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ISSUE 218 NOVEMBER 2026 RC’s WorkAI Lab Noble Boots Mobile Bookstore Honey Hole Bait & Tackle Hope To Walk Eldor + Ford The Local

VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Ryan King Roanoke College vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

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WELCOME TO THE FRONT This edition of FRONT is full of a lot of good news. Every story is about someone who gloms on to an activity for some kind of improvement—small or large. There’s the person who wants to improve his profession by becoming more productive, efficient, profitable, or competitive (AI lab). There’s the person who simply wants to improve her day, mood, or outlook with a new read (bookshop). There’s the plant manager who gladly accepts a top designation that shows the most improvement on quality (manufacturer). There’s the entrepreneurial vendor who seeks improved foot traffic and exciting vibe from a new retail hub (downtown merchants). There’s the nonprofit operator who wants to improve the lives of disabled and challenged individuals. There’s even a guy who wants to improve your chances of catching fish who bought a tackle shop for the love of the game. Maybe reading the FRONT will improve your day a bit. That’s good news for us.

Tom Field Gene Marrano Publisher Editor

This is a great use of this space. ” “

— Page 61

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 14 Noble Boots Mobile Bookstore by Lindsey Hull

18 Hope To Walk by Aila Boyd

LEAD STORY PAGE 8

“Start with a low-risk pilot” Roanoke College’s WorkAI Lab By Tom Field

24 Eldor + Ford

by Lindsey Hull

32 Honey Hole Bait & Tackle by Tom Field

60 The Local

by Gene Marrano

PERSPECTIVES 16 Lead By Example by Carrie Cousins

22 AI Watch

by David Townsend

REVIEWS & OPINIONS 28 There’s Something Happening Here

by Gene Marrano

29 On Tap from the Pub by Tom Field

30 Guest Commentary by Lauren Edwards

34 Reviews FRONTLINES 38 FRONT’n About 50 Career FRONT 56 FRONT Notes

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AI can be an ” “ incredibly useful

force. — Page 13

FRONTcover image of Ryan King utilized AI-augmented direction and photoediting by Tom Field.

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Thanksgiving Morning Downtown Roanoke!

2026

The Rescue Mission of Roanoke

DRUMSTICK DASH PRESENTED BY

Go to DrumstickDASH.net to sign up! 5k Run/Family Walk/DASH Away In-Person: November 26 DASH Away: November 1 - 30 Join us on Thanksgiving morning for the Drumstick Dash, Roanoke’s annual 5K run and family walk! Your participation goes beyond the race – it directly supports the Rescue Mission of Roanoke and its life-changing services for those battling homelessness, poverty, and addiction. This Thanksgiving, have fun with family and friends while helping others. The Dash is truly a race that makes a difference!

Be sure to sign up to get this year’s Drumstick DASH Shirt

DRUMSTICK

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NOVEMBER

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Gene Marrano news@vbFRONT.com

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morefront.blogspot.com © Copyright 2026; Valley Business FRONT, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of this publication in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Information within Valley Business FRONT is obtained from sources considered reliable, but cannot be guaranteed. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the ownership. Valley Business FRONT is primarily distributed to subscribers by mail, digitally and select locations throughout the Roanoke Valley, New River Valley, and western Virginia.

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Advisory Board Valley Business FRONT has organized an Advisory Board comprised of a selective group of diverse business professionals who support our mission and have an interest in how our business journal best serves our local communities and region. As a sounding board throughout their term, board members have been given the task of helping FRONT understand the issues and develop coverage. You will note that the Board is comprised of experts in many different business / industry “fronts.” This is intentional, as we are reporting on all the areas that affect our regional economy and are important to you. Although the members are encouraged to keep FRONT updated on their own industries and the key players, they aren’t limited to their area of specialty, as all commercial enterprises ultimately collaborate to impact our quality of life here in this part of Virginia. An additional contribution by the Advisory Board involves direct input on the various FRONTLists we present throughout the year. In keeping with our policy of being “the voice of business in the valleys” we ask each reader to join us as an editorial partner by contacting us with your ideas. You know more than we know about your business—or you certainly should—and that inside knowledge shared with our readers will make us all better at what we do.

2026 CONTRIBUTORS

Dan Dowdy

Gene Marrano

Lauren Edwards

David Townsend

Emily Field

Nicholas Vaassen

“”

The number of people receiving legs nearly tripled in 2025. — Page 18

“” Jason Boone

Freedom First Credit Union / finance—credit unions

Micah Fraim

Fraim & Cawley CPAs / finance - accounting

I'll be the first to throw my tea in the harbor. — Page 29

Mary Ann L. Miller

Bank of Botetourt / finance – banking

“”

Alicia Smith

F&S Building Innovations / construction

Biographies and contact information on each contributor are provided on Page 54.

We chase tenths of seconds. — Page 25

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Lecturers for the current WorkAI Lab include four Roanoke College alumni with significant positions in the technology sector: Charlie Butcher (consultant at Kairos Higher Ed Partners); Zack Tembi (CEO at Single Fin); Justin Worrilow (general manager at Microsoft AI & Business Solutions); John Bansemer (adjunct professor specializing in AI at Georgetown University).

“Start with a low-risk pilot” Roanoke College’s first WorkAI Lab is a concentrated seven-week hands-on course designed for local businesses and organizations By Tom Field Roanoke College brings together local employees and staff to work out AI solutions together.

Nineteen individuals enrolled in a new WorkAI Lab program offered by Roanoke College that ran September through October. Director Logan Hammerschmitt said the Lab brought so much attention and interest, that two more cohorts are planned in the Spring (2027)—a remote program February 4 through March 18, and a hybrid (in-person / remote) program April 15 through May 27. The cost is $1,700 (early bird; $2,000 standard) and employers can nominate and/or sponsor participants or you can self-nominate.

organizational sectors. While sitting in the fifth class (classes for all cohorts have been held on Thursdays, 11:45—2:15; lunch provided on campus) we were able to ascertain some of the AI applications enrollees are thinking about—or actively developing (or perhaps redesigning by the conclusion of Lab). Today’s instructor, Justin Worrilow, from Microsoft (citing his concentration in federal email) who also happens to be a Roanoke College alumnus (2001), mentioned more than once that it’s best to start with a “low-risk pilot” when working with AI at your job.

The current Fall enrollees represented a diverse lineup of local business and

“I use all of them, Claude/Anthropic, OpenAI, CoPilot,” Worrilow says. “My biggest worry

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FRONT COVER

Submitted photos / AI

isn’t AI taking us all over, but it is making us dumber. We’re going to lose our critical thinking,” he says, not hesitating to offer plenty of cautions even as he instructs on the benefits. But back to our current enrollees. The AI ideas to apply that we heard about included: • a campus security department using AI to manage keys—a new, smarter inventory management system could save the college $500,000

“The rate at which this knowledge can and is being applied is outstanding.” —Logan Hammerschmitt, Director of Co-Curricular Innovation & Creativity, Roanoke College

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FROM ‘DIRTY WORD’ TO USEFUL TOOL The WorkAI program has been incredibly valuable – and we’re not even to the end yet. I came into the class with very little experience with AI – and fairly apprehensive. I come from a creative background, and AI is considered a “dirty word” in most creative circles. I first started investigating its uses in non-creative professional settings… we began small – namely with “help” formatting our deliverable documents and making them presentation-ready. What used to take several hours of iterative work and consulting Google for the “how-to” guides suddenly took about 30 minutes for an entire document. Then I moved on to using AI to draft certain types of documents, using my own prompts. This class hasn’t just taught time-saving tips or using the agents efficiently, it began with a solid foundation on what, exactly, AI is and how it works. Then we moved deeper into the security issues, right off the bat. By grounding us in the fundamentals, the class is setting us up for safe, informed use of an incredibly powerful tool. At the end of the day, that’s what AI is – a tool (well, a suite of tools). The implications for operational / office work are huge, and that’s just one small piece of the AI whole. [The Lab] offers all of the participants a chance to network outside of our niche specialties and collaborate in a rich, exciting setting that fosters intellectual inquiry as well as the chance to push our personal boundaries and expand our comfort zones. —Mary McNulty Jones, Campus Safety Administrative Operations & Technology Manager Roanoke College

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• a department director perfecting AI for his virtual assistant to make his day-today tasks more efficient • a technology professional developing an AI “chief of staff” to improve his productivity (specifically mentioning managing thousands of email backlogs) • a construction contractor who wants AI to make his business more competitive with bid and estimate response • an institutional vice president who wants AI to predict vendor supplies and ordering for events that fluctuate greatly • a college officer who sees AI advantages in segmenting fundraising efforts All of these examples show AI helping productivity and profitability—either from the personal profession or for the organization.

FRONT COVER

“This is all about being AIcurious.”—Ryan King, Chief of Staff / Innovation Officer, Roanoke College

That’s a direct correlation to Roanoke College’s objective and why the program is called WorkAI Lab and targeted to our local business community (though it’s not limited to local). “This is all about being AI curious,” Ryan King says. He’s the top point person of WorkAI Lab, and rather recently appointed Chief of Staff and Innovation Officer for Roanoke College. “This is designed for working adults,” King continues, “in the Roanoke Valley, in professional development. We essentially explore three areas: AI shared language; the hands-on tools; and then presenting what you’ve learned or solved.” King gladly names the participating organizations “all over the Roanoke Valley,” citing Carilion Clinic, United Way, New Horizons, other industries, and internal participants, which refers to Roanoke College employees we met from five departments: finance, auxiliary services, campus safety, advancement, and communications. Lab coordinator Logan Hammerschmitt concurs. “I believe that the WorkAI Lab is preparing participants for the future of

SAVES ME TIME This program has helped me use AI tools to solve problems and overcome challenges in my role, both from an operational management and strategic leadership perspective. Beyond helping build systems to save and reallocate my time, it has introduced me to new possibilities on how I can work with my teams to lead and support our students. The WorkAI Lab and its real-world industry expert instructors are providing a ground-up, knowledge-building model to educate me on different AI systems and functions and how to safely use it in practice. —Benjamin Marks, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Roanoke College

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FRONT COVER AI-enabled work and creating good stewards of AI tools as part of the process. Not only do our participants learn weekly how to responsibly discern when AI is a useful tool for the job at hand; they also are learning how to communicate the value of that tool. Through the lens of our experienced panel of lecturers, participants have gotten a first-hand look at how AI can become an incredibly useful force for good when used properly and for the right tasks.” This first cohort utilized professional instructors from various technology companies, including four who are Roanoke College alumni: Charlie Butcher (Kairos Higher Ed Partners); Zack Tembi (Single Fin); John Bansemer (Georgetown University); Justin Worrilow (Microsoft).

I CAN CHALLENGE AND CHANGE This program is differentiated by the many other AI courses/programs I have participated in by the real-world teachings. It does not just give a basic overview of the topics; it gives the attendees (of varying experience levels) skills and the opportunities to put the skills to use. Thus far, my favorite part about it is that there is space to challenge the utility of what we learn each week, because our knowledge is growing as quickly as AI is. —Nadia Saklou, DVM, PhD VeriPass

Lab topics include AI Foundations; Data, Risk & Ethics; AI at Work Today; Prompting & Productivity; AI-Enabled Teams; Building Your AI Strategy; and the final Capstone Presentations. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention again the frequent advice to exercise patience, discernment, testing, piloting, and methodical pacing when working with Artificial Intelligence platforms, systems, and applications at this still relatively early-stage environment for our workplaces. Today’s lecturer relayed as many failures and “miscues” from AI performances as he did operational improvements.

