Millstone Kitchen Food Program

Millstone Kitchen Food Program Receives Funds to Serve 10,000 Meals

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Montgomery County, VA – Millstone Kitchen Food Program recently received a COVID-19 Response Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which will help the program serve “approximately 10,000 additional meals through June 2021”. Millstone Kitchen is a commercial kitchen located in the recently revitalized Old Prices Fork Elementary School. It is “the region’s premier resource for food entrepreneurs, who receive access to expert equipment and guidance to start or grow their businesses”.

Here is more detailed information about the project and the grant:


Millstone Kitchen Food Program
Montgomery County
$135,433 (CDBG COVID-19 Response)
Montgomery County will receive funding to continue operations of the Millstone Kitchen Food Program through June 2021. The county, in partnership with the local community drive nonprofit Live Work Eat Gather, has been utilizing the Millstone Kitchen to bolster and expand meal delivery services in the community. The Millstone Kitchen is a commercial shared-use kitchen that is a part of the Old School at Prices Fork. The funding will provide a managing director for this operation, reliable contract work for caterers, and the delivery of meals to vulnerable populations in the area. This program has organized local caterers operating out of the Millstone Kitchen to prepare and deliver at least 600 meals per week, serving approximately 10,000 meals since July 2020. The new funding will provide approximately 10,000 additional meals through June 2021.


Read the full Community Development Block Grant press release here.

Learn more about Millstone Kitchen here.

Learn more about food processing and agribusiness in Virginia’s New River Valley here.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small-town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

NRV Manufacturing Sector Outlook Positive

NRV Manufacturers Persevere Through Pandemic, Sector Outlook Positive

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New River Valley, VA – In September 2020, Onward New River Valley conducted a survey of manufacturing companies in Virginia’s New River Valley. The goal of the Industry Competitiveness Survey was to better understand how local manufacturing companies were operating and adapting in the wake of COVID-19. The survey was intended to identify common challenges among local companies and expose best practices that would support the overall competitiveness and continued growth of the local manufacturing industry.

Survey responses were collected during a two-week period in September 2020. The survey was sent to 35 manufacturers in Virginia’s New River Valley (NRV) with 48% responding. The survey results, along with individual interviews, revealed several insights about the manufacturing industry in the region; these insights are described below.

Operating Status

Overall, manufacturers in the NRV have persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic with varying impacts on their operations. The vast majority (76%) of respondents reported operating at or above pre-pandemic capacity, while 24% indicated operating at about half capacity. Roughly half of respondents indicated a decrease in their sales pipeline (43%) and overall revenue (52%).

Survey respondents seemed to signal that their supply chains had only been moderately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than one-third of respondents reported increased costs for either inputs/raw materials (29%) or freight (27%). Almost half of respondents reported experiencing an increase in supplier lead times (48%) and a reduction in the availability of inputs/raw materials (43%).

However, these changes in the supply chain do not seem to be affecting production levels for NRV manufacturers. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents reported stable or increasing production levels.

Employment

Employment through manufacturing companies in the NRV has remained mostly stable during the pandemic. The majority (62%) of respondents said their number of employees remained the same or increased since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the 38% of respondents that reported a reduction in employees (most indicating a slight reduction) since the beginning of the pandemic, the majority (63%) anticipated rehiring eliminated positions within a year of the survey date.

Over half (62%) of respondents reported having unfilled job openings. The types of unfilled positions varied among respondents, but a need for both production workers and engineers was a consistent theme. There is clearly a continuing need for talent recruitment and retention efforts across the manufacturing industry in NRV.

Health & Safety Concerns

In late September, over three-fourths of respondents indicated that at least 90% of their employees were physically working on-site. With most employees in the NRV manufacturing industry working in person amid the pandemic, it is no surprise that a large majority (81%) of respondents reported that health and safety was one of their current top three concerns for their business. Manufacturers have devoted significant attention to implementing new public health policies and technologies to keep their employees safe and their operations running during the pandemic.

NRV manufacturers have increased the number of employees that are working remotely to help mitigate these health and safety concerns. Pre-pandemic, only one respondent (5 ) reported having more than 5% of their employees working remotely, which increased to 62% of respondents by late September. This increase in remote work for some employees could be designed to offset the increased needs for physical space to comply with regulations and distancing requirements. One survey respondent stated that “physical distancing mandates are only feasible with a partial remote workforce.”

Overall Industry Outlook

Manufacturing leaders signaled an overall positive outlook for the coming year. Almost three-fourths (71%) of respondents anticipated that the remaining duration of COVID-19 impacts on their business would resolve within one year from the survey date.

