Vinton has shaped and re-shaped its business community for more than a century, and continues to find considerable success these days.
Dan Smith
Vinton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Angie Chewning and Executive Assistant Kathryn Sowers recently shared a 16th anniversary of working together at the chamber. Sowers actually began with the chamber part-time some years earlier. Both are Vinton natives, so they have a particularly focused view of the town as it was and as it is.
These days, says Sowers, working at the chamber has reached new heights: “It’s exciting.”
Chewning adds that “Vinton is investing over $1 million in its downtown area to update building interiors and exteriors, expand parking, and increase cultural and public activities. These enhancements aim to create a more vibrant and active downtown environment.
“These initiatives reflect Vinton’s commitment to strategic development, enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors while preserving the town’s unique character.”
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Ana Morales
Restaurants and shops welcome guests in to enjoy a day in Vinton.
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Dan Smith
Brandon Hall welcomes visitors to peruse The Shoppes on Pollard.
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Courtesy of the Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
In its early years, Vinton was known for its strong and diverse business community. It included a tannery, Virginia Etna Springs mineral water, Crozer Furnace and a bit later Vinton Weaving Mill, founded in 1939 and bought by Precision Fabrics in 1988. Just outside Vinton was the 5,000-employee (many from Vinton) American Viscose plant, which operated from 1917 to 1958 and has recently experienced a renewal as a diverse business and arts center.
Norfolk & Western Railway provided considerable employment for Vintonites for many years, but when it moved its headquarters to Norfolk, then Atlanta, many of those jobs fell away. Of the aforementioned businesses, only Precision remains in something close to its original form and it remains a major employer for the town.
Courtesy of the Vinton Messenger
The staff at Absolutely Delicious Bar & Grill serve up serious flavor.
In recent years, Vinton’s business footprint has been energized, especially in the vibrant downtown area, which is in the midst of a renaissance. Family businesses like Vinton native Mason Drew’s Firehouse Skate-N-Play, Roanoke Valley Bounce and Downhome Creamery give variety to his entrepreneurial spirit. He became a real estate agent a few years ago at 18 and now owns rental properties. Vinton native Mitzi Johnson’s 40-year-old Desert Sun Tanning Salon give an excellent overview of the variety and longevity of the business community in Vinton.
Vinton Town Manager Pete Peters says an available infrastructure of older buildings that are relatively inexpensive to restore has been vital in the most recent re-structuring of the downtown area. Holdren’s Country Store, circa 1846, a state and national landmark, is being renovated to contain seven Airbnb suites, a restaurant and a seasonal market (which will not compete with Vinton’s successful farmer’s market). The renovation is underway, but there is a lot to do.
The renewed business community has spurred a previously reluctant Town Council to expand opportunities in housing, transportation and cultural activity along with its business support.
Vinton’s largest employers, according to the town’s published budget, include Berkshire Health & Rehabilitation Center (204), Kroger Food Center (193), Precision Fabrics (190), Roanoke County Schools (132), Town of Vinton (97) and Aramark Uniform Services (97).
Vinton’s established business community includes employers like Vinton Veterinary Hospital, founded 1973, which has become one of the most respected vets in the Roanoke Valley.
Chamber of Commerce President Page Lovern says, “People see Vinton as an evolving community, safe and successful. It is the entry point for Smith Mountain Lake, the city [of Roanoke] and Bedford County.”
Says Sowers, Vinton is “family friendly. It is a great place to meet friends and to have a lot of choices in where to eat. And it’s walkable.”
“People are coming to Vinton and seeing a good place to raise a family,” says Lovern. It is a small, tightly-knit community with things to do and places to be.”
Vinton Computer, founded by Chris Duncan, a Roanoke-area native, was founded in 2010 to scratch the itch brought on by the communications boom. Duncan was inspired to change the model for computer repair after witnessing frustrations with computer stores. Like Vinton Veterinarian Hospital, the computer sales, service and repair business has held its own in a competitive market by emphasizing quality workmanship.
Courtesy of the Vinton Messenger
Vinton’s construction builds on the town’s foundations for an even more vibrant area.
Magnets USA was founded in 1990 by Dale Turner to answer another niche need: advertising for the real estate industry in the form of what is often called “’fridge magnets.” It has expanded considerably from that limited purpose to become a vital and successful business.
Brandon Hall has opened one of the newest businesses in Vinton. He recently moved into The Shoppes on Pollard, which had been a hemp business for five years on Pollard Street. “We opened as a farm shop,” he says, “but quickly realized we needed to sell new stuff. We set it up like an antique shop and there is nothing else like it in the Roanoke Valley.”
Hall talks about Vinton’s “small-town feel” and “slowly getting to a point where people walk in and explore. It’s fun seeing everything take off.”
Recently the Absolutely Delicious grille opened within a few feet of Hall’s business, encouraging yet more foot traffic, especially during lunch and on weekends. “It’s nice to see the town come to life,” says Hall. “Everybody knows everybody and you can’t walk a block without seeing a restaurant jam-packed.”
On the corner of Pollard and Jefferson is American Efficiency Inns, Vinton’s first extended stay. Built by Fred Finney and now run by daughter Allison Finney, it’s been enjoyed as a local staple for 33 years by visitors and locals alike.
Annette Patterson (pictured at right) opened the Advancement Foundation in Vinton in 2007 and has seen it evolve into a regional powerhouse designed to create new and imaginative business models. In the past few years, the Foundation’s “The Gauntlet” has become a prized and solidly established lure to new businesses, especially those with a technology bent.
Dan Smith
Annette Patterson
“We had a Community Business Launch program in our second year, focusing on businesses in proximity to each other, doing a business competition,” says Patterson. “Town Council offered up a building and suddenly the Foundation had 15 to 20 businesses to advise.” The second Gauntlet brought in Twin Creeks Brewing, now a mainstay on Pollard Street, and Discount Computer Services, along with several other businesses.
The Vinton Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront in offering businesses the opportunity to network with Lunch and Learns, Business After Hours and other business-related events. “Lunch and Learn has become so popular,” says Lovern, “that it has gone from being scheduled every other month to once a month.”
Fire recently destroyed an anchor building downtown and plans are being made to market it. Probably the most exciting news recently is the landing of the 93-room Extended Stay America at the corner of Pollard Street and Virginia Avenue, the very front door of downtown, with food and recreation within walking distance. The hotel owners “picked the location because of its walkability,” says Peters. “We are looking at about 100 people a night” who will seek the services of downtown Vinton. Businesses are excited.”
Vinton, he insists, is “growing the pie.”
Chewning observes that “the historic Gish Mill is being transformed into a mixed-use space featuring two restaurants and Airbnb-style apartments. This project, nearly a decade in the making, is expected to open in 2026, preserving the mill’s historical significance while contributing to the town’s economic growth.”