Sign In
Free Newsletter
New River and Roanoke Valleys see strong economic growth
The New River and Roanoke valleys posted major GDP gains in 2023, with growth fueled by advanced manufacturing, tech innovation, and workforce expansion.
$264.5M New River rail project gets underway
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Sen. Tim Kaine and other officials on Thursday broke ground on the long-awaited New River Valley Rail Project in Christiansburg, which will return passenger service to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979.
Verge rebrands to Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance
Verge, a collective of organizations dedicated to tech-based economic development in the Roanoke and New River valleys, announced a rebrand Tuesday, an effort that includes a new website, logo and a new name — the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA). Previously, Verge, which has roots dating back to 2013, used “Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance” as […]
Roanoke-area pediatrician is suspended over alleged sexual, profane comments
Following complaints from co-workers and patients’ parents over sexual and profane comments, the Virginia Board of Medicine suspended the medical license of Roanoke-area pediatrician Dr. Dalton M. Renick on Aug. 22, stating that “a substantial danger to public health or safety” warranted Renick’s summary suspension. The board’s Notice of Formal Hearing included allegations th[...]
New River auto group divests two more dealerships
On July 15, New River Valley automobile dealer Gary Duncan sold his Christiansburg Honda and Hyundai dealerships to New River Valley-Owned Shelor Motor Mile. Duncan declined to provide financial details. Representatives from Shelor Motor Mile did not respond to requests for comment. The deal follows Duncan’s 2022 sale of his Roanoke-based Acura, Audi and BMW […]
Assembled with care
If you’re trying to visualize what powers manufacturing growth around Roanoke these days, picture 3D-printed helicopter blades and robotics, not old-style grommets. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing produces objects by creating a series of consecutive layers, as opposed to “subtractive” manufacturing, which removes material to carve out an object. Advanced manufacturing c[...]
FOR THE RECORD May 2024
CENTRAL VIRGINIA Richmond-based Atlantic Union Bankshares completed its acquisition of Danville-based American National Bankshares, parent company of American National Bank and Trust, on April 1. Based on the $35.31 per share closing price of Atlantic Union common stock on March 28, the transaction value was approximately $507 million. The deal was announced in July 2023, […]
Roanoke/New River Year-in-Review: Meeting the demand
The Roanoke and New River Valley regions each had their most successful economic development year in recent history, according to John Hull, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. That’s thanks to $387 million worth of economic investments announced in 2023, potentially creating thousands of jobs. Roanoke County landed the biggest fish, with Wells Fargo […]
Ridge View Bank hires new SVP for New River Valley
Ridge View Bank has hired Todd Murray as senior vice president of commercial banking in the New River Valley, the Roanoke-based bank announced Wednesday. Murray will lead an expansion of bank’s commercial banking services in the New River Valley and will be responsible for loan and deposit production, collaborating with the bank’s treasury, private banking […]
Richmond-Petersburg pharma coalition wins fed designation
Central Virginia’s pharmaceutical hub received a federal designation that could lead to millions in federal funding in the future, while a 3D printing consortium in the New River Valley and Danville won a $500,000 federal grant, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Monday. A group of public and private sector partners conducting pharmaceutical research and […]
FloydFest cancelation causes economic ripples
FloydFest, a five-day celebration showcasing more than 100 performers, has had an annual regional economic impact of about $4 million since its 2002 founding, according to festival organizers. Even so, county officials and local business owners seem to be taking a “c’est la vie” attitude to the cancelation in April of this year’s FloydFest, which […]
Growing the talent pool
For tech worker Courtney Proffitt, summer 2020 was a transformative time. After roughly a decade away from her native Virginia, she found herself in an Airbnb rental on the outskirts of downtown Roanoke. “I was ready to try a new city after 10 years in Charleston,” recalls Proffitt, who earned her master’s degree from the […]