I LEARN BEST PRACTICES

“Low-risk pilot!” he advised repeatedly. Nevertheless, there is great anticipation about how AI can boost three immediate areas— productivity, competitiveness, and profitability— even before large scale operational processes are addressed. At least that’s the sentiment we sense in Class 5. Who knows what other secrets lie in wait? The interest is super high; Roanoke College is aware. “I have had many conversations with participants that represent a huge breadth of industries, and the thing that stands out to me the most about those is the excitement you can sense in people as they tell you how they've been applying their learning in their real work,” Hammerschmitt says. “The rate at which this knowledge can and is being applied is outstanding.”

What I’ve enjoyed most about Roanoke College’s WorkAI Lab is coming together with other local leaders to collaborate, exchange ideas, and learn best practices for putting AI to work. Hearing how people across different industries approach similar challenges has been especially valuable. We’ve explored everything from AI fundamentals and responsible use to practical applications in our industries. That combination has helped me better understand where AI can make a meaningful difference and how to bring those ideas back to my organization. I believe the program is also helping shape our region’s approach to AI. By learning together and sharing what works, we’re building the knowledge, relationships, and confidence to help the Roanoke region move forward thoughtfully. —Jaqueline Hickman, AI Program Manager, Enterprise AI | Tech Svcs & Health Analytics Carilion Clinic

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Lindsey Hull

Jessica Wimer opened Noble Boots Bookshop in June 2026

Submitted

Working hard, doing the right things By Lindsey Hull

Jess Wimer cracked open the rear door of her new book trailer at Noke Fest on June 12. Noble Boots Bookshop, Wimer’s non-permanent “pop-up” book store, was open for business. “I didn't know how it was gonna go. If it was gonna be like a hit, or if it was just gonna be a flop,” Jess Wimer says. “It was so crazy.” Hitting the road While Wimer and her spouse had already been working towards opening a mobile bookshop, their plan was accelerated when Wimer left her job at Carilion Clinic a month earlier than they had intended. “I quit my job and my husband was like, “Let’s get started on this,” she says. He was there with her even when Wimer, a Navy veteran who lives with PTSD, was wondering whether she could accomplish all the necessary tasks. “I had to remind myself that I'm not just doing this for myself, but also my kids,

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showing them that you can do hard things. If you work really hard, you can do the things that bring you happiness,” says Wimer, who has four daughters. Wimer first became interested in opening a mobile bookshop after learning about similar shops in Richmond and Utah via social media. Like other would-be bookshop owners, Wimer says she was dissatisfied with the selection of books she could purchase or borrow within a short distance of her home in rural Bedford County. Together, the couple developed a plan. They took out a home equity loan to secure funding. They bought the trailer, ordered books, and chose the bookcases. Wimer dreamed of a space that would be cozy and comfortable, like a cottage.

RETAIL FRONT Trending “Sometimes I fantasize about having a brick and mortar store, but that's obviously down the road,” she says.

books, she’d write those down. She’d do more research, find more books, write those down.

Most Mondays, Wimer sets up alongside Covenant Coffee at Greenway Park. On Buying the trailer allowed Wimer to avoid Fridays, you can find her outside The overhead costs. It also provides easy storage Toebean Cat Cafe. On the weekends, it and set-up and can fully operate in the rain, depends. She posts her schedule on her a benefit over using tents for non-permanent website and social media channels. shops. During the cold months, the Noble Boots trailer will be heated like a little store, Wimer felt nervous Wimer says. She gets everything from one place to “I like the flexibility of being able to take another with care and forethought. The the bookstore and pop up wherever I want,” books ride along just fine on the shelves. Wimer says. She tries to focus her energy She holds them in place using tension rods. planning events that are further away from Wimer has found that the curvier roads to retail centers in order to serve customers Floyd require reinforcements; she’s going who don’t have easy access to book retailers. to double up and place two rods per shelf the next time she hits Bent Mountain. Wimer’s timing couldn’t have been better. While Roanoke was already home to War Her spouse is her biggest supporter, on Books, Rainy Day Reads, Quirks & Quills Wimer says. He tells her every day that Bookshop and perhaps others, these trendy she is capable. And she is. She has a coach trailers and pop-ups are having a heyday who reminds her to treat Noble Boots on social media, in pop culture (see the Bookshop like a business because it is Pattiwagon in “Widows Bay”) and as the one. And she does. backdrop for 2026’s Lit Girl Summer. That might be where this story transforms Out of the 600+ independent bookshops from a DIY guide to a real-life fairy tale. that opened for business nationwide in 2025, the American Booksellers Association The biggest thing that has come from Noble claims that 106 of those stores were pop-ups Boots Bookshop’s June launch? A surge in and another 77 were mobile shops. confidence for Wimer. For a long time, she has had low self-esteem. Operating this #BookTok brings it home business is helping to turn that around. Wimer’s bestsellers have so far been thrillers, horror and psychological thriller books, which aligns with this year’s top-performing genres in fiction according to Circana, a market research company that provides insight for the book publishing industry.

“Nothing can hold me back,” she says. Submitted

When she first started ordering books, Wimer watched a lot of book content creators’ social media channels, she says. She made a list of their book recommendations, including authors’ names and genres, in a notebook. She would search for particular genres, like thrillers, for instance. She’d search for “thrillers you haven’t heard of.” She’d write those down. If videos cross-referenced other vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

Is your brand draining energy or inspiring action? Just this week, I found myself digging through a drawer of charging cables, hoping to find the one USB-C that will bring my phone back to life. It was exhausting. Not because the task is hard, but because the micro-friction wastes time and mental energy. Everything looked the same but was different. Here’s the thing: Fragmented branding creates the exact same drain. When a brand stretches its lineup into Pro, Plus, Ultra, and Lite, they think they’re offering choice. But to the customer, it feels like reaching into a drawer full of mismatched charger cables. When you slightly change your colors, logo, image style, or brand voice, the customer can’t differentiate between you and something else.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE By Carrie Cousins, LeadPoint Digital Executive Summary: Don’t stretch your brand image in too many directions – keep it simpler.

The core dynamic is near-identical incompatibility, which is rooted in the idea that psychologically, encountering two completely distinct things is easy to process. If you need to plug in a lamp and someone hands you an HDMI cable, your brain rejects it instantly. The drain comes from near-misses. • Simple Core Need: You just want to charge a battery or solve a specific problem. (In terms of brand, that specific problem could be knowing that an ad is for your business and they want the thing you are offering.) • Meets an Artificial Barrier: The tool or product is right there, but slight variations force time to pause, inspect, and decode. (You should be able to identify what you need without thinking and in a fraction of a second.) • And Comes with a Hidden Cost: Decision fatigue. Every time you stop and perform a mental audit, it creates cognitive overload. (I don’t know about you, but I have enough things to think about!)

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PERSPECTIVES Steve Jobs used this concept to save Apple from bankruptcy, eliminating dozens of different Mac computer variants (Performas, Quadras, PowerBooks, and so on) for a simpler approach: Consumer vs. Professional and Desktop vs. Portable on a grid resulting in four products. (Zero “cable-drawer” confusion.) I challenge you to apply this idea to your brand. Is it simple and clear? Is it direct in its approach? Do you know who you are talking to and what they expect from you? To build lasting brand equity: • Audit for near-misses and combine brand elements that are only subtlety different. Do you use three shades of green? Could it be one? • Standardize naming and language with the way your customers or audience talks. It’s ok to say the same things repeatedly. Only you are bored with it; customers are not. Nike has been saying “Just Do It” since 1998 and it still resonates. • Treat your customer’s mental capacity as a finite resource. The brands that will continue to win offer lower friction. We have the attention spans of goldfish (maybe!); less thinking might just equal greater success.

It's ok to say the same ” “ things repeatedly.

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Courtesy photos

Hope to Walk expands its reach By Aila Boyd For Blacksburg-based Hope to Walk, helping more people walk again means building clinics that can continue serving patients long after visiting volunteers leave.

The nonprofit Hope to Walk, which manufactures low tech, low cost prosthetic legs, is opening a second clinic in Guatemala and developing a production facility there as it expands a model centered on training local technicians and establishing sustainable operations. The work recently earned international recognition and a $10,000 award. On October 6, Hope to Walk received the Health and Healing category award in the 2026 .ORG Impact Awards, presented by Public Interest Registry. The organization was among seven honorees selected from 4,232 applicants across 145 countries, according to its announcement. Behind that recognition is a shift in how

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the organization delivers its services. Reed Kennedy, Hope to Walk’s volunteer executive director, said the nonprofit previously relied largely on trips lasting one or two weeks, during which volunteers would fit about 20 people with prosthetic legs without follow-up. Over the past two years, it has moved toward permanent clinics staffed by local technicians trained by founder Phil Johnson. The number of people receiving legs nearly tripled in 2025 compared with the previous year, Kennedy said. In 2026, the organization is on track to double its 2025 total. Hope to Walk is approaching 5,000 people served and currently works in Guatemala,

NONPROFIT FRONT Honduras, the Dominican Republic, St. Lucia and Tanzania. Its prosthetic legs cost $250 to provide and are supplied at no charge to recipients. Affordability comes partly from using common materials and volunteer labor. Instead of a titanium pylon, for example, the design uses PVC pipe with a wooden dowel glued inside. Some components are donated. For Kennedy, the value extends beyond mobility. “This is the ultimate goal, that the amputee not only has the ability to walk but becomes a productive citizen, can work, and care for their family instead of being cared for by their family,” he said. One man in Guatemala returned to his job driving a truck the day after receiving his prosthetic leg, Kennedy said. Ray Stell, a longtime volunteer and the organization’s IT manager, has witnessed that impact firsthand. “I support Hope to Walk because of the dramatic, positive impact the inexpensive prosthetic has on the patient and supporting family,” he said. “Once I saw a depressed man who had been wheelchair bound for two years. He received two Hope to Walk legs in a matter of a few hours' work. Then he stood and walked around the room. It changed the patient's face to one of joy and changed me, also.”

Guatemala is becoming increasingly important to the organization’s expansion. Johnson lives there most of the time, and the existing clinic in Panajachel, in the Mayan Highlands, schedules five patients a day, or 25 per week. A second clinic in Guatemala City will occupy space provided by a local Lions Club. A Lions Club in Norfolk is funding its

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equipment. The clinic will initially operate part time while a local technician is trained to run it.

prosthetic technician is the key to expansion and ‘duplicating Phil,’” Kennedy said.

Separately, Hope to Walk is developing a Guatemala production facility that would duplicate the functions of its Blacksburg operation. Producing components there would eliminate the need for volunteers traveling to Panajachel to carry them from Blacksburg in suitcases.

Under the current model, a prospective technician is identified before Hope to Walk arrives. That person works alongside Johnson to learn how to build and fit the legs. If the initial training goes well, the technician is invited to Panajachel for two additional weeks, which Kennedy said is typically sufficient to establish competency.