Respondents were asked to give their overall outlook on the status of their company over the next 6-12 months. The vast majority (90%) of respondents reported that they had a steady or positive outlook for their company during that time period.

Leaders were also asked to forecast how many employees they anticipated having within six months to one year. Almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents expected a modest or significant increase in employment levels within a year, with no one anticipating a reduction in employees.

Learn more about the survey and read a final report of the results here.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

NRV Tech Sector Outlook Strong

NRV Tech Companies Shift to Remote Work During Pandemic, Sector Outlook Strong

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New River Valley, VA – In September 2020, Onward New River Valley conducted a survey of technology companies in Virginia’s New River Valley. The goal of the Industry Competitiveness Survey was to better understand how local information technology companies were operating and adapting in the wake of COVID-19. The survey was intended to identify common challenges among local companies and expose best practices that would support the overall competitiveness and continued growth of the local tech sector.

Survey responses were collected during a two-week period in September 2020. The survey was sent to 28 information technology companies in Virginia’s New River Valley (NRV) with 71% responding. The survey results revealed several insights about the tech sector in the region; these insights are described below.

Operating Status
Overall, tech companies have remained mostly stable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. When respondents were asked to evaluate the current operating status of their companies, only 12% reported that their business had shrunk since the pandemic began. The vast majority (88%) indicated that their business had stayed about the same (50%) or even grown (38%).

Most (58%) respondents reported stable or increasing revenue compared to pre-pandemic, but over half (55%) of respondents reported a decrease in their sales pipeline. Consequently, it’s no surprise that a majority (63%) of respondents ranked marketing as one of their current top three concerns with the decrease in sales pipeline that tech companies are reporting.

Several respondents reported that lead generation is a current challenge due to the pandemic. One person wrote, “I feel that there is some lack of quality in our sales pipeline now that we’ve shifted all of our client meetings remote,” while another stated, “finding new ways to engage prospective clients without tradeshows and travel is a top priority.” Marketing and selling in a remote environment are clear challenges that tech companies in the NRV are facing and will continue to face in the near future.

Employment
Employment through tech companies in the NRV has remained stable despite COVID-19. Most (63%) of respondents said their number of employees has remained the same since the beginning of the pandemic. Twelve percent of respondents did report a reduction in employee levels, but two-thirds (67%) of them anticipate rehiring eliminated positions within a year.

Over a quarter (25%) of respondents indicated they had increased employment during the pandemic, reporting either a slight (17%) or substantial (8%) increase. Furthermore, over one-third (38%) of respondents said that they currently have unfilled job openings. Respondents reported that the most common hard to fill positions are software engineers, account executives, and production schedulers. There is clearly a continuing need for talent recruitment and retention efforts across the tech sector in the NRV.

Remote Work Trends
The survey revealed that COVID-19 has caused local tech companies to shift most of their workforce to remote work. Prior to the pandemic, three-fourths (75%) of survey respondents reported that less than 20% of their workforce worked remotely. In contrast, two-thirds (67%) of respondents reported that more than 81% of their employees were remote in late September. Respondents did indicate a slight decrease in the percentage of employees working remotely from July to September, signaling some tech workers were returning to the office.

Several tech leaders indicated that having a higher portion of their employees work remotely may persist even after the pandemic is over. One respondent stated that their company would have a “50% decrease in physical space needs” due to the increase in remote work, while another said, “we definitely value having a physical location and will keep it, but this only continues to fuel our ability to have employees located anywhere.”

Almost half (46%) of respondents reported offering incentives for employees to work from home. Helping employees set up their home offices, whether through transferring existing equipment home or purchasing new equipment for employees, was one of the most frequently mentioned incentives. Other common incentives included providing stipends or reimbursements to run employees’ home offices and upgrading employees’ home internet service.

Overall Outlook
Tech leaders signaled an overall strong outlook for the coming year. Within the next twelve months, the vast majority (88%) of respondents reported that they had a steady or positive outlook for their company. Over three-fourths (79%) of respondents anticipated that the remaining duration of COVID-19 impacts on their business would resolve within one year from the survey date.

Leaders were also asked to forecast how many employees they anticipated having within six months to one year. Within six months, over half (54%) of respondents anticipated that their employment numbers would increase. Within the next year, three-fourths (75%) anticipated a modest (58%) or significant (17%) increase in employment. Only 4% of respondents expected to reduce employment within the next year.

Learn more about the survey and read a final report of the results here.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

H&V Increases Production of PPE Filtration Media to Fight COVID-19

H&V Increases Production of PPE Filtration Media to Fight COVID-19

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Floyd County, VA – Hollingsworth & Vose was recently awarded a $2.5 million contract by the Department of Defense (DOD) to increase the company’s production of filtration media. The filtration media is used in personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks. According to the DOD, “this industrial base expansion effort will allow Hollingsworth & Vose to increase production capacity to 100 million mask equivalents per year in Floyd, Virginia by October 2021.”

