Radford Hub aims to connect students, biz community
For The Hub at Radford, location is everything. The new economic development support center, which opened in October 2023, is just across the street from Radford University in downtown Radford. “Our location … is symbolic to the vital role we play as an anchor institution and as a strong contributor to the well-being of the […]
Radford’s Highlander hotel names senior leadership
The Highlander, a $40 million boutique conference hotel opening this spring in Radford, announced its senior leadership team March 1. The team includes Executive Chef James Kirby; General Manager Rachel Pegues; Director of Sales and Marketing Ginger Clark; and Director of Food and Beverage John O’Conner. Kirby is a graduate of the culinary program at […]
Oransi launches U.S.-made air purifiers from Radford
By the end of 2023, portable air purifier maker Oransi hopes to have products on the market designed and manufactured in its new Radford facility. It’s the second attempt by CEO Peter Mann to build an American-made HEPA (high energy particulate air) air purifier since founding Oransi in 2009. After initially selling China-made air purifiers, […]
The Highlander nearly complete in Radford
The Highlander, a $40 million boutique hotel and conference center, is expected to open next to Radford University soon. University officials and their partners in the project broke ground in April 2021 and expect it to be completed in January 2023. The conference hotel will have 124 rooms, including four suites, and a 4,000-square-foot conference […]
Radford Army plant contract extended through 2026
While the contract extension for operation of the sprawling Radford Army Ammunition Plant is reassuring from an economic development perspective, it also has sentimental value to the community. “The Radford Army Ammunition Plant means a lot to our BAE Systems workforce, but also to the generations of families in our community that have kept the […]
Compounding interest
The Roanoke Valley enjoyed a constant stream of nibbles from prospective corporations considering the area in 2021, according to John Hull, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, which promotes development in four counties and three cities. “I don’t think we’ve ever been this busy in terms of interest and activity,” Hull says. “It’s just […]
Radford University chooses new president
Radford University’s eighth president will be Bret S. Danilowicz, who’s currently serving as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Danilowicz, who starts his tenure at Radford on July 1, 2022, succeeds Brian O. Hemphill, who left in June to become president of Old Dominion University […]
N.C.-based Oransi merges with Radford’s Aviemore
Raleigh, North Carolina-based Oransi, a manufacturer of air purifiers, will merge with Radford-based Aviemore Technologies, Oransi announced Monday. In April, Oransi, announced it would build a $5.6 million manufacturing facility in Radford. Founded in 2009, Oransi will utilize proprietary technologies from Aviemore, a designer and manufacturer of motion controls, to manufacture an air moving syst[...]
N.C. air purifier manufacturer will build $5.6M plant in Radford
Oransi, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based manufacturer of air purifiers, will invest $5.6 million to establish a manufacturing facility in Radford, creating 101 jobs, according to an announcement Wednesday from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “Oransi is very pleased to establish its first manufacturing facility in the city of Radford to develop and manufacture our best-in-class air […]
A growing legacy
Since his selection as president of Radford University five years ago, Brian Hemphill has fulfilled the mission he set when he was hired: to increase fundraising and open channels to boost enrollment. During Hemphill’s tenure, he has seen the university reach record enrollment numbers and grow its endowment by $20 million. But all things must […]
BAE Systems hires general manager for Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Arlington-based defense contractor BAE Systems Inc. has hired Kirk Johnson as general manager of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, effective March 29. Johnson comes to the position with seven years of experience at Lubrizol Corp., a Berkshire Hathaway specialty chemicals company, where he served as managing director for specialty and industrial additives and then as […]
More Virginia colleges scrap traditional spring break
RICHMOND, Va. — A growing number of Virginia colleges are announcing that spring break will be canceled or modified in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg, announced plans Monday. The biggest change is that the university will not have a week-long spring break. It will instead have five […]