s list of the top 100 "Leading Locations for 2012.” The MSA ranked 6th within the South-Atlantic Region and 64th nationally out of 365 MSAs. Within the Mid-Size Cities category – MSAs with populations between 160,000-600,000 – the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA ranked 25th overall and 20th for “Economic Strength.” READ MORE
Smart grid startup PowerHub expands in Blacksburg
April 11, 2012 - PowerHub Systems – a developer of interoperable distributed power conversion and energy storage systems for utility smart grid compliant applications – is expanding its headquarters in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg. The company will grow to 2,800 square-feet in Research Building VII and has the potential to create additional new jobs in Montgomery County as demand for its product grows. READ MORE
Blacksburg MSA named a "Top Metro" for second consecutive year by Site Selection Mag.
March 2, 2012 - For the second consecutive year, Site Selection Magazine has named the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) a “Top Metro by Number of Projects.” Within the population category of 200,000 or less, the metro tied 4th nationally for the most new or expanding corporate facility announcements in 2011. READ MORE
Forbes ranks Blacksburg metro No. 5 Best Small City for Jobs
March 1, 2012 - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area has been named to Forbes' list of the ten "Best Small Cities for Jobs." The metro ranked 5th nationally against 242 MSAs with less than 150,000 jobs. READ MORE
Montgomery Co. ranks 8th in Virginia for 2011 Business Announcements
Feburary 23, 2012 - Montgomery County was one of the busiest places in all of Virginia last year. In 2011, seven new or expanding companies announced plans to invest $43.5 million and create 572 new jobs in the community. Out of 134 counties/cities in Virginia, Montgomery County ranked 8th for job creation, 15th for investment and tied for 8th most number of business announcements. READ MORE
Regional small business research awards top $34.7 million in 2010
Feburary 1, 2012 - Acconding to a recent Montgomery County Economic Development Department study, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards continue to post promising growth in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region. From 2006 to 2010, the region’s annual SBIR awards have grown 34 percent from $25.9 million to $34.7 million – an increase of $8.8 million. The Roanoke-Blacksburg region’s 2010 total ranked it 13 nationally when compared to other combined statistical areas – one spot ahead of Austin-Round Rock-Marble Falls, TX. READ MORE
Inorganic Ventures to invest $1.3 million and create 21 new jobs in Christiansburg
January 18, 2012 - Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that Inorganic Ventures, a leading manufacturer of custom inorganic chemical blends, will invest $1.3 million to expand its headquarters, manufacturing and distribution operation in Montgomery County. The company will add 20,000 square feet to its current facility and create 21 new jobs. READ MORE