The Virginia Department of Business Assistance recently published a Small Business Resource Guide. This guide is intended to help those willing to take a risk to start a small business and help them avoid pitfalls along the way. The Department of Business Assistance (DBA) worked with other state agencies and collaborated with experts in banking, legal and marketing to identify resources associated with starting and growing your business. View the Guide.

Governor Bob McDonnell has declared 2012 “The Year of the Entrepreneur.” Since 2005, Isle of Wight County Economic Development has been honoring a County business as Entrepreneur of the Year in conjunction with its Business Appreciation Week celebration.  Economic Development is now accepting nominations for 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year. The winner will be announced at the Business Appreciation Week Luncheon on June 7, 2012. Previous winners include Bon Vivant Market, Ringo’s Donuts, The Oaks Veterinary Clinic, Darden’s Country Store and Sesroh Tack Shoppe. If you would like to nominate an Isle of Wight County business for the 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, please complete the Nomination Form and return it to Economic Development at iwced@iwus.net no later than Friday, May 4, 2012.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is hiring and will hold a Job Fair on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront.  Come and learn about available positions and meet with GMCR! Visit http://www.gmcr.com/careers to apply online and learn more about these exciting opportunities. MORE INFO

Isle of Wight County Economic Development just launched a Facebook page and we need your help to get a custom Facebook URL.

Please like our page by clicking this link, then click the Like button. Thanks!”

Inside Business – November 11, 2011

The Smithfield and Isle of Wight Convention and Visitors Bureau knows its strengths. Small-town charm, coupled with prominent names associated with the area, works in its favor.

Figures from a Virginia Tourism Corp. report showed a 6.7 percent increase in tourism’s economic impact in Isle of Wight, from 2009 to 2010.

In 2010, tourism generated more than $33 million in visitor spending, as well as $776, 257 in taxes for Smithfield and Isle of Wight. Tourism also supported 369 jobs, according to the VTC report on domestic travel in Virginia.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

For information on employment opportunities at the new Green Mountain Coffee Roasters facility in Windsor, Virginia, visit the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters website: www.gmcr.com

Click on “Careers”.  Use the Job Search Feature in the middle of the page to search for available positions at the Windsor, Virginia facility.  Applications are submitted online.

 BUSINESS SUPPLIER OPPORTUNITIES

For companies interested in doing business with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters by providing a service or a product, please direct business inquiries to Bill Garman at bill.garman@gmcr.com.

Mike Adams, owner of Bon Vivant Market in Smithfield has been named 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Isle of Wight County Department of Economic Development. This award is given out annually as part of the state’s Business Appreciation Week celebration. “It’s great to be awarded for something you love doing,” said Adams.
The idea for Bon Vivant came about after Adams and his wife purchased the 750 square foot building on Church Street and could not find a tenant. Adams thought a gourmet market was needed in town, and the market has evolved from that original concept. Adams specializes in wine and craft beer while emphasizing foods that accompany these products. “I feel that as a small business it is best to limit your focus on one or two things and develop your passion from them, said Adams. This passion will spread to your customers and profit your business.”
Bon Vivant opened in February 1995, and while Adams had over 20 years’ experience in food sales, he had zero experience in wine and craft beer. “The best way to learn a business is to surround yourself with people who know more than you and listen…to every word. This is what I did.”
The Beer Club and Wine Guild events, which began a couple of years after opening, draw attendees from all over the Hampton Roads region. The idea for both events was as much for Adams’ education as well as his customers. “I kept the format light and a bit off centered. My goal is to make the events fun, encourage relationships between the attendees, teach a little about beer & wine, and of course sell!”
The events offered by Bon Vivant are one of the reasons why customer Barbara Richardson nominated Adams for Entrepreneur of the Year. The events have “brought many together to develop life-long friendships and relationships. His shop is what a small town is all about: friendly, great service and fair prices. He brings a unique line of products and services to the County that otherwise would only be found elsewhere.”

Bon Vivant Market is located at 1504 South Church Street in Smithfield, Virginia. For more information call 757-365-0932 or visit www.bonvivantmarket.com.

The Isle of Wight/Smithfield/Windsor Chamber of Commerce and the Isle of Wight Department of Economic Development will present Danny and Romayne Byrum the 2011 Farm Family of the Year Award at the Business Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday, May 5, at the Smithfield Center.