Training technicians is central to making that expansion possible. “Training a local

For a new clinic being established in Siguatepeque, Honduras, two men are

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NONPROFIT FRONT scheduled to continue their training in Panajachel. Hope to Walk will supply component kits, while a local foundation partnering with the local government will fund clinic operations. The international work depends on a network of donors, businesses and volunteers, including students and residents in Southwest Virginia. A Hope to Walk club at Virginia Tech raises money and provides production volunteers. Students from Virginia Tech and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, known as VCOM, also work in the Blacksburg shop alongside community volunteers. VCOM has assisted with logistics, and Virginia Tech has provided research assistance. Business sponsors include Kopy Korner,

Home Depot, MartinArthur CPA, IT Mushroom and CORE Physical Therapy, Kennedy said. Donations remain the organization’s primary funding source, supplemented by annual grants from several foundations. Clinics operated by other organizations also purchase prosthetic leg kits from Hope to Walk, generating revenue that supports its operations and expansion. The biggest obstacles to growth, Kennedy said, are upfront funding and training enough people to carry on Johnson’s work. The planned Guatemala production facility will help increase capacity. Additional business sponsors could support that growth through donated goods and services or annual contributions.

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PERSPECTIVES Integrating AI safely into our lives David Townsend is a professor of entrepreneurship in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. He believes there are aspects of Artificial Intelligence that needs to be regulated – after all “we wouldn’t let a four year old drive a car down the street? You [need] training and skills.” But he is concerned about “overstepping” federal regulations that could limit access to open source AI models that new players in the AI market could use as a baseline for their own programs. “That creates lots of barriers for people to come in. I think we need to be cautious and careful.”

VT photo

David Townsend

AI WATCH Special Feature Executive Summary: Think of Artificial Intelligence… as electricity? So says a professor of economics at Virginia Tech.

While open source AI models are typically 8 to 9 months behind the Frontier AI developers – the leaders of the pack that do not make their latest models available on open source (like Hugging Face) - that’s where the majority of AI developers are still beginning their journey notes Townsend. “[The models on open source] can be fine-tuned,” he says. Townsend calls it “regulatory capture,” what the federal government might pull into its orbit as guidelines DC spells out – and he like others feels big players like OpenAI and Anthropic that might be in the inner circle helping to craft these rules might formulate guardrails that benefit them and not the smaller AI developers or startups. “Many of them won’t have the resources to comply with all of the mandatory reporting and some of the governance questions that go into it.” But yes, the big players need to be involved, and there also must be independent testing of new AI models before they are released to public. AI safety should not be viewed through the lens of nuclear fallout or biological annihilation, Townsend writes drolly. Look at it as a technology designed for human augmentation, not replacement he adds. (Someone did say recently if AI “agents” ran amok, it could wipe out humanity in a decade.) A bit of theater, some overreaction he feels as to where AI is now and where it might be going. “There is sort of a dark humor around it that’s causing some people to be very concerned.” A Stanford professor suggested to Townsend that perhaps AI should be viewed as a utility, like electricity, ubiquitous and part of our everyday life, if not now then very soon. Already many regular transactions or customer service issues are processed with AI functions. “Electricity is dangerous if we don’t handle it properly. But it’s also one of the most useful things the human species has developed. Our lives are so enriched by the fact that we have electricity. I think AI in a different sense is going to be … like electricity.” So yes, safely is a must, but extreme arguments that seem to suggest only a few of the AI players at the top of the

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food chain should help set the rules does not sit well with Townsend, a former entrepreneur himself before he began teaching about it. “That would be problematic. We need to be as open … and create the possibilities and opportunities for people to use this intelligence in every aspect of their lives – but not in a way that is unsafe.” However, some of those unsafe worries are “overblown” says Townsend, siting OpenAI’s recent failed test when AI agents began working around firewalls, as happening in a test environment – where any failures are noted and then fixed. “We need to be careful how we test these systems too.” Part of Townsend’s job is to integrate new wrinkles into the curriculum at Pamplin; he calls it, “wise knowledge.” Future entrepreneurs for example in his own classes can move ahead faster with the help of Artificial Intelligence. “That [also] means,” he interjects, “we need to be even better at judgement and the social side of business.”

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Submitted Lindsey Hull

Mechanical Design Engineer Nicholas Pisano designs 3D machine parts for manufacturing ignition coils at Eldor USA.

Ford representative, Bryan Speller (with award); Botetourt County Administrator Gary Larrowe; and Eldor USA CEO Marco Arienta at Q1 recognition ceremony.

BOCO CO GETS Q1 A coveted Q1 designation for Botetourt County manufacturer By Lindsey Hull Eldor Automotive Powertrain USA, located in Daleville, has been awarded Q1 status by the Ford Motor Company. The recognition, an indicator of first-rate manufacturing, took ten years to achieve.

“Ford was our first customer to give us the opportunity to break ground in the U.S. more than 10 years ago, and reaching this milestone with Ford makes it especially meaningful,” Eldor USA CEO Marco Arienta wrote on LinkedIn. Achieving Q1 status opens the door for Eldor USA to participate in new product launches with Ford. It also opens the door for new business with other manufacturers.

Eldor Corporation had already expanded from its homebase in Italy to open plants in China, Turkey and Brazil; those with Ford relationships were recognized Q1 facilities. All of Eldor’s assembly lines are built in Izmir, Turkey. The lines in Turkey, China and the USA are identical.

Eldor USA floor workers build tens of thousands of ignition coils per day on assembly lines that consist of groundbreaking technology: robotic “When they see that you've been recognized arms that twist, turn, pull and lift; carriages by Ford as Q1, they’re like, let's see what that whoosh by on tiny gigs; bobbins that these guys can do and how they do it,” says spin copper at 15,000 RPM — faster than Eldor USA Head Executive and Site Manager the eye can conceive. Bryan Speller Quality checks happen at regular intervals. To earn Q1 recognition, automotive suppliers The automated line is staffed by workers are graded according to a set of performance- who transfer trays of in-progress coils from based metrics, which include standards one machine to the next and by engineers for product consistency, quality, systems who constantly watch the line for problems processes and continuous improvement. that need to be fixed. The machines, encased in metal and glass cabinetry, are studded Prior to investing in its Daleville facility in 2018, with monitors that show live images of

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MANUFACTURING FRONT what is happening inside the equipment. Nicholas Pisano sits in a nearby design lab, flanked by a wall of 3D printers. Pisano is the go-to guy whenever any equipment in the facility breaks or needs a tweak. Pisano, with the engineers, designs something to fix the need and then Pisano 3D prints the part. Through trial and error, Pisano makes needed tweaks, “spits out another gadget, and it works,” Speller says. The plant can run its machinery off the 3D printed parts for a time, while waiting for a machine shop to make a set using Pisano’s design. This facility’s first ignition coil shipped out eight years ago, Speller says. While some of the equipment has been updated since then, and a second line added, the foundation for a consistent, quality product was put in place a decade ago. “If you can do it in Turkey, if you can do it in China at world class levels… [if ] I have the same product, the same processes, for sure, it’s achievable,” Speller says. “There should be no reason you don’t make a perfect part.”

His leadership approach was two-fold: he would get to know his employees, celebrate successes, and make sure they knew they were appreciated. He also had to hold the team accountable, to have courageous conversations. That involved making sure the right personalities were matched with the right responsibilities. He eased off of the Q1 expectation during that time. “It was the culture behind it that helped people believe that it was achievable, and then we started attacking it.” “With Eldor, when you run a 2.5 or 2.4 second cycle time, where other manufacturers are chasing seconds and minutes, we chase tenths of seconds,” Speller says. “If you look at how many parts you make in a 10th of a second, and then you extrapolate that over eight hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, it's almost a whole shift's worth of product.” Workers were challenged to find the rhythm of the defects. If they could figure out what kept going wrong, they could fix it. The mindset shifted to, “Did I win today?”

Yet, for Eldor USA, achieving Q1 was “a long chase,” Arienta wrote on LinkedIn.

In September 2024, the facility started seeing tangible change, Speller says - things Speller began working for Eldor USA in 2020. were about to be phenomenal. 2025 was When he arrived, morale was low, he said. Eldor USA’s best year ever. 2026 has star The facility had had difficulties meeting Eldor power. On September 14, Ford executives Corporation’s zero defect standard of quality. visited Eldor USA to present the Q1 award. Supply chain problems before and during “It's the culmination of everything that COVID and the pandemic itself accounted we've been through. We've reached a for some of the problems, Speller said. pinnacle. Now we build off of it.”

Submitted

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Here for those ‘gone fishing’ Mike Mills “lives” in his favorite workspace— The Honey Hole Bait & Tackle shop in

Salem. He’s here all the time, seven days a week (“I sold minnows to a guy on Christmas day.”) It’s also a favorite fishin’ spot (call it pre-fishin’ spot) for folks of all types who love to fish. “Catfishing, trout, crappie, stripers…” Mike says are the top targets. One could get hooked on a place like this. Photo by Tom Field

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WORK SPACE

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Data Centers and AI – you can’t have one without the other. So, now what? The local dustup over proposed data centers includes one (at least) in Botetourt County and another in Roanoke County. The Daleville center will be a Google facility that will house and cool the advanced microchips that fuel Artificial Intelligence; another possible site is at the Wood Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County, the jointly owned tract where Roanoke City and the City of Salem both have a stake as well. At the Woodhaven site a company called Clearview Dynamics is believed to be a front for another tech giant perhaps. In both cases NDA’s – non-closure agreements - early on stirred up local residents who didn’t want them in their neighborhood or at least wanted to know more, fearing increased power bills and dwindling water supplies – like at Carvins Cove, where the drought this year has brought the valley’s principal water supply well below full pond. Democratic US Senator Mark Warner says he will keep pushing for legislation he has put forth that would offer some federal guardrails as to where and under what conditions data centers could be built. Warner said data centers going forward are different than those built in Virginia and elsewhere in the past, noting that there are already hundreds of data centers in the Commonwealth.

THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE By Gene Marrano Executive Summary: Stopping the region’s “Brain Drain,” - always a problem for southwest Virginia – gets a boost with state funding.

“We are home to the largest number of data centers in the country, in many ways we have the worst of the data centers,” Warner notes, “the old ones were loud and used too much water and electricity, they were encroaching on neighbors. Some of the data centers being proposed now are more advanced, they have for example closed loop [cooling] systems where they don’t draw down as much water.” Two bills Warner spoke about were the Ratepayer Protection Act, and the Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act, where data center builders would have to reveal key information like energy and water consumption - and he says there is leverage the federal government can employ with the legislation he has put forward. So far, the Senate has not taken up those bills for debate. “If we can improve the siting and make sure they have to bring their own power and they’re not going [to use excessive] water, the adversarial attitudes towards these data centers may decrease.” Not getting a bonus tax depreciation if they don’t meet certain targets “is a fair tradeoff,” notes Virginia’s senior US Senator. That may not be enough for the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance, which formed to fight the Daleville site that at one point was thought to include three data center buildings on the Greenfield Center campus – drawing up to six million gallons of water a day during the heat of summer to cool those chips. Alliance supporters

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REVIEWS & OPINIONS Eat the big Big versus little. Rich versus poor. Forget the battle of the sexes (well, that one’s not over yet, either); this election cycle has escalated the battle of size— as in physical size and size of bank account. We love our David and Goliath and Robin Hood stories. We stretch our tight smiles wide when we hear the sentiment, “stick it to the man.” The “tank man of Tiananmen Square” makes a great visual on a t-shirt. Most of these great conflicts have been ones I’ve celebrated. Big is often bad in my book, as well—when subjugation, exploitation, injustice, or downright bullying is involved. I’ll be the first to throw my tea in the harbor. But much of today’s protests are misguided and used to bait division over an honest attempt at betterment. As one who much prefers small business, independent entrepreneurial pursuits, renegade startups, and private owner-operatorship, I have no zeal to defend big business. Corporate cronyism is high on my blacklist (even as a staunch, free-market, capitalist). But the idea that big is pretty much always the enemy is as prejudiced as any other form of discrimination or intolerance or bias.