This will be the second contract that Hollingsworth & Vose has secured with the Department of Defense to produce filtration media during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mike Clark, Division President,

“We are pleased to partner with the Department of Defense on a second contract to provide filtration media used in the production of face masks. We are committed to doing our part to respond to COVID-19 by supplying essential materials for the production of PPE.”

Read the official press release from the Department of Defense here.

Learn more about how companies in Virginia’s New River Valley like Hollingsworth & Vose are adapting and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic here.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small-town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

TECHLAB Supplies NRV COVID-19 Task Force with Reagents to Expand Testing

TECHLAB Supplies NRV COVID-19 Task Force with Reagents to Expand Testing

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Montgomery County, VA – TECHLAB® Inc., a leader in infectious disease diagnostics, announced on November 2, 2020 it has partnered with the New River Valley COVID-19 Task Force to cost-effectively expand future COVID-19 testing capacity. Under this agreement, the New River Health District secures access to TECHLAB’s analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) for SARS-CoV-2 for as little as $7-9 per use.

“As a company founded and headquartered here in the New River Valley, we are proud to work closely with public health officials to provide a cost-effective and flexible option to increase their COVID-19 testing,” said Joel Herbein, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Affairs at TECHLAB. “Our analyte-specific reagents can be used now to maximize COVID-19 testing by any lab that is CLIA-certified to perform medium- and high-complexity testing. We are also incorporating our ASRs into 96-well and rapid antigen tests and plan to submit to the U.S. FDA for emergency use authorization.”

“As a company founded and headquartered here in the New River Valley, we are proud to work closely with public health officials to provide a cost-effective and flexible option to increase their COVID-19 testing.”
– Joel Herbein, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Affairs at TECHLAB

“The acquisition of these reagents provides us flexibility for future testing capacity,” said Anthony Wilson, head of the COVID-19 Task Force. “The task force has created a mobile, flexible, and scalable testing program that can be deployed across the New River Valley, and it has helped us prevent COVID-19 from overloading our hospitals or compromising our public safety systems and services.”

“Testing continues to help us determine the prevalence of disease in our community, but the best protection is to remain vigilant,” said Noelle Bissell, M.D., director of the New River Health District. “Watch your distance, wear your mask, and wash your hands. That’s how you protect yourself and those around you.”

“TECHLAB prides itself in developing and manufacturing our reagents in-house in southwest Virginia allowing us to control our supply chain and the quality of our products,” said Rob Day, Chief Operating Officer. “We are also able to supply any CLIA lab in the United States.”

About the New River Valley COVID-19 Task Force

The New River Valley Public Health Task Force is composed of local health, public safety, education and government agencies that work to proactively provide local residents and communities with information about COVID-19, to coordinate efforts to reduce its local impact and to facilitate community recovery. For more information, visit www.NRVRoadtoWellness.com and www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have questions about COVID-19 or wish to request an appointment for testing at a drive-thru site, call the New River Health District’s COVID-19 public health call center at 540-267-8240.

About TECHLAB

Founded in 1989, TECHLAB, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic products. The Company has a portfolio of diagnostic tests for infectious disease and intestinal inflammation testing. TECHLAB also performs diagnostics and life science contract manufacturing and services. TECHLAB is headquartered in Blacksburg, Va. and manufactures its diagnostic tests in the United States at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Radford, Va. For more info, visit www.techlab.com.

Media Contacts:

Robert Parker, public information officer, Western Region, robert.parker@vdh.virginia.gov
Jodie Lee, Marketing Manager, TECHLAB, Inc., jlee@techlab.com

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small-town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

NRV Business Continuity Team

NRV Business Continuity Team Available for COVID-19 Response

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New River Valley, VA – The New River Valley Regional Commission, working in coordination with the New River Health District and the NRV Public Health Task Force, is pleased to make available the NRV Business Continuity Team (BCT), a new resource for businesses impacted by COVID-19. The BCT is available at no cost to help advise businesses navigate questions about COVID-19 at their workplace. More information about the BCT can be found here or by calling 540-639-9313 and asking for the Business Continuity Team.

