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…..

Well, now may be the time. Incentive money is currently available to landowners through the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). Recently, a unique funding program was established in southeast Virginia called Tomorrow Woods. The goal of this program is to conserve, establish, and enhance forests, with a focus on productive, private working forests. VDOF’s goal is to work with landowners to protect large blocks of working forests by keeping them intact and unfragmented through the development of an agreement called a conservation easement.

Forest conservation easements protect the ability of current and future landowners to manage their forestland for a sustainable flow of natural goods and services in perpetuity. When donating a conservation easement, landowners are responsible for paying up-front costs including fees for attorneys, appraisal, title search, title insurance, and management plan preparation costs. The Tomorrow Woods program provides funding towards these costs by reimbursing the landowner directly.

The Tomorrow Woods program funding is available to:

• Forest landowners in the counties of Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight, Prince George, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and the City of Suffolk.
• Non-profit organizations that own land.
• Exceptions to the program include investment and timber companies.

In order for landowners to received Tomorrow Woods land conservation funding, a conservation easement must be recorded.

For more information about the program, visit VDOF’s website (http://www.dof.virginia.gov/land/tomorrow-woods.shtml) or contact Rachel Chieppa, Rural Economic Development Manager, at 757-357-6126 or by email at rchieppa@iwus.net.

Lying in a hospital bed reading the local paper whilst recuperating from jaw surgery, Angie Lowry spotted a small advert for a Decorating Den franchise.  That was in the summer of 1989.  Today, after nearly 22 years,  Angie and her husband, Peter have built their decorating franchise into one of the largest and most successful in the country, during which time Angie has received numerous awards for sales and decorating achievements.

Decorating Den Interiors is a full service interior decorating/design company serving both residential and commercial clients, with a wide array of products and services.  Originally starting out forty years ago as only fabrics and wallpaper, the product line has grown to encompass just about every decorating need. Custom window treatments, blinds, shutter and shades; wallcoverings and upholstery; furniture for all rooms in the house, even outdoors; all types of flooring – carpet, wood, laminate, tile and rugs; artwork, lamps and accessories.

Although the office/studio is located on South Church Street in Smithfield, the primary focus of their business is the convenience of having them come to your home or office. Combining talent, creative ideas and an incredible array of brand names, Angie & Peter have been able to satisfy thousands of local clients with their decorating needs.  No job is too big or too small. Sometimes it is just one window, or one room, occasionally a whole house!  Kitchen and bathroom makeovers are their specialty.  The buying power of the national franchise enables Decorating Den Interiors to offer their clients household name brand products at affordable prices with complimentary design services.  Listening to their clients needs, attention to detail and complete client satisfaction are the foundation of their successful business.

Since election day in November 2010 there has been a noticeable upturn in the business. Phones are ringing and new and repeat clients are scheduling appointments.  It would seem that if people have made the decision to stay put in their existing home, they need them to be comfortable and more desirable.

Angie has spent the last twenty-something years living the company bi-line – “Making the world more beautiful one room at a time.”  On any given day you will find Angie driving her logo’d van around town and across the county.  Look for her distinctive license plate – “Deccer8”

Angie & Peter Lowry can be reached at 1607 South Church Street (757-356 -0082). Or you can visit their website at www.decdens.com/deccer8 .

Does your business need help, and you’re not sure who to call?  The Isle of Wight County Department of Economic Development is a resource to County businesses.  We specialize in business retention, which includes outreach and advocacy, expansion and relocation assistance, and business networking and education. If you need help with marketing, financing, workforce, business planning, etc., we can put you in touch with local, regional and state agencies that can address your needs. Please CONTACT US and let us know how we can help your business. MORE

Just because you have a green thumb for growing plants doesn’t mean you can run a successful retail nursery business.  In order to avoid the hiccups of a business start-up, you have to analyze the risks, develop a realistic business plan and proforma, set up a support team that typically includes a CPA, an attorney, a banker and an insurance advisor, maintain liquidity for the “unexpected” and remember to track your progress.  Check out Lauren Harper’s (BB&T) presentation “Top 10 Ways to Avoid Start-Up Hiccups,” which was part of a recent Entrepreneur Express Workshop in Isle of Wight County.