ON TAP FROM THE PUB By Tom Field

Big—as it turns out—is often… pretty good. • Who is more likely to pay higher wages for the same work? • Who offers the best benefits to employees? • Who writes the checks to local nonprofits and community service needs? • Who supports the arts, the environment, recreation, the amenities of a community? • Who leverages practices and operations to offer the lowest prices for products we need? • Who sends the most volunteers to improve an environment or meet a challenge? • Who has the resources to develop solutions and fix problems in the most efficient manner? • Who finances municipalities, builds hospitals and schools, develops medicine and technology, employs workforce, vitalizes the economy?

Executive Summary: When an organization gets big, does that make it dangerous?

Big. Bigger. Biggest. I wish each of us, personally, and small businesses, and mom-and-pops, and the like could contribute as bigly as the big. Maybe we should just consider the possibility that we have… the bigger heart. And save our fight for the true enemies. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

REVIEWS & OPINIONS Holiday Celebration Season: How alcohol may affect your mood, stress, and well-being While October was Emotional Wellness Month, we are now approaching the holiday celebration period. This time of year is filled with gatherings, parties, family events, travel, and social occasions. While the holidays can be joyful, they can also bring added stress and emotional challenges. Emotional wellness means managing emotions, maintaining healthy relationships, handling life's challenges, and finding healthy ways to cope with stress. During this busy season, it's worth considering how alcohol fits into your celebrations and overall well-being.

GUEST COMMENTARY By Lauren Edwards Executive Summary: Lauren Edwards with Virginia Recovery Centers (virginiarecoverycenters. com) shares cautions about alcohol abuse.

For some people, alcohol can become a way to unwind, socialize, or cope with holiday stress. However, as Community Outreach Coordinator at Virginia Recovery Centers (an alcohol and drug rehab in Virginia), I've seen firsthand how alcohol can affect mood, stress, sleep, and overall well-being. Understanding that connection can be especially important during a season when drinking may feel like a normal or expected part of celebrating.

Alcohol and your mood during the holidays Alcohol affects the central nervous system, which can influence how you think, feel, and behave. Some people initially experience feelings of relaxation or reduced inhibition after drinking. During a holiday party or gathering, these short-term effects may make alcohol feel like an easy way to loosen up, socialize, or temporarily escape stress. However, those effects don't necessarily last. As alcohol wears off, some people may experience changes in mood, irritability, restlessness, or feelings of sadness. Holiday celebrations can already bring a wide range of emotions, particularly for people dealing with loneliness, grief, family conflict, financial pressure, or major life changes. Regularly using alcohol to manage difficult emotions may also make it harder to develop other coping strategies. Everyone responds differently to alcohol, and factors such as how much and how often someone drinks, overall health, medications, and individual circumstances can affect the experience. Paying attention to how you feel before, during, and after drinking can provide useful insight into whether alcohol may be affecting your emotional wellness.

Is alcohol really helping with holiday stress? The holiday season can be stressful for many reasons. Shopping, travel, social obligations, family dynamics, financial concerns, and packed schedules can all contribute

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to feeling overwhelmed. When life feels especially hectic, reaching for a drink can become a familiar way to relax. Alcohol may provide temporary relief from tension, which can reinforce the habit of drinking in response to stress. However, the challenge is that temporary relief doesn't address the source of the stress. If alcohol becomes the primary way someone relaxes or manages difficult emotions, other healthy coping strategies may get less attention. Over time, this can create a cycle in which stress leads to drinking, drinking provides short-term relief, and difficult emotions return afterward. As you move through the holiday celebration season, consider asking yourself: What do I turn to when I'm stressed, and is it actually helping me feel better in the long run?

Alcohol, sleep, and overall well-being The holidays can also disrupt normal routines, including sleep. Late-night gatherings, travel, busy schedules, and changes in daily habits can all make it harder to get adequate rest. Although alcohol may make some people feel sleepy initially, drinking can interfere with sleep quality and contribute to disrupted or less restorative sleep. Poor sleep can make it harder to manage emotions and cope with everyday stress. It can also contribute to feeling tired, unfocused, or irritable the following day. Alcohol can also affect other areas of well-being. Depending on a person's drinking patterns, it may influence relationships, daily responsibilities, energy levels, and physical health. Looking at the bigger picture can help you understand whether your drinking habits are supporting or interfering with the life you want to lead (not just during the holidays, but also throughout the year). Take a moment to reflect on your drinking habits The holiday season doesn't have to be about making dramatic changes. It can simply be an opportunity for honest reflection. Consider asking yourself these questions:

“”

This holiday season doesn't have to be about making dramatic changes. It can be an opportunity for honest reflection.

• Do I regularly drink when I'm stressed, anxious, lonely, or upset? • Do I notice changes in my mood after drinking? • Has alcohol become my main way of relaxing or socializing? • Do I drink more during the holiday season than I normally would? • Does drinking affect my sleep or energy? • Has alcohol affected my relationships or daily responsibilities? • Have I wanted to cut back or change my drinking habits? • Do I have other ways to cope when I'm experiencing difficult emotions? vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

REVIEWS & OPINIONS There are no required answers to these questions. The goal is awareness. Recognizing patterns can be the first step toward deciding whether you want to make a change or seek additional support.

Enjoying the holidays without relying on alcohol

” “

There are many ways to celebrate, connect with others, and manage holiday stress that don't involve alcohol.

There are many ways to celebrate, connect with others, and manage holiday stress that don't involve alcohol. What works best will vary from person to person, but healthy coping strategies can include physical activity, spending time with supportive people, getting adequate sleep, practicing mindfulness, journaling, enjoying hobbies, volunteering, or spending time outdoors. You can also look for ways to make social gatherings more comfortable without relying on alcohol. Enjoying a favorite nonalcoholic drink, participating in activities rather than focusing on drinking, or giving yourself permission to leave an event when you need a break can all help make celebrations feel more manageable. Talking with someone you trust can also make a difference. A friend, family member, counselor, therapist, or healthcare professional can provide support when holiday stress or difficult emotions become challenging to manage on your own. If you are concerned about your drinking, you don't have to wait until it creates a serious problem to seek help. A healthcare or mental-health professional can help you understand your options and develop an approach that fits your circumstances.

Make emotional wellness part of your holiday season! The holiday celebration season is a time for connection and making memories, but it can also bring stress and difficult emotions. As you move through the holidays, take a moment to check in with yourself and consider your mood, stress, sleep, and the role alcohol plays in your celebrations. Recognize your patterns, explore healthier ways to cope, and seek support when needed. Prioritizing emotional wellness can help you focus on meaningful experiences and taking care of yourself and those around you.

Marrano / There’s something from Page 28

don’t think the benefits – a smallish number of goodpaying jobs and significant tax revenue returned to local governments – outweighs harm to the environment, the energy and water infrastructure, and to quality of life. While Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance welcomed Governor Spanberger’s announcement in late

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September of Virginia’s new Data Center Accountability Framework – a combination of executive orders and proposed legislation that the General Assembly wouldn’t tackle until January 2027, its co-founders write in response that, “it is not enough and there is still much work to do,” wrote Ben Verschoor and Julie Bivens, “large issues of public subsidy and developer accountability remain. The data center sales and use tax exemption continues to take billions out of our pockets. We still do not have total assurance that big tech will pay their fair share of the cost of their developments.” About 25 percent of Americans use AI every day according to the Pew Research Center and that’s likely to increase steadily. Even many of the more mundane daily digital tasks wind up making their way through data centers. The question: can proponents and opponents find a happy medium at some point – and meet in the middle?

Can proponents and opponents ” “ find a happy medium?

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FRONTReviews > Readers and patrons of the business journal are invited to submit reviews (along with an optional photo) to news@vbFRONT. com. We’ve expanded our reviews to include books, music, art, performances, culinary—with a preference for local productions. Reviews must be original, include the author’s name and location, and should be brief, under 350 words.

Just say what happened

It’s the story that’s controversial

I had a client many years ago who just didn’t care for “creative writing.” Editors in certain media and genres have the same opinion. They enjoy killing adjectives for a living. These readers deplored what’s known as “purple prose.” They don’t need any enlightenment or extra illustrations beyond the basic who-what-when-whyhow description. My client and many readers cry out the same mantra when it comes to writing: “Just say what happened.” It’s this audience who would appreciate more than me The Emerson Circle: The Concord Radicals Who Reinvented the World (Avid Reader Press; 2026) by Bruce Nichols. It’s a dry, historical, textbook-style account of a time and people that moved me to such a degree, first way back in 1978, that I find myself not wanting to recommend it. I practically fell out of my school desk when I was first introduced to the Emerson and Thoreau and Early American, Concord-Mass “think tank” if you will. I’ve walked solo around Walden Pond on two separate occasions and felt the transcendental spirit move me.

I don’t even want to bring up the so-called controversy of this book, American Dirt (Flatiron; 2020) by Jeanine Cummins), where some curbside critics cried “cultural appropriation” because a white woman dared to write a novel about the Mexican migrant experience. I’ll just say nothing has been appropriated more than pseudo claims of appropriation. The way the protests are applied, we should never have allowed Elvis to steal Black music, Beyonce to steal white girl hair and country music, Blondie and Eminem to highjack rap music for mass market, and, more locally relevant, our own prolific author Roland Lazenby to tell the stories of NBA players. Please. Wear dreadlocks or shop at the GAP if you want; whatever trips your trigger. Stephen Crane’s monumental Red Badge of Courage described the war in the most vivid fashion (and he had no combat experience and wasn’t even alive during it). Hemingway, himself, said “distance gives a writer perspective,” and few would dare to say “Papa” couldn’t describe the human condition.

So, yes. I did read this book in its entirety. I want to know everything about Concord in the 1840’s. But there’s no investment of beauty and art and divine nature and deep human experience. It’s an expanded Wikipedia entry; and that’s unfortunate. Unless you’re the dry reader type.

