Roanoke County Business Partners Newsletter

September 2024: Volume 24, No. 9

The E-newsletter of the Roanoke County Economic Development Department is designed to showcase the investments and achievements of our existing business partners. For additional information about doing business in Roanoke County, visit our website.

Visiting our Roanoke County Manufacturing Community

Our new team has been visiting our manufacturing businesses this summer to discuss their ongoing projects, opportunities, and challenges. Recently, we have toured Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) in Valleypointe, Double Envelope in Hollins, and P1 Technologies in Starkey.

Optical Cable Corporation (OCC) was founded in the Roanoke Valley 35 years ago and today has 160 employees here in Roanoke County and 280 total with other locations in Asheville, NC and Plano, TX. OCC’s Roanoke County headquarters focuses on fiber and copper data infrastructure manufacturing for commercial enterprise, military, broadcast/AV, industrial, mining, oil, and gas needs.

Double Envelope was founded in the Roanoke Valley 107 years ago and today has 125 employees here in Roanoke County and 385 total globally. Double Envelope has been 100% employee owned since 2016 and they have invested more than $6 million in new equipment since 2019 for their 114,000 SF Roanoke County headquarters.

P1 Technologies is celebrating their 75th Anniversary and today has 350 employees here in Roanoke County. P1 Technologies has been in their current southwest county location since 1987 and employee-owned since 2001. Their facility works with OEMs all over the world creating injection molded products and interconnect cables that are used by the medical industry.

Please reach out to Megan Baker, Director of Economic Development, at mebaker@roanokecountyva.gov or (540) 772-2124 to schedule a manufacturing visit with our team!

Congratulations Joe Zielinski!

Joe Zielinski, Economic Development Specialist, retired from our department on September 1 after nearly 24 years at Roanoke County. Joe has played a critical role in the research, documentation, and mapping of our local economy, real estate, and demographics.

Prior to joining Roanoke County in November 2000, Joe worked with the City of Norfolk in real estate and management.

We wish him well in retirement and thank him for all his great work over the years!

Hollins University Recognized by Forbes Magazine

Hollins University is the only private college in Virginia and one of just 27 private institutions nationwide to receive an A+ in Forbes magazine’s report of College Financial Grades for 2024, as reported in University Business magazine. Learn more!

Development Opportunities

The Town of Vinton is accepting proposals to construct and operate a hotel on five Town-owned parcels located at the intersection of S. Pollard Street, Cedar Avenue and 1st Street. This Gateway property is highly visible and is located on a major travel corridor with an average daily traffic count of over 27,000 vehicles. Learn more and submit a bid by September 27 here!

Roanoke County & Vinton Comprehensive Plans

The Roanoke County 200 Plan is a major update to the Comprehensive Plan. On August 6th, the Roanoke County Planning Commission voted (5-0) to recommend approval of the Roanoke County 200 Plan, which the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors will consider at their public hearing on Tuesday, September 24th. The Draft Roanoke County 200 Plan is available for review on the 200 Plan webpage.

Please share your ideas and input by taking the Town of Vinton's community survey today! The survey is an opportunity to share what matters to you and how you feel about the Town of Vinton’s services and infrastructure. The survey will be open through Sunday, September 22nd.

Partners and Programs

Nominate Roanoke County and regional manufacturers for the 2024 Virginia Manufacturer's Cup! Last year, four regional businesses were nominated, two of which brought home honors in their respective fields! This year, we think we can get more! The manufacturing sector in our region is diverse and innovative, and we hope you'll nominate the businesses around these parts who are doing great work. Nominations are open until September 13! Learn more and start the nomination process here!

Join Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism for Food Truck Thursdays as they transform our parks into foodie havens. Click here for the food truck vendor each event this Fall and to learn more! #EatLocal #SupportSmallBiz

Join the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 5 at 1:45 PM to celebrate Sips and Scoops with a ribbon cutting! This event will be a wonderful opportunity to welcome them to our vibrant community and show our support for their endeavor. Sips and Scoops is located in Oak Grove Plaza at 2033 Electric Road, Roanoke. Learn more and register here!