Batten Bay Farm is an all natural produce and cut flower farm owned and operated by Danny and Romayne Byrum. Located in Carrollton, Virginia, about 5 miles south of the James River Bridge, Batten Bay Farm is committed to all natural and sustainable agricultural methods for growing their crops.

Their customers know that they can count on Danny’s and Romayne’s products to be fresh, safe, and healthy because they utilize, almost exclusively, compost for fertilizer. Customers can feel confident knowing the Byrums use no chemical herbicides or pesticides.

The farm is a second career for both Danny and Romayne. After they retired from their respective careers, Danny and Romayne purchased the farm on Miller Lane, and began to live out their dream of farming. In just a short time, their farm has grown significantly. Currently, they sell at several local restaurants and farmers markets, including Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, Norfolk Five Points Community Market, Governor’s Point Farm Market, and recently started their own Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) venture, which is now in its second year.

A CSA is an innovative marketing tool for farmers, which allows the customers to pre-purchase a “share” of the harvest for the season prior to the season; therefore, creating a mutually supportive relationship between the local farmer and the community member. Customers receive their “share” of farm products weekly throughout the growing season. Participating in a CSA or buying from a local farmer teaches consumers to eat seasonally. MORE

The Commonwealth of Virginia will officially celebrate Business Appreciation Week May 2-6, 2011. The theme is “Entrepreneurship and Innovation for a Sustainable Future.” During that week, Isle of Wight County Economic Development will announce the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year winner. The committee that selects the recipient includes the Director of Economic Development, the Chairman of the County’s Industrial Development Authority, the President of the Isle of Wight-Smithfield-Windsor Chamber of Commerce, and the previous year’s Entrepreneur of the Year award winner. Previous winners include Ringo’s Donuts, The Oaks Veterinary Clinic, Darden’s Country Store and Sesroh Tack Shoppe. If you would like to nominate an Isle of Wight County business for the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, please complete a Nomination Form and return it to Economic Development no later than Friday, April 15, 2011.

Early in 1983, Ron and Tina Pack were on a boat cruise with friends in the upper Chesapeake Bay.  During that cruise, it became apparent that their newly adopted town of Smithfield was every bit as nice as the popular destination points of the upper bay communities, with the exception of the waterfront development, which left a lot to be desired.

The original site, now occupied by the Station, is the former “Tennis Seafood.”  It was purchased in 1983 and photographs of the old buildings can be seen in the front lobby.  Subsequent purchases of land across the street from the Station have become the basis for our parking lot.  Many different types of permits had to be obtained including Historic Review, Corps of Engineers, and VMRC etc.

The main building is built entirely over the water and sits on 110 piles that are 88 feet long (that is about 20 feet taller that from the parking lot to the top of the tower).  It is modeled after the old Coast Guard life saving stations (hence the name “Station”) that proliferated the coast of Virginia and Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It was completed and occupied on November 23, 1986.

The lighthouse is a reproduction of the lighthouse from Hoopers Strait in Maryland and that is now a part of the Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, Maryland.  As far as we know, it is the only Lighthouse in Virginia where you can spend the night.  There were several lighthouses similar to ours in the James River, but they have all been destroyed.  We used the Maryland lighthouse as a model because we could touch and measure it to make sure of certain exterior details.  It was completed and occupied in December of 1994.

In 2001 we transformed one of our dining rooms and our tiny bar into The Inner Banks (IBX), a more informal bar and grille with its own menu and live entertainment.  IBX has become a favorite watering hole for locals and visitors alike.

Smithfield Station has remained a family business with sons Randy and Brian joining the ownership and management.  With the two sons now fully involved there seemed no better time than to take on their largest expansion to date.  A brand new 30,000 square foot boutique style hotel and marina complex first began on paper and then slowly rose from the banks of the Pagan.

The Lodge at Smithfield Station was born and opened in July 2007.  The new hotel added many necessities that had been lacking in the original building including an elevator, centralized check in and 22 additional hotel rooms effectively doubling our rooms to a total of 44.  Also thirty six new marina slips were added to help accommodate the need for an expanding marine business.  On the first floor of the new buildings are retail shops that offer everything from a marine store to that perfect little gift to take home to a loved one.

We hope you enjoy your visit to Smithfield.  If we can do anything to make your dining experience more enjoyable, please let us know!

To be continued…..