This story isn’t even anywhere near the depth of our most treasured and classic novelists; but it’s a worthwhile offering. You don’t need the extremes of high literary essence or low gonzo journalism to describe every injustice or societal experience to connect to an audience. American Dirt is a compelling story where the reader will get the picture of fear and protecting your

—Tom Field

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REVIEWS & OPINIONS

own… writing that accomplishes that— appropriates a worthy goal.

refugees and host economies can both thrive. —C. Kelly

—Tom Field

Resilient talent overlooked In a business climate defined by uncertainty, leaders consistently say they are looking for adaptability, resilience and innovative thinking. According to social scientist and author Dalton T. Sirmans, those qualities are not in short supply—they are simply being overlooked. In The Refugee Advantage: Building Enterprise in the Face of Adversity (Bloomsbury; 2026), Sirmans argues that refugees often develop precisely the characteristics companies value most: tolerance for uncertainty, persistence, creativity and disciplined risk-taking. He reveals how people forced to start over are reshaping the business landscape globally and why business leaders, investors and policymakers should pay close attention. Drawing on graduate research at Harvard and years of impact investment experience, Sirmans blends data with vivid entrepreneurial stories to reposition refugees as builders, founders, employees and innovators whose talents are too often overlooked. [The book includes] firsthand accounts of refugee entrepreneurs from Afghanistan, Vietnam, Syria, Eritrea and beyond. Written from a business perspective, this book challenges assumptions and offers a constructive path forward: smarter policies, better systems and more informed decisions around hiring, investing and partnering so that

What does a First Lady do? Apparently, a lot. At least in the case of former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who taught full time in college while helping to plan state dinners, choosing how to decorate the White House, jetting around the world with and without her husband, then-President Joe Biden – perhaps at times standing in for the octogenarian Chief Executive. I was curious as to what First Ladies do and perhaps Jill Biden was more active than some are in public. Jill Biden: View From the East Wing (Gallery Books, 2026) is a somewhat ironic title now, since much of the East Wing no longer exists as the current occupant of the White House tore it down to build a much-litigated ballroom. The memoir is not Jill Biden’s first book, she’s written four others, and “View” seems to follow a daily journal or calendar she most likely kept during the Bidens four years living at the White House. Towards the end she defends Joe Biden’s mental acuity and contended he could have stayed in the 2024 Presidential campaign, despite the painful images of the one debate he took part in. Non-Biden fans probably won’t go near this book, but as far as a glimpse into what a modern First Lady does its an interesting window into that world. —Gene Marrano vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

REVIEWS & OPINIONS

Sly tactic ” “ or not—

it worked.

Like a remarkable in- an out-box I didn’t know about the format of The Correspondent (Crown; 2025) by Virginia Evans. I picked it up only because I had heard it was so celebrated. It’s a good thing I just picked it up and didn’t flip it open. There’s a good chance I would have put it back down upon discovery that the entire “novel” is structured as a compilation of letters from and to our protagonist. That seems gimmicky, if not lazy (how easy to write when you keep your characters independent from each other and only engage in separated transactions and one-way voice, instead of weaving a plot). Sly tactic or not—it worked. There is still a narrative, and though some are contrived (to give us a worthy storyline), our author pulls it off rather brilliantly. This isn’t the first book—or even a novel—that has employed serial letters as its format; but this version is still unique and attracting. I am a bit perplexed why every single review and blurb in the book and on the jacket is from a female; I think the most appreciative audience would be quite diverse. By the way, our principal POV (developed by a JMU grad, by the way) comes from Sybil Van Antwerp, a lawyer-divorcee-wise-ass-aging cynic who you will learn to understand in remarkable ways through her… correspondences.

But Stallone it turns out is a thoughtful, honest and sometimes even eloquent writer, which he puts on display is his new memoir The Steps (Harper Collins, 2026), which takes us from a childhood with demanding parents, to arriving in New York City with basically no money in his pocket in 1969, to his dreary, tiny cold water New York City flat, to the constant rejections as an actor at auditions, to screenwriting inspired by his work as a movie theater employee (he used to write down the dialogue that caught his attention,) and then of course, to Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III and so on. It’s a good and often inspiring read about never giving up on your dream. Those steps in the memoir’s title? The ones outside the Philadelphia public library of course that Rocky runs up at the end of a final training run - before he fights Apollo Creed in the first Rocky.

—Tom Field

—Gene Marrano

Yo, Adrian! Sly writes a memoir

The reviewers: Tom Field is a creative director and publisher; Gene Marrano is a local news reporter and FRONT editor; C. Kelley is a publicist in Friendswood, TX.

We all think of Sylvester Stallone as a tough talking action hero or perhaps as

his punch-drunk Rocky character from the movie franchise that spanned more than four decades after its 1976 debut. Stallone had a difficult birth – delivered with forceps that left part of his face slight paralyzed – and with the slurred speech that seemed to fit Rocky so well.

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Tom Field

Read the arch > Old New River Books—a bookshop in Cambria Station Antiques presents an arch constructed entirely of books that serves as the “gateway” between the antique offerings and cozy book / browsing room. The whimsical arch took over half a year to make; and it’s been a popular draw for visitors (now, three years running). The three-story building (circa 1900) once served as a general store at the train depot and is now owned by Ken and Heather Vaughan. An Amtrak passenger depot for Cambria is under construction now that will certainly draw more visitors to the landmark as well as the compact merchant center that’s essentially on a backroad between Christiansburg and the Virginia Tech community.

Gene Marrano

Renovated school cuts ribbon > A two-year renovation and expansion project at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School in Vinton celebrated its completion with a ribbon in late September. A new administrative wing, open-style classrooms converted to separate spaces with walls and a new cafeteria are highlights of a remake that cost more than 20 million dollars. Principal Ashley McCallum has been at Cundiff for ten years; she spoke about the changes, calling the upgrade, “a modern 21st century learning environment designed to better support collaboration, innovation, safety and the diverse needs of our population.” The W.E. Cundiff Elementary project also added new bus lanes. The renovation was first discussed in 2018 and was delayed for several years by the pandemic, before the Roanoke County School Board funded it along with several other school projects (a $130 million total price tag), including the new county’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTE) expected to open early in 2028.

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FRONT’N ABOUT Tom Field

Salem's 1st SOTC > Though we don't know exactly why this is the City of Salem's FIRST State of the City address (224 years old as a Town; 59 years as a City), it's difficult to argue against the timing. There was plenty of progress and tons of thanks to celebrate at the morning affair on Sept. 22, hosted by Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce at Salem Civic Center. After an intro by River Ridge Bank's Carrie McConnel; recognition of Feeding Southwest Virginia's Pamela Irvine (45yrs); and intro by Gentry Locke's Todd Leeson; Salem Mayor Renee Turk delivered an overwhelmingly positive report, using a "Salem is Not a Solo Act" theme. She reminded the packed room that Salem may be called a College Town; Virginia's Championship City; a great place for roots for families; and other designations... "we are all of these." Among the stats shared, Turk said an endorsement from a visiting college championship coach claiming Salem as the best experience of all places (even though he lost), was one "you can't buy... you earn it." Two humorous elements of today's SOTC affair were the "passport" for attendees (not necessary for experiencing Salem, but an inside joke and invitation for all); and the rumor that Salem has "heated streets" (due to quick snow removal). The report covered achievements in economic development; tourism; education; housing; public safety; downtown; places and spaces; and overall quality of life. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

Courtesy of VACU

RU’s new fincenter > Radford University and Virginia Credit Union celebrated the opening of a Financial Success Center on Sept. 17 at the Davis College of Business and Economics on RU campus. VACU provided $2.5 million in funding to the Center, which will offer “one-on-one coaching and community programming focused on practical money management skills, including budgeting, saving, managing student loans, credit building, investing, and preparing for major financial milestones.” Gayle Evezich has been named the executive director. Submitted

Farm life for all > Pure Grass Farm in Troutville celebrated its official grand opening with a ribbon-cutting with Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 19. Open to the community, the agribusiness offers locally grown and raised grass-fed and grass-finished beef, as well as chicken and food products from around the region (trout, coffee) and baked and handcrafted goods. Owned and operated by Brian and Jenn Bowen, Pure Grass is open most weekdays and Saturday, has both on-location and online ordering, and offers a wedding and event venue.

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FRONT’N ABOUT Submitted

Women providing foundational support > Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia celebrated its Women in Philanthropy Awards at a luncheon at Hamlet Vinyards in September. Grant recipients included Edwards Adult Day Care Center ($19,000); Southside Survivor Response Center ($15,000), and First United Methodist Church-Martinsville ($14,000). CFSWV established the Women in Philanthropy initiative in 2009, which is a member-driven, pooled grantmaking program that “encourages, increases, and recognizes women’s participation in philanthropy [and] projects that make a lasting impression across our local communities. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

Submitted

Spot gets libational support > The Bourbon Bubbly & Brew fundraiser event was held on Oct. 3 at the Patrick Henry Ballroom in Roanoke. The affair included a live auction to raise money for The Spot on Kirk (music / performance venue).

Ancora Training

More truck drivers, please > Virginia Western Community College is expanding its Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training capacity to address surging regional demand for commercial drivers and eliminate training backlogs. Through a new strategic partnership with Ancora Training (and expansion with Mountain Gateway Community College established earlier this year), the initiative gives local students immediate access to more training slots, flexible scheduling options and new credential pathways. "By partnering with a trusted training leader like Ancora Training, we can now offer immediate training seats, accelerated completion options in as little as three to four weeks, and opportunities for qualifying students to attend at low cost or no cost out of pocket," says Amanda Decker, workforce solutions operations manager.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Submitted

English to Italian > Blue Ridge Literacy had individuals from its ESOL classes attend Opera Roanoke’s performance of Verdi’s La Traviata at the Jefferson Center on Sept. 19. The group represented eight countries, including Canada, Mexico, Iran, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and the United States— showcasing the multicultural and multigenerational nature of BRL adult learners. The event was part of BRL’s Beyond the Classroom Walls projects, made possible by Art in Roanoke.

Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Loyalty at the inn > The Loyal Restaurant & Bar has opened at The Inn at Virginia Tech. It’s a “reimagined” space with “fresh culinary direction” and a gathering place for locals, visitors, the Virginia Tech community, and of course, guests staying at the Inn. The Loyal, which replaces the long-running Preston’s Restaurant and Continental Divide Lounge, offers farm-to-table fare featuring regional Virginia producers. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

Submitted

Trees please > Local watercolor artist and Radford University art professor Z.L. Feng has his work on display and for sale at The Little Gallery in Roanoke’s downtown market. Feng, who has won more than 200 state, regional, national, and international awards, grew up in Shanghai, China and moved to the US in 1986. He says, “If you can’t capture a soul, you may be a technical success, but your painting has no depth.” Shown here are “Autumn Trees” and “Rock Trees” 32x24 watercolors.

Submitted

Striking out hunger > Virginia Credit Union (VACU) donated $27,000 in total to three regional food banks serving communities across Central and Southwest Virginia, expanding access to nutritious food for individuals and families. Through its Strikeout Hunger campaign, a season-long partnership with Minor League Baseball teams, VACU donated $10,000 to Feeding Southwest Virginia and $7,000 to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. The organizations serve communities across Southwest and Central Virginia, distributing food through local pantries, mobile markets, and school-based programs. Partnerships with the Salem RidgeYaks, Lynchburg Hill City Howlers, and Pulaski River Turtles made the donations possible. Through Strikeout Hunger, VACU donates $5 to local food banks for every strikeout its partner teams record during the regular season.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Submitted

HAM it up > Feeding Southwest Virginia hosted around 30 elected officials at their Distribution Center in Salem in late September during Hunger Action Month, raising awareness of food insecurity by offering elected officials an opportunity to volunteer and champion strong anti-hunger policies. The Food Bank relies on multiple federally funded programs to nourish an average of 129,000 neighbors every month. One example is the Senior Box Kitting program, which sources food from the USDA. The Food Bank was joined by Congressman Ben Cline and Delegates Sam Rasoul and Lily Franklin. Elected officials from Salem City, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Montgomery County, and Henry County were also in attendance. The elected officials worked together to sort, inspect, and bag potatoes for neighbors to enjoy in Southwest Virginia. (pictured: Roanoke City Mayor Joe Cobb and Sheriff Antonio Hash)

Gene Marrano

VWCC

VWCC president inaugurated > Dr. Laura J. Treanor was inaugurated as Virginia Western Community College’s fifth president in an investiture ceremony at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke on Friday, September 25. Treanor has served as College president since July 1, 2025. In her inaugural address, Treanor shared a framework for the College to embrace innovation and offer opportunity for a student population with a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and unique challenges to overcome. Under retired President Dr. Bobby Sandle, workforce development became a prime focus for VWCC. “Each of us is entrusted with something that can create possibility for someone else,” Treanor said. “I have come to believe that leadership, at its very best, is the stewardship of that opportunity.” Before joining Virginia Western, Treanor served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Instructional Services at Vincennes University. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

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Cancer center tops out > In late September, the North Carolina-based construction firm Robins & Morton marked the topping out of the new Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in Roanoke, signifying the structural completion of the project. The six-story, nearly 257,000-square-foot cancer center will bring together personalized care, advanced technology and treatment options, clinical trials, and cutting-edge research in a single location. It is designed to accommodate more patients than the current facility and support the healing process with natural light, outdoor spaces, and expanded amenities. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2027. The general contractor is Robins & Morton and Roanoke-based Branch Builds, a joint venture partnership. HDR is the architect.