Services available include:

  • Guidance for operating in a COVID environment
  • Guidance if there is a suspected case or a known positive case
  • Development of a Business Continuity Plan
  • Access to a pool of funds on a cost-shared reimbursement* basis to help pay for on-site cleaning; public relations expertise; legal advisement for human resource matters; website support for pertinent messaging. *Business continuity plan must be executed to receive cost-shared reimbursement for services.
  • Coordination of testing, if deemed necessary

NRV Business Continuity Team Contacts:
Melanie Morris, Program Manager, mmorris@nrvrc.org, 540-639-9313 x248
Ashley Briggs, Public Health Director, abriggs@nrvrc.org, 540-639-9313 x25

Funding for the NRV Business Continuity Team is being provided by GO Virginia, NRV local government CARES Act appropriations and Community Development Block Grant funds. This resource is limited to businesses located in the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski, Floyd, Giles and the city of Radford.

Be committed. Be well.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small-town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

Kollmorgen Increases Production During COVID-19 Pandemic

Kollmorgen Increases Production During COVID-19 Pandemic

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Radford, VA – Kollmorgen’s commitment to serving customers during the COVID-19 pandemic was recently highlighted the article, “On the Front Lines” in Virginia Economic Review’s Q2 2020 issue. Kollmorgen’s Radford facilities have ramped up production to meet the increased demand for the company’s motion control products and systems, which are “used to manufacture everything from personal protective equipment to diagnostic machines to ventilators.”

The article states,

“Kollmorgen has provided motion solutions to ventilator and respirator suppliers for more than a decade. When leaders at many of those companies learned the nation lacked the necessary ventilators for critical patients and personal protective equipment for health professionals, they wanted to help by increasing production. Other executives of companies which had never manufactured these items wanted to buy components from Kollmorgen that would allow them to start new manufacturing lines. [Kollmorgen General Manager Peter] Dempsey also heard from company heads wanting to increase or start production of other essential items like test kits, diagnostic machines, and CT scanners.”

Read the entire article about how Kollmorgen is supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic here.

Learn how people and companies in Virginia’s New River Valley are responding to the pandemic here.

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Virginia’s New River Valley: Virginia’s New River Valley is an eclectic mix of interconnected small towns that each offer their own unique vibe and appeal. The region provides an abundance of cultural and social offerings due to the presence of three world-class universities, while retaining the charm and benefits of small town living. The NRV is home to a diverse and innovative business community with companies that range from high-tech startups to foreign-based corporations to specialty agribusiness. These organizations benefit from the collaborative spirit of our region and a loyal, highly-skilled, and educated workforce. The scenic beauty of the region also fosters a deep connection to nature, which is deepened by access to outdoor recreation and the preservation of our natural environment. It’s clear why Virginia’s New River Valley is “A Natural Fit.”

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.

Sky-high deliveries benefit NRV small businesses, consumers during pandemic

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From Virginia Tech — Written by Jenny Kincaid Boone

Montgomery County, VA – Like most restaurant owners across the nation in the past month, Luke and Cassie Brugh have had to think fast to keep their business afloat. They turned their Christiansburg coffee shop into a curbside-only business, with the bulk of their orders coming through an app, to comply with government orders to limit customer contact because of COVID-19.

But in navigating the challenges of this shuffle, the Brughs have discovered a silver lining. Brugh Coffee is selling double the cans of its cold brew java — by drone. That’s compared with cold brew sales through its new curbside business.

These air deliveries are made possible by Wing, a drone delivery enterprise and offshoot of Google’s parent company Alphabet that has seen a dramatic increase in its business since the pandemic began.

Wing recently added Brugh Coffee and other Christiansburg restaurants — Mockingbird Cafe and Gran Rodeo — to its food delivery options.

From March to early April, Wing saw a 350 percent jump in the number of people signing up for its services across its four sites in three continents. They are in Christiansburg, Virginia; Helsinki Finland; and two cities in Australia, Canberra and Logan City, said spokesman Jacob Demmitt.

Similarly, in a two-week period in early April, the company had 1,000 deliveries globally, a “dramatic increase” from the typical two-week business model, he said.

In October 2019, Wing launched the commercial drone delivery service in Christiansburg with the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP). MAAP is a test site for unmanned aircraft systems designated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Through the partnership, Wing also offers drone delivery from Walgreens, FedEx, and Sugar Magnolia, a Blacksburg gift and candy shop, in addition to the newly added businesses. Customers order items via Wing’s app, and the products are delivered quickly, sometimes in as little as three to five minutes to a designated area near the consumer’s home. Hovering in the air, the drone extends the package to the ground, where it lands softly.

“It became clear early on [in the pandemic] that delivery services were becoming more and more important,” said Demmitt, noting that Wing began its partnerships with Brugh Coffee and Mockingbird Cafe at the start of COVID-19. “It came at a time when it was getting harder and harder for them to reach customers.”

