A welcoming atmosphere and plenty of business help greet those moving to the Valley.
Keeping the Roanoke Valley a career destination for a younger, more affluent generation of workers has long been a goal of those organizations charged with creating and maintaining a healthy business climate in this western enclave of Virginia.
There are multiple tracks used to attract and retain those populations: everything from outside recreation, to shimmering cultural opportunities, to next-generation technology emphasis, to wildly varied educational possibilities, to a growing transportation base.
These are exemplified, perhaps best, in the emergence of Amtrak traffic to and from an old railroad town, supplementing good roads, a classy—though small—airport with stimulating possibilities. In its first year back, Amtrak has been an unqualified success, both with the business and personal traveler.
Carilion Clinic President and CEO Nancy Agee, president of the National Hospital Association and a frequent traveler, says, “I have ridden [Amtrak] about five times and I love it. It’s convenient, clean, quiet and an easy way to get to D.C. or New York City. I can work while I travel, arriving in a central location without the usual travel weariness. The landscape from here to D.C. is beautiful (is there anything more beautiful than watching the sun rise over our Blue Ridge Mountains?) and gives me time to contemplate and reflect.
“I see all sorts of riders: business people, students, families, people having a few days off. I almost always see someone I know from the area. Amtrak is a great addition to travel services from Roanoke. It is handy, parking is easy, simple to use, priced fairly and can get me to and from central locations in D.C. or New York.”
Though the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport has limited direct connections, that could change in the coming months. Additional services could become available as new connections to Denver, Dallas and Detroit are considered. Already five airlines land in eight international hubs via more than 20 daily Roanoke departures. During the first half of 2018, growth was better than at any other time since 2007, partly driven by the arrival of Allegiant Air. That put the airport in position to have its busiest year since 2011.
Timothy Bradshaw, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission, says, “Passenger demand is a critical factor when speaking with airlines regarding improving and increasing air service to our region. Our customers are using our existing air service and the carriers have taken note.”
The airport serves 616,000 passengers a year through four airlines (American, Delta, United and Allegiant) with nonstop service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and D.C. hub cities. The airport is a major regional hub for FedEx and UPS with its long runways accommodating the huge jets.
Roanoke serves as a highway crossroads with I-81, U.S. 460 and U.S. 220 converging and providing four direction, major highway access, especially for the trucking industry.
Taking one of the earth’s most beautiful places and dressing it up for recreation remains a priority, especially when recruiting younger workers into an aging work force. Erin Burcham, director of Talent Solutions for the Roanoke Regional Partnership says, “The strength of the region’s outdoor recreation infrastructure can be a magnet for talent attraction.” She calls it “a differentiator that will help the region stand out” in attracting talent. That, of course, also brings in “a lot of tourist dollars,” she insists.
Roanoke (along with nearby Blacksburg) was recently ranked as one of the 10 best metro job markets in the U.S. by Zippia, a job search company. Among the reasons for the ranking was the Regional Partnerships’ Accelerate 2022 plan, a program that emphasizes livability and connects with local college students. The Partnership also has a team of professionals concentrating in specific areas of expertise, says Burcham. Pete Eshelman, for example, has created quite a story in outdoor “branding” for the region, emphasizing opportunities for boaters, runners, hikers, campers, cyclists, climbers and the like.
Programs like CoLab, The Gauntlet, CityWorks (X)po and Anticipating 2050/Acting Today bring in new ideas and help create new companies, something the Roanoke Valley has been good at for many years, says Regional Chamber President/CEO Joyce Waugh. Keith Hartman, new Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center director, says “We are more of a journey” and the programs are “an entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Waugh also points with some pride to the Chamber’s K-12 workforce push, a program that helps children understand the world of work. “Kids are generally not exposed to career opportunities,” she says, noting that “not everybody needs to go to college.”
It is a wholistic approach in attracting and retaining both good companies and good workers to help solidify the future.