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Untangling the tenant lineup > ABoone Real Estate has announced the tenant lineup for the first phase of Tanglewood Crossing, a new mixed-use town center-style development at the corner of Route 419/Electric Road in Southwest Roanoke County. Scheduled to open in March 2027, the first phase of the development will feature Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Biscuit Belly, European Wax Center, and Mattress Warehouse. “There were some questions about our population, do we have enough population close by, do we have enough income,” says Alexander Boone, President of ABoone Real Estate, “but we showed them that we have some of the highest incomes in western Virginia … within three miles.” Coming in the future at Tanglewood Crossing: a four-story mixed-use building featuring 10,410 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 42 residential units; and a third building with 56 residential units. The mixed-use building is expected to open in late 2027. “Our residents will walk to restaurants, retailers and Carilion Wellness and create a vibrant community not found in Roanoke County,” says Boone, “Tanglewood Crossing is the town center that Roanoke County envisioned in 2019 when it created the Reimagine 419 district.”

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Gene Marrano

Peake on peak > A new trail constructed on Roanoke’s Mill Mountain last year - the 1.5 mile John Peake Pass – has been formally dedicated with family and friends on hand recently. John Peake was a Patrick Henry High School graduate and a Virginia Tech alum. He was also an avid mountain biker, before succumbing to a cancerous brain tumor in 2022. Emily Peake is his widow: “it means so much to have this in our hometown because of how much it meant to John, to able to go out on his bike anytime … and get away from it all. He would have loved it.” The Roanoke Parks Foundation helped fund the multi-use John Peake Pass trail as part of a larger Mill Mountain trail building project. A commemorative bench has also been dedicated in his honor.

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Writing, arting, riding the bus > The Writer by Bus program in Roanoke—a collaborative public art initiative by RIDE Solutions, the Roanoke Arts Commission, and Valley Metro—introduced its 12th "Writer By Bus" author in late September. Chanlee Luu road Valley Metro buses around the Valley for at least a month and then wrote a book of poetry based on that experience. She spoke at the Third Street Transit Station, where copies of her book, The Bus Goes on Green - from Atom to Biosphere, were also available: “as I rode the bus and attended community events I collected experiences, images … and began making connections to write my poems. Some of her most memorable experiences included rides to the Blue Hills business park, Melrose Plaza and Mill Mountain. Luu earned a master’s for creative writing at Hollins - after receiving a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at UVA, and some of her writings in this book have a scientific flavor. It’s also year seven for the "Art By Bus" program; and a Valley Metro Bus is now wrapped with artwork from Lucinda Rowe; taken from a mural she painted on an outside wall at the Roanoke Co-op in Grandin Village. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

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Girls branch out to construction > Nearly 800 Girls aged 5-18 learned about a career in the construction industry last month at Branch’s 5th Annual GIRL Construction Experience, held at Branch’s corporate headquarters in Roanoke. The annual event is designed to bust the myth that the construction industry is “just for boys,” according to Branch. Over 60 community partners provided constructionand engineering-focused concepts. With hard hat, safety vest and goggles, and a punch list in place, GIRLS visited construction-focused exhibits, hands-on activities, and displays. The event was also sponsored by Trane, Carter Machinery, and DH Elliot. Other organizations including Carilion Clinic, local public school systems, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline, Kids’ Square, Roanoke Gas, American Society of Civil Engineers, Virginia Tech, Western Virginia Water Authority, Virginia 811, and Virginia 529 provided STEM activities.

Gene Marrano

Panda spotted at children’s hospital > Carilion Children’s, the Children’s Miracle Hospital in southwest Virginia, has received a major gift from Panda Express, the fast-casual Chinese restaurant that has a location adjacent to Carilion Children’s-Tanglewood. Panda Express will donate $500,000 over the next 8 years to support the pediatric physical therapy department at Carilion Children’s. The Panda Express big check will be used to purchase new physical therapy equipment for the renamed “Panda Cares Center of Hope” – including a lift system to help young patients stand on their own. Amy Kageals is assistant Vice President in the Department of Pediatrics for Carilion: “to be able to serve the children in our community … knowing that we have the funding to meet the needs of these children is incredible. From a pediatric standpoint perspective, the children are multiple different sizes; we’re treating infants to age 18. That requires multiple different pieces of equipment.”

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Gene Marrano

Promises made > What was once a neo-classical style bank building has been completely remodeled into The Promissory 27-room boutique hotel, Suerte (a Spanish-themed tapas style restaurant) and The Exchange Music Hall, which required an extensive acoustic engineering fix to compensate for the high ceilings and stone construction, to eliminate the echo from performers in the thousand person standing room hall. Soundstage helped with that fix. The performers green room in the lower level was the bank’s vault. During a recent tour for local elected officials, economic development partners, backers etc. the principal investors in the project spoke about the past challenges and future hopes for the venue on 1st Street in downtown Roanoke. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” remarked Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb, before partners Lucas Thornton, John McBroom and JP Powell (who noted an assist from his brother Will) offered their thoughts. “The synergy you all have created here is one of the things that makes Roanoke so special. It’s the magic that we create together,” said Cobb. Valley Business FRONT is FRONT’n About at many events each month. Check the social media links at www.vbFRONT.com for more coverage. vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

EDUCATIONAL FRONT

Linton

Richard Linton has been appointed the 17th president of Virginia Tech, succeeding Tim Sands, and assuming position at the beginning of the 2027 spring semester. Linton received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He currently serves as president of Kansas State University.

selected to serve as the new chair of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, Inc. (CICV). The CICV Board of Directors consists of 28 members from Virginia’s nonprofit and private colleges and universities. Shushok will serve through the upcoming year and on the executive committee with five other presidents providing strategic leadership and direction for the organization.

Frank Shushok Jr., president of Roanoke College, has been

TECH/INDUSTRY FRONT

FINANCIAL FRONT Defoor

Simpson

Shushok

Moore after her 47taking place at the year career in banking). Fralin Biomedical Simpson brings 33 years Research Institute. of banking experience, including 25 years with Bank of Botetourt, including positions as teller, head teller, consumer banker, and branch manager.

Tina Simpson has been promoted to vice president, market manager for the Lexington and Fairfield offices of Bank of Botetourt (following the retirement of Robin

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Nicole DeFoor is the new STEM Outreach Coordinator for the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC), which points out that “robust STEM and biotech workforce development is critical to a healthy innovation ecosystem.” DeFoor’s research portfolio includes cross molecular biology, neuroscience, and translational cancer research, with her graduate studies

Stewart

Lex Stewart is the RBTC’s first community manager, where her experience in career coaching, community work, project management, marketing, and storytelling will be utilized. Prior to joining RBTC, Stewart worked as a freelance contractor focused on digital marketing and community management.

DEVELOPMENT FRONT Ann Kelly has been appointed CEO of HHHunt, the Blacksburgheadquartered real estate construction firm. She was promoted from CFO and succeeds Harry (Buck) Hunt, IV. HHHunt began as a

CAREER FRONT Have a career announcement? Send announcements to news@vbFRONT.com. Photos should be color, 300dpi. A contact / source must be provided. Inclusions are not guaranteed and all submissions are subject to editing. Kelly

developer of housing for students and faculty at Virginia Tech in 1966 and expanded to apartments, homes, and planned community real estate developments throughout the Southeast. Kelly has over 14 years of experience with the company and has a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Virginia Tech.

SPORTS FRONT

Faust

Elizabeth Faust is the inaugural women’s flag football coach

at Roanoke College. Women’s flag football is starting at Roanoke College as a varsity sport in the spring of 2028. Faust worked for more than 10 years for USA Football, where she managed the men’s and women’s flag national teams and assisted in creating and managing the junior flag national team program at the U15 and U17 levels. Nick DeVito has been promoted to associate head coach of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs hockey team. He played for the team in 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and when the Dawgs won Roanoke’s first-ever Presidents’ Cup title in 2023. Tim Manning has been announced as the team captain for the

2026-2027 season of and Matthew the Roanoke Rail Yard Weismann is now Dawgs hockey team. an Account Executive. He is the seventh captain for the franchise. Manning began his GOVERNMENT professional career in FRONT Roanoke during the 2024-2025 season (with two goals, two assists) and tallied seven goals, 16 assists, and a plus-2 rating in last year’s season. The Salem Ridge Yaks Single-A baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox has announced several in-house promotions: Raleigh Duffer has been promoted to Vice President of Ticket Sales & Service; Austin Robinson has been promoted to Director of Field Services; Paige Tucci has been elevated to Group Sales Account Executive/Social Media Coordinator;

Barrar

Heather Barrar, a trained forester and certified arborist, has been appointed as Virginia’s first-ever Director of Outdoor Recreation—a position focused on growing the outdoor recreation economy, supporting communities that rely on tourism, and increasing economic development across the Commonwealth.

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CAREER FRONT Barrar embarked on a listening tour of all 10 tourism regions last month that will conclude in western Virginia this month. She will develop a statewide outdoor recreation economy strategy to grow and support the industry based on feedback from local leaders and communities — integrating conservation, economic development, tourism, and workforce development.

ARTS FRONT After joining the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra in 2014, David Crane has now been elevated to Chief Executive Officer. Since 2014 and in partnership with Music Director David Steward

Wiley, Crane eliminated years of accumulated debt, strengthened the orchestra’s financial foundation, expanded regional partnerships and the RSO’s presence across Southwest Virginia. A graduate of William Fleming High School and Virginia Commonwealth University, Crane has spent much of his career working in professional orchestral leadership.

NON-PROFIT FRONT Renee Brown, president and CEO of DePaul Community Resources was named the recipient of the 2026 Cabell Brand Hope Award by Total Action for Progress (TAP). The award recognizes a Roanoke

Brown

Valley community member whose leadership, public service, and commitment to social change embody the legacy of TAP founder Cabell Brand.

Natt

in state and federal advocacy. He has a BA in Commercial Media and Communications from James Madison University, a MS in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, a Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Robert Natt has been appointed as executive director of Partnership for Community Wellness. He has an extensive history with PCW, having served on its Board of Directors for nine years, including six years as president. Natt has experience across the public, private, and Compiled by Gene nonprofit sectors; and Marrano and Tom Field. he has been active

I didn't know... if it was gonna ” “ be a hit... or a flop. — Page 14

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CONTRIBUTORS Jason Boone is Vice

in education, including

programs and materials

past-president with the

President & Business Banking

teaching college-level writing

for local and international

Botetourt County Chamber

for Freedom First Credit Union.

competency and business

organizations for 40 years.

of Commerce, a board

He is a lifelong resident of the

courses, and working for

[tfield@berryfield.com]

member with the Daleville

Roanoke area, graduated from

a Fortune 100 company.