Brugh Coffee sells bags of coffee and cold brew for Wing drone delivery, but it hopes to add hot coffee drinks in the future, Luke Brugh said.

“This was kind of ideal for us as small business owners,” he said. “It’s been good to have that extra income.”

In addition to adding new businesses, Wing has changed its product catalog for Walgreens to match customers’ pandemic needs. For example, the service added grocery staples, including baby food, pasta, and snacks, along with children’s toys and games. Toilet paper and sidewalk chalk, in particular, have been big sellers, Demmitt said.

“It’s a small relief, but we wanted to do whatever we could to help,” he said.

As the success of Wing’s drone delivery grows, particularly during the pandemic, MAAP plans to share information and lessons learned with the FAA and other government entities, said Mark Blanks, director of MAAP.

“It is a unique situation, but at the same time, it really does showcase why this is such a good technology and opportunity to benefit people,” he said. “This is the first place in the country that this is happening, which means everybody’s watching.”

Rommelyn and Zach Coffren and their four-year-old son, Noah, began ordering from Wing last fall. The drone service is just as important now that the couple, both Virginia Tech alumni and university employees, are working from their Christiansburg home, caring for their son, and following social distancing guidelines.

Recently, the family watched a movie together in their backyard, and they ordered Walgreens snacks by drone. Also, this month, the Coffrens ordered lunch from Gran Rodeo, one of their favorite restaurants. It arrived via three separate drone deliveries due to weight restrictions.

The Coffrens, who were interviewed for a recent NBC Nightly News segment about drone delivery, watched as each drone hovered over their backyard, lowering street tacos, beans and rice, a burrito, and arroz con pollo to the ground, one at a time. The family also is fielding inquiries from their friends about how to use the Wing app.

“The drone deliveries have been a nice distraction” from COVID-19, said Rommelyn Coffren. “It’s a way for us to still feel connected to the community to locations that we would patronize anyway.”

 
NRV Working Smart Header

NRV Public Health Taskforce Releases Re-Opening Guidebook for Small/Local Business

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The guidebook outlines promising practices for small/local business operations as they transition to re-opening in the age of COVID-19 following the expiration of the Governor’s Executive Order 53

NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA – In anticipation of the upcoming expiration of Governor Northam’s Executive Order 53, the New River Valley Public Health Task Force Recovery Team has created Working Smart, Working Safe., a resource for small and local business operations transitioning to re-opening following the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This guidebook is a tool leaders across the region developed for our local businesses,” said Kevin Byrd, Executive Director of the New River Valley Regional Commission. “It doesn’t supersede any forthcoming direction from Governor Northam; however, it does provide critical information that we want our local business leaders to have in an effort to help them prepare for re-opening their operations.”

Working Smart. Working Safe. is a resource to help local businesses navigate reopening in their communities amid COVID-19. It is to be used to as a guideline to help serve customers and accommodate employees. The collaborative and comprehensive document was created by the New River Valley Regional Commission, Onward NRV, and chamber of commerce and tourism offices across the region.

“The New River Valley has done a great job of addressing and containing the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Dr. Noelle Bissell, Director, New River Health District. “While this virus isn’t going away, we have to learn how to live with it and progress toward finding a new normal. The resource guide for re-opening we’re providing to local and small businesses is a step in that direction.”

Sources for the guidebook include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Virginia Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force; Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Virginia Department of Health; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; National Park Service; and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

To view the guidebook, visit www.montva.com/coronavirus/resources.

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About New River Valley Regional Commission

The New River Valley Regional Commission is one of 21 planning districts in Virginia whose commissions are chartered under Virginia law. The organization encompasses the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, and the City of Radford. The purpose of the Regional Commission is to promote regional cooperation, to coordinate the activities and policies of member local governments, and to provide planning assistance to local governments.

About the New River Valley Public Health Task Force

The New River Valley Public Health Task Force is composed of local health, public safety, education and government agencies that work to proactively provide local residents and communities with information about COVID-19, to coordinate efforts to reduce its local impact and to facilitate community recovery. For more information, visit www.montva.com/coronavirus and www.vdh.virginia.gov, or call the New River Health District public health call center at 540-267-8240. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. After hours, leave a message.

Fox News: Operation Face Mask with the Blue Ridge Fudge Lady

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By Emily DeCiccio | Fox News

Robin Burdette, also known as the Blue Ridge Fudge Lady, has been bringing people together at her Pulaski, Va., fudge shop since 2015. That very sense of community is what led officials at Virginia Tech to tap Burdette to coordinate a coronavirus mask-making operation for local hospitals and first responders.

Read more at:

https://www.foxnews.com/media/america-together-from-making-fudge-to-coronavirus-face-masks