Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Rapidan Fiber Mill Celebrates Ribbon Cutting with Culpeper Community

When Lon and Peggy Anthony bought land to raise sheep after retiring from government careers, they uncovered a major gap: few local options for processing wool, with existing mills having years-long waitlists. That discovery inspired the launch of Rapidan Fiber Mill to support Virginia’s small farmers with reliable, high-quality wool processing. “It’s about supporting local agriculture,” says Peggy. “There were so many people who didn’t have a resource to take their livestock wool to.”

As first-time entrepreneurs, the Anthonys turned to the CV SBDC for guidance. With advisor Rosi Beachy’s help, they built a business plan, organized their structure, learned financial planning, and secured equipment financing.

On November 15th, they celebrated their official grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony that introduced the community to their craft. Looking ahead, the Anthonys are developing on-site educational programming, including classes, tours, and sustainability workshops to revive interest in fiber arts.

"We're so grateful for the SBDC — they dedicated a lot of time to us. We were first-time business owners and didn't know what we were doing, but they never made us feel crazy for wanting to take this on, which isn't the case everywhere."

- Peggy Anthony, Owner

Shop Small Saturday is November 29th!

Shop Small Saturday is a national movement encouraging shoppers to support local businesses during the holiday season. It’s a great chance to showcase your products, connect with customers, support your fellow entrepreneurs, and remind your community why shopping local matters.

Help the CACVB Feature You!

The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau is eager for stories about the holiday season and how we’re celebrating in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Please submit upcoming events to the CACVB events calendar as soon as possible. Your business could be featured in media outreach and promotions. And if you have a special menu, exciting décor, or other seasonal changes to your regular operations, please email us directly at marketing@visitcharlottesville.org.

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Department of Transportation Redefines DBE Eligibility Standards

On October 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) introduced a major policy change that reshapes how small businesses qualify as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) and Airport Concessions DBEs (ACDBE). From now on, all applicants—and even currently certified firms—must prove disadvantage on an individual basis. This marks a new era of individualized eligibility, where certification depends on personal experience and documented evidence rather than group membership.

Read more here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

An SBDC advisor can assist you in applying for this loan. Request an appointment here.

Every program of the Virginia SBDC is open to all members of the public.

Webinars from the Virginia SBDC Network

Access the CVSBDC Events Calendar and 

statewide training offerings for even more learning!

SBSD Growing Sales Seminar - Stop Selling: Start Solving

November 19 | 10 AM - 12 PM | Mechanicsville, VA

The Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity is hosting an in-person Growing Sales Seminar: “Stop Selling, Start Solving” hosted at Virginia ABC headquarters in partnership with VCU da Vinci Center. This interactive session is designed to help business owners and entrepreneurs rethink their approach to selling by focusing on solving real customer challenges. It’s a great opportunity for participants to gain practical insights, connect with peers, and learn strategies that can drive sustainable growth. 

Learn more and register here.

ServSafe Manager Course

December 15 | 9 AM - 5 PM | Rapidan, VA

This one-day course is designed for individuals in charge of managing food safety in restaurants, cafeterias, food trucks, and other food service operations. Participants will complete classroom training and then take the national ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Exam. Those who pass will receive a certification valid for five years. Virginia food establishments (including temporary food establishments) must have at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service who is a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). The ServSafe Manager Certification fulfills this requirement. 

Register here.

Central Virginia SBDC

Your Partners in Business:



​Supporting Small Business - from Startups to International Expansion

Serving the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna,

Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Rappahannock.

Meet With Us

The Virginia SBDC Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, George Mason University‐Mason Enterprise, and local host institutions. The Virginia SBDC is nationally accredited by America’s SBDC.

All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Business owners can access the services of their nearest SBDC at VirginiaSBDC.org.