Cave Spring High School and

[ddowdy@vbFRONT.com]

earned a degree in business

Institute, and is vice chair Micah Fraim is a top-

of the board of with the

referred Certified Public

Botetourt Family YMCA.

from Liberty University. He has

Lauren Edwards is

Accountant and business

A native of Botetourt County,

over 20 years of experience in

the Community Outreach

finance strategist who

she resides in Daleville with

banking, more than half of that

Coordinator at Virginia

is well-connected in the

her husband and two children.

at Freedom First. He enjoys

Recovery Centers, a leading

regional business community

spending time with his family

alcohol and drug rehab in

and nationally recognized.

Alicia Smith is vice

and friends, hiking, playing

Virginia. In her role, Lauren

Publisher of The Little Big

president of F&S Building

volleyball with RVVA, and

connects individuals and

Small Business Book, he

Innovations in Roanoke. She

following Penn State football.

families with the center’s

also publishes a blog at

grew up in the construction

[ jboone@freedomfirst.com ]

comprehensive addiction

www.fraim.cpa/blog and is

business and has served in

treatment programs,

frequently interviewed as a

multiple capacities, currently

Aila Boyd serves as the

including outpatient care,

business financial expert in

managing all sales, design,

editor of “The Fincastle

medication-assisted

national media channels.

production and marketing of

Herald” and “The Vinton

treatment, and holistic

[ micahfraim@fraimcpa.com ]

the residential division. She's

Messenger” and coordinates

therapies such as art and

social media for the Botetourt

music therapy. She is

Lindsey Hull writes about

Smart Institute and serves on

County Chamber of Commerce.

dedicated to raising

a little bit of everything.

several boards, community

She holds an MFA in writing

awareness about substance

As a poet, she authored

and church organizations.

from Lindenwood University.

use disorders and providing

“the mountains rumble” in

Alicia enjoys lake-life living

compassionate support to

2024. Reach her at lindsey.

and fun times with her family

Carrie Cousins is the

those seeking lasting

[ smith.hull@gmail.com ]

(husband and two daughters)

Director of Digital Marketing

recovery, helping them

at LeadPoint Digital in

navigate treatment options

Gene Marrano is FRONT

Roanoke. For 15+ years, she

and access the resources

editor and an award-winning

David Townsend is a

has helped businesses tell

they need to thrive. virginia

anchor and reporter for WFIR

Digges Family Professor

their stories and get better

recoverycenters.com

Newstalk radio. "Best one

of Entrepreneurship and

on one interview" award

assistant professor of

results online with practical

also the president of Build

and friends.

digital marketing strategies.

Emily Field is the office

from Associated Press of

management at Virginia Tech

She also an active leader in

administrator for Berryfield,

the Virginias for his interview

Pamplin College of Business.

AAF, serving on the local

Inc. (publisher of FRONT and

with former Roanoke County

[ dtown@vt.edu ]

and district boards, and is

a media / marketing firm).

Chief of Police Howard Hall.

an adjunct professor at

She lives in Salem with her

[gmarrano@cox.net]

Virginia Tech.

husband, Tom, and is the

Nicholas Vaassen is a graphic design specialist

mother of three and

Mary Ann L. Miller is

with over a million years of

Dan Dowdy is the

grandmother of three.

vice president of business

experience. His design projects

business development

[ efield@berryfield.com ]

banking and community

include logos, magazines, web

relations at Bank of Botetourt.

design, signs, newsletters,

director for Valley Business FRONT and owner of The

Tom Field is a creative

A graduate of Bridgewater

postcards, business cards, and

Proofing Prof proofreading

director, marketing executive

College, she has been in the

any other marketing materials

services (proofingprof.net).

and owner of Berryfield, Inc.

banking industry for more than

you can think of. [ nicholas

His background includes

in Salem, and owner of Valley

fifteen years and currently

vaassen@gmail.com ]

service in the U.S. Air Force

Business FRONT magazine.

serves on the board and

and an extensive career

He has written and produced

executive committee as

AI is considered a dirty word in ” “ most creative circles. — Page 10

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FRONT NETWORK

There are aspects of AI that ” “ need to be regulated.

— Page 22

Put your Business Card in the FRONT for only $149! Email ads@vbFRONT.com or call 540-389-9945 vbFRONT.com / NOVEMBER 2026 u

center has opened at 414 N. Main Street in AI Ready Roanoke downtown Blacksburg. is a very early stage The former Cook’s consortium of Cleaners building representatives from will now serve as “a Roanoke City and launchpad for emerging County, Salem, Botetourt entrepreneurs, and County, Carilion Clinic, inviting gateway for area Virginia Tech, Radford visitors, and an active University, Roanoke center for residents College, Virginia and the broader New Western Community River Valley community. College, RoanokeMoon Hollow Coffee Blacksburg Innovation will service the café. Alliance, Roanoke ____________________ Regional Partnership, and Google (for now) Hollins ER who have charged themselves with the task HCA Healthcare of overseeing artificial (LewisGale) plans to intelligence impacts on open a new standalone our regional job market emergency room at 7651 and economy, specifically, Williamson Rd in the within the next two to Hollins area of Roanoke five years. The coalition County. The new facility intends to utilize a joins the ER that opened consultant and will in 2017 at Tanglewood address AI adoption and in 2022 in Bonsack, in industry, workforce resulting in units in development, and northwest, southwest, startup and applied and east in the Roanoke projects. Details of the community. scope, location, and ____________________ final objectives are still being determined. Change your ____________________ flip-flops to boots

$157,300 grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) through its Preservation Trust Fund (PTF) Program to support the Share your income permanent protection and development Virginia ranked in the of Carter Park, a top ten states with the transformative community highest income tax, project in downtown reports Fidelity recently. Boones Mill. This is the Other highest income tax two-acre area between states include Oregon the local Carter Bank (highest, by far); Maine, and Maggodee Creek. Minnesota, Kansas, Plans include a Montana, Washington children’s playground, DC (not a state but community pavilion, open included in the list); and greenspace, walking trails, California (for single and environmentally filers). The report points sustainable parking. The out states raise revenue Town was also awarded in other ways (besides a $5,000 Virginia Main the income tax), but Street Community Vitality shares examples such Grant through the as a single person Virginia Department of earning $100,000 would Housing and Community save $7,000 in income Development (DHCD) tax simply by moving to support the Town's from Oregon to Florida Downtown Wayfinding or Texas. A person in Implementation Project. Vermont paying $15,000 ____________________ in income tax would pay zero, simply by moving Tapping out across the line to New Hampshire. Fidelity Wasena City Tap Room shares figures like these and Grill eatery in the are substantial enough Wasena neighborhood of RVARC’s 5 main The Black Angus that they are driving Roanoke announced its 2027 agendas Company (Nashvillesome people from one closing in mid-October. themed restaurant, bar, region to another. Merchants have cited the Roanoke Valleybilliards, western ____________________ closing of the Wasena Alleghany Regional retail shop, live music) is bridge (long-term Commission has potentially redeveloping I-81 Exit 105 truck stop rebuilding project) as released its 2027 and moving into the affecting business, Legislative Priorities former Sunken City The City of Radford though Wasena City that include ROA airport Brewery building at has announced the Tap Room did not study improvements; the Westlake Towne development of a new specify that as the funding rural / secondary Center property in the $5 million Trip Stop reason for closing in road paving; middle Smith Mountain Lake travel center at Exit 105 its announcement. and high school career community. off Interstate 81. Though ____________________ and technical education ____________________ they’re not always called investments; outdoor “truck stops” anymore From intermodal recreation infrastructure Eating, waxing, (serving all travelers), to multi-housing investments; and overall sleeping at Tanglewood the new business is Planning District expected to create Elliston was the target Commission investment Tanglewood Crossings approximately 30 jobs for a potential largeand regional cooperation. multi-merchant venue and help direct more scale intermodal (inland ____________________ at 4502 Starkey Rd in business to Radford. port) site for the Norfolk Roanoke County has ____________________ Southern Railway B’burg’s new local spot announced four new around 15 years ago. tenants joining Mattress Boones Mill’s green park Now, Stateson Homes The Local—a new retail Warehouse. They include is proposing a 349-unit incubator, community Bubbakoo’s Buritos, The Town of Boones housing development space, and visitors Dave’s Hot Chicken, Mill has been awarded a on the 263-acre Ready-not-quite-ready

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Biscuit Belly, and European Wax Center (tentatively scheduled to open in March 2027). ____________________

FRONT NOTES property known as the Fotheringay Estate of Elliston-Shawsville in Montgomery County. The potential project is under review with the County Board. This is the land with flat bottom that fronts rolling hills along the “straightaway” segment of US Rte 11 between West Salem and East Montgomery. ____________________

current locations and existing taprooms will not be affected, also noting that both brands will remain fully intact. ____________________ Cleanup for capital company

Harbor—a Roanokebased capital finance firm—has acquired Concord, Va-based WEL—an environmental “Fall” into our cleanup, disaster Blue Ridge Parkway relief, emergency spill response, industrial The Blue Ridge Parkway services dispatch has announced that a company. Acquisition lot of its repairs and terms were not restorations (from disclosed; WEL has Hurricane Helen and about 75 employees related work that has at response centers in been going on for a Roanoke, Concord, good while) have been Winchester, and completed. Many Bluefield, WV. sections of the Parkway ____________________ have now been reopened in time for Salem’s pizza popular Fall season shop with fun vibe visitors, including—in our immediate area— Dom Vito’s Brick Oven milepost 115 to 121 Pizza has opened on repaving and rehabilitation Main Street in Salem project funded by the (Oct. 13). The restaurant Great American Outdoors specializes in 12-inch Act Legacy Restoration brick oven pizzas Fund. Other significant (cleverly named) and reopenings include also offers sandwiches, areas around Linville wings, salads, appetizers, Falls, Little Switzerland, and beer, wine, cocktails. Boone, Blowing Rock, Restaurateur Dominic Deep Gap Bridge, Julian Marletta, who also owns Price Campground, and operates two other Doughton Park, and Salem eateries (Mama Grandfather Mountain. Maria’s; Chip & Jo’s), ____________________ built out the newest restaurant in the former Not calling it auto dealer / body shop HardStar or StarWood building that now includes Salem Motor Lofts. Richmond-based ____________________ Hardywood Park Craft Brewery acquired Good timing for election Crozet-based Starr Hill Brewery (that operates Dana C. Ackley, a tap room at the foot of Ph.D—a RoanokeRoanoke’s Mill Mountain) based consultant, coach, in October. The two author, and expert on brewers represent the emotional intelligence top two craft brewers (EQ), has released by volume in the an “Election Sanity Commonwealth. Podcast” to help people Hardywood says all navigate manipulative

Have an announcement about your business? Send announcements to news@vbFRONT. com. A contact / source must be provided. Inclusions are not guaranteed and all submissions are subject to editing. conversations and engagements. A few objectives include: keeping politics from wrecking relationships; how to have helpful conversations about politics; and how to stay informed but not manipulated. The podcast is on YouTube and more information is at theeqpress.com ____________________

and private funding. Main Street Buena Vista ($9000, Pulaski on Main ($15,000), Rocky Mount ($15,000) and Clifton Forge ($15,000) were the regional recipients, targeted for wayfinding signage and other projects. ____________________ Nursing scholarships

