BIZ REPORT | THE WATERCOOLER
HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION
STIHL GIVES STUDENTS FIRSTHAND MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE
H
igh school students can attend STIHL Inc.’s Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp (July 26–30) to learn the skills to design and build products. The four-day program is held at the STIHL Inc. headquarters in Virginia Beach and offers hand-on activities for teens to experience what it’s like to work in the manufacturing industry. During previous camp sessions, students were divided into teams, then taught how to operate machinery and build products, as well as the best approach to manufacture those products. The camp session concludes as teams are judged on their process to build the products and their approach to manufacturing them. Judges have included community leaders, such as college professors and a representative from the Virginia Beach City Police Department, among many others. Winning team members will receive up to $1,000 in scholarship funds from the Virginia Industry Foundation. For more information about the summer camp, visit StihlUSA.com.
HONORING SMALL BUSINESSES
TECHNOLOGY
ANNUAL SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
GLOUCESTER NAMED A VIRGINIA MAIN STREET COMMUNITY
SENATOR STEPS INTO VIRTUAL REALITY
For over 30 years, the Hampton Roads
In late March, Gloucester became one
nearly three dozen entrepreneurs at Sprouthaus in Downtown Norfolk to discuss the “entrepreneurial ecosystem” in Coastal Virginia. With technology as a key topic during the meeting, the senator then participated in Booz Allen Hamilton’s first virtual reality demonstration in Virginia. The 3-D tech demonstration involved a full Air Force MC130 replica with an HTC Vive Virtual Reality system and Unity game engine; the model is being used to highlight Booz Allen Hamilton’s Virtual Reality Space. To learn more about Booz Allen Hamilton, visit BoozAllen.com.
Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads have commemorated and awarded the area’s small businesses. Small Business of the Year Awards are allotted to a business chosen from each Hampton Roads Southside city along with one from the Peninsula. Businesses are evaluated on community involvement, business plan and history, growth, customer service and satisfaction, staff training and motivation and financial performance. Winners for each city included Retnauer Baynes Associates, LLC. (Chesapeake), Mid Atlantic Maritime Academy (Norfolk), Commonwealth Exterminating Company, Inc. (Peninsula), Smiley’s Heating & Cooling (Portsmouth), Suffolk Eye Physicians & Surgeons (Suffolk) and Image Business Interiors (Virginia Beach). In addition, the G&W Leadership Award honored Shannon Kane, EWR Management Group’s president and chief marketing partner. The two Young Entrepreneur Award (YEA!) finalists were Max Greenhood, RocketBike’s president and creative director, and Hatch Founder Zack Miller. Visit HamptonRoadsChamber.com to learn more about the Small Business of the Year Awards.
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ROAD RECOGNITION
C O VA B I Z
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of four counties added to the list of designated Virginia Main Street communities, along with Danville, Lexington and Wytheville. With one mission in mind, the union of Gloucester’s Main Street Trust and Association, tourism department and economic development department, contributed to this treasured designation. Planning for many years, the trust introduced a façade grant program as well as an interior grant program to assist and launch Main Street businesses. This recognition opens doors for Gloucester to receive grants and resources for county projects and programs and assists in training staff with marketing strategies to attract visitors to the area. Virginia Main Street Communities are recognized by their historic architecture, attractions, unique businesses, events and overall charm; each is reflective of the town’s history. To learn more about Gloucester, visit GloucesterVa.info or GloucesterVaChamber.org.
In April, Senator Mark Warner gathered
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