The Virginia Nursing Workforce Center (VNWC) has awarded Olaika—a new restaurant nearly $1.3 million and bar with a “Spanish- in scholarships and contemporary twist”— incentives to nearly has opened in Blacksburg, 350 prospective by Virginia Tech graduate students across the and Peruvian-native Commonwealth, to help Sebastian Villena (and grow and strengthen partners). The 4,000 sq the nursing workforce ft venue will serve as a by providing financial college-town nightspot support to Virginians with dancing and a at different stages in mostly American, some their careers — from international menu. students completing ____________________ their education to experienced clinicians More Main Street grants helping train the next generation of nurses. $615,000 in grant In 2025, Virginia faced awards to support 22 a shortage of 17,000 community revitalization registered nurses. Over projects across Virginia the next decade, the downtowns have been Commonwealth expects issued through the demand to substantially Virginia Department of outpace supply for Housing and Community Licensed Practical Development’s Virginia Nurses and Registered Main Street program. Nurses in particular. The funding awards ____________________ combine $445,000 in Downtown Investment Floyd, Fincastle Grants across 10 block grants localities and $170,000 in Community Vitality $22.7 million in Grants across 12 Community Development localities and will also Block Grants (CDBG) that leverage more than will fund 17 community $230,000 in local public projects across Virginia Salir de juerga, Bburg

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FRONT NOTES have been awarded to support local initiatives, including new housing, downtown revitalizations, and infrastructure upgrades, coupled with $9.7 million in local leveraged investments. Floyd County ($1.8 million for housing infrastructure) and Fincastle ($1.2 million for historic district revitalization) were local recipients. ____________________

Employers for Interns last month — recognizing three businesses in the InternshipsVA program she launched in February that offer high-quality internship experiences to students across the Commonwealth. InternshipsVA helps Virginia employers design and deploy paid internships for students to strengthen workforce development. Triple Point Security in Blacksburg was Props for Virginia’s recognized as the top workforce Mid-Size Business in the InternshipsVA program. Virginia has been ranked ____________________ No. 1 in the nation for its workforce training program RoVa Labs grant in Area Development’s 2026 Top States for Roanoke City Council Doing Business report. accepted a $1 million Beyond its No. 1 U.S. Small Business workforce training Administration grant ranking, Virginia to purchase advanced placed No. 8 overall in laboratory equipment Area Development’s for RoVa Labs, the Top States for Doing biotechnology startup Business report. Other incubator on South rankings: Innovation & Jefferson Street in Research Ecosystem downtown Roanoke’s (No. 5), Site Readiness Innovation Corridor. Programs (No. 6), and “The health and life Logistics & Transportation sciences industries are Infrastructure (No. 7). poised for significant Area Development is growth in Roanoke,” said an executive magazine City Manager Valmarie covering corporate site Turner. “RoVa Labs is selection and relocation a launchpad for turning since 1965. new discoveries into ____________________ thriving businesses. We’re creating a life Burger out sciences ecosystem that will create jobs [and] Burger in the Square— attract investors.” a popular restaurant ____________________ staple that began in downtown Roanoke, then RMA celebrates moved to Brambleton relocation Ave in Roanoke County— closed in mid-October. Roanoke Mountain It closed a day ahead of Adventures (RMA) its announced shutdown celebrated its grand after running out of food. reopening last month ____________________ of its expanded retail location at the main Internship programs Black Dog Salvage recognized property last month. After ten years at its Governor Spanberger former location across honored Virginia’s Top the river in Wasena,

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RMA has moved to the Black Dog Salvage property, tripling its previous retail floor space and creating more room for its bike shop, outdoor gear and apparel, and adventure outfitting services. The new location is just steps from the Roanoke River Greenway, with access to the region’s growing network of trails and outdoor recreation opportunities. ____________________ Local partnership expands Big Spring Mill’s reach Layman Distributing and Big Spring Mill have announced an exclusive distribution partnership that will expand access to Big Spring Mill products throughout Layman’s service area. Founded in 1850, Big Spring Mill has been part of Virginia’s milling tradition for more than 170 years. The Ellistonbased company produces flour and cornmeal products and its products that have been used in Virginia kitchens for generations. Layman Distributing, founded in 1948 and headquartered in Salem, is a familyowned, full-service wholesale distributor serving convenience stores, restaurants, independent grocers, universities, dining operations, vending services, and other retail customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic. ____________________ Daleville tasting/tap room to reopen under New Belgium banner New Belgium’s new “Liquid Center” at its Daleville production facility is set to open to the public on November 6, bringing a taproom

back to the former Ballast Point brewery for the first time since 2019. The concept is expected to focus on beer, events, brewery tours and food trucks/outside vendors rather than a full-service restaurant. ____________________ Explore Park and Roanoke County tourism bump Figures from 2025 supplied by Virginia Tourism Corporation show that revenue numbers from visitation in Roanoke County rose 7.1% to $141.7 million from 2024, supporting 1,365 jobs and generating $40.8 million in labor income and $7.7 million in local tax revenue. Alex North is Marketing and Administrative Coordinator for Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “It’s showing the importance that sports tourism and visitor spending has on not only Roanoke County, but the region as a whole. Explore Park is definitely a key amenity. In 2025 and 2026 the US Mountain Biking National Championships at the park was one reason for that increase. Each year we’ve seen 15,000 visitors from all over the country visit Explore Park. They’re also spending their money in restaurants, retail and staying at hotels throughout the region.” ____________________ Google again After much speculation, Google and the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority revealed in mid-October that Google (under Clearview Dynamics entity) is the company behind the proposal to consider Wood

Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County (just off I-81 at the 581 interchange for Roanoke) for a potential data center site. The Google tri-data center complex at the Greenfield Industrial Center in Botetourt County has begun site work. ____________________ Ferrum, P&HCC sign another articulation agreement Ferrum College and Patrick & Henry Community College have created additional articulation agreements to help students with associate degrees from the community college transition into criminal justice or education majors and earn bachelor's degrees

within two years. P&HCC President Greg Hodges and Ferrum College President Mirta Martin signed the agreements on the P&HCC campus last month. Eligible students will also qualify for tuition benefits from the Panther Promise program. Ferrum College already accepts associate of arts and associate of science graduates from all Virginia community colleges with access to the Ferrum Promise for most majors. The Panther Promise offers free tuition to qualifying Virginia residential students. ____________________ Tail-wagging announcement Virginia Tech has announced plans

for expanding its veterinarian teaching hospital, with constructed expected as early as Spring 2027. ____________________

Services (HHS) has awarded Biotherapeutics, Inc., based in Blacksburg, a $500,000 grant. The funding supports research into therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Conference Center U.S. Congressman sale finalized Morgan Griffith note that, “this summer, The Hotel Roanoke hero pilot Captain Sully Conference Center Sullenberger became has been sold to a one of the latest figures Virginia Tech Foundation to come forward about subsidiary for $14 million. their Alzheimer’s The conference center diagnosis. As more was owned by a figures speak out, federal commission consisting of efforts will support the City of Roanoke and the development of new Virginia Tech. The Hotel treatments. This grant property is also owned for $500,000 helps by the VT Foundation. Biotherapeutics, Inc. ____________________ develop new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.” Major grant to ____________________ research Alzheimer’s Compiled by Gene The U.S. Department Marrano and Tom Field. of Health and Human

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Let's see what these guys do ” “ and how they do it. — Page 24

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Submitted photos

The Town of Blacksburg and Downtown Blacksburg Inc. invited the community to celebrate the grand opening of The Local at a public event on Wednesday, October 14. For the most up to date information about The Local, follow @thelocalblacksburg on social media.

A showcase for local By Gene Marrano

Blacksburg launches its new entrepreneurial-retail-artsy-incubator The Town of Blacksburg and Downtown Blacksburg Inc have cut the ribbon on a long-discussed and delayed wish-list item—a small business incubator in the Town that could provide affordable space and mentoring for startups that one day could fill empty storefronts elsewhere. The Town has owned what had been a dry-cleaning business since the early 2000's and while COVID delayed the push to turn that building into a small business incubator, it’s now to open, with rooms for 5 tenants and space for other small retail shops, like a fresh daily cafe and Moon Hollow Coffee. Tracie Hughes is director for Downtown Blacksburg Inc, which is now housed in

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The Local at 414 North Main Street as well. It’s not only brand new artisan startups that can rent a space (for less than $400 a month): “we also have mentor tenants who have an existing brick or mortar elsewhere … and want to test the Blacksburg market. They pay a little bit more. We take a sales percentage fee. In the meantime, we provide them [an] educational series, [and] opportunities to network.” DBI also organizes Steppin’ Out and the Winter Lights Festival every year. Hughes says the plan is for The Local tenants to be strong enough to move out of the incubator and into their own space within a few years—or to find out when

ENTREPRENEURIAL FRONT

they need to tweak their business plan. “This is a great use of this space,” says Hughes, who joined DBI more than four years ago. Just like any downtown we have a few empty storefronts and there’s

challenges with those spaces. We’re building great neighbors for downtown.” Some of the new tenants at The Local were selling their wares at the Steppin' Out Festival.

THE SHOPS Moon Hollow Coffee

An all-new cafe concept by local favorite Moon Hollow Brewing. Guests can enjoy fresh coffee, espresso beverages, pastries, and bagels prepared daily.

The SWVA Shop

Dedicated to high-quality, thoughtfully designed merchandise, inspired by the culture, mountains, and traditions of Southwest Virginia. From Virginia Tech licensed apparel, to Blacksburg and SWVA lifestyle themed pieces, this shop creates items that locals, students, and fans are proud to own.

The Stray Shop

A paw-some spot run by human artist Taylor and inspired by a mischievous crew of rescued cats. Offering original feline-themed art, stickers, pins, and apparel, while directly giving back by donating up to 10% of profits to animals in need.

Pedestrian

A curated footwear retailer providing a personalized shopping experience focused on comfort and minimalist movement from brands such as Lems and Merrell, alongside everyday essentials from New Balance and Converse.

Kinfolk

A curated men’s boutique and lifestyle shop for individuals who value unique style and craftsmanship. The collection features high-quality apparel and distinct lifestyle goods that blend functional comfort with a refined aesthetic.

Millei Collective

A lifestyle shoppe with a rotating showcase of Virginia-based craft and design, highlighting artisan pottery, fine leather goods, original art, textiles, hand-poured candles, furniture, and modern industrial home decor.

Micro Shops

Five revolving spaces showcasing rising regional startups, innovators, and new concepts on dedicated wall displays.

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ADVERTISER INDEX Adult Care Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Ameriprise Financial / Christine Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Anytime Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 APCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Around SALEM Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Berryfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 & BC Botetourt Living Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Davis H. Elliot Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Entre Computer Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

F&S Building Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fraim Crawley & Co CPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Freedom First Credit Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lead Point Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 RIDE Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Roanoke Rescue Mission / Drumstick Dash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Spilman Thomas & Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 TransWorld Business Advisors . . . . . . . . . . 55 Virginia Business Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Virginia Mountain Mortgage . . . . . . . . 50-51 Wheeler Broadcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 & 33

It's a good and often inspiring ” “ read about never giving up on your dream.

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— Page 36

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MERRIFIELD, VA PERMIT NO. 1434

P.O. Box 1041 Salem, VA 24153

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