📻 ICYMI: Last week on the 92.5 WINC FM Wake-Up Show, Executive Buddy Rizer outlined Loudoun's business response to COVID-19.
Click to connect to these resources: https://bit.ly/2zc9kwe
→ Information resources for businesses
→ Jobs portal for workers
→ Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown Marketplace to connect consumers and farmers
→ Listing of open restaurants, retail, and services on an interactive map
→ Business Interruption Fund grants
Loudoun Economic Development’s Buddy Rizer checked in with the @925wincfm Wake-Up Show to discuss Loudoun’s robust business response to the COVID-19 health crisis. 🎙 DYK @buddyrizer had a long career in radio before going into business development?
Applications are in and certified for Loudoun’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund. Our Executive Director Buddy Rizer will draw the application numbers for the grant recipients and announce them live. WATCH:
Announcing the 2020 Loudoun Innovation Challenge Winners
Learn the winners of the Loudoun Innovation Challenge alongside Mark Madigan, Economic Development Authority Chairman, as he unseals the envelopes for the first time!
Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, hosts the reveal of this competitive grant. Three runners-up will each receive a $25,000 grant and the winner will be awarded $75,000.
Read more about the winners here: https://bit.ly/2SCwa6R
COVID-19 Business Assistance Teleconference Forum
Calling all Loudoun farms and rural businesses!
We had a great discussion with Tony Buffington, Blue Ridge Supervisor for Loudoun, Supervisor Caleb Kershner and a whole panel of business resource experts who want to help you navigate these difficult times. LISTEN:
Take Loudoun Home: Kicking Off The Recovery
Loudoun Economic Development has joined forces with Visit Loudoun and the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce with an important call to action for consumers: Take Loudoun Home.
The campaign kicks off on the heels of an announcement from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that non-essential businesses will remain closed until May 8. The Take Loudoun Home campaign focuses on both essential businesses that remain open, as well as non-essential businesses that have pivoted to online services.
“Here we had a drum of this stuff, and it met the WHO/CDC guidelines for being a high enough percentage alcohol to be useful as a sanitizer. So that’s what we started out [doing]: giving it away. We had about 55 gallons of it and it was gone in about three days.”
LISTEN at Scott Harris describes Catoctin Creek’s sanitary alcohol evolution: https://bit.ly/2R7L0kS
Buddy Rizer on Loudoun County's COVID-19 Business Response
These are not normal circumstances, but we're here to help your business through the COVID-19 crisis.
Get the latest news and business resources (including SBA loan applications), the ways that you can support Loudoun businesses (including new products and services), and the latest on Loudoun County's response: https://biz.loudoun.gov/covid19/
“Workforce development is key to our mission as a community college.” — Dr. Anne Kress, new President of Northern Virginia Community College
We’re very excited to welcome Dr. Kress to the region, as NVCC plays a key role in our workforce pipeline solutions both now and into the future.
🎥 Hear more about our efforts from our efforts from Executive Director Buddy Rizer and Workforce Analyst Nancy Evanko:
K-Form works with some of the biggest high-tech and defense clients in the region. Here’s a look around their manufacturing space in Sterling, in celebration of Manufacturing Week:
In celebration of Manufacturing Week, we’re touring EIT, which has been based in Loudoun for more than 40 years. Take a look inside:
🎥: Meet Nina and Don Tiaga, the principal owners of FedBiz IT Solutions in Leesburg, one of the fastest growing companies in the US. This is their #LoudounPossible story 📈
Next week marks the release of the 2019 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list. FedBiz IT looks to be on there again—will your business make the cut?
Attract D.C. United ✅
Launch Loudoun United FC ✅
Open Segra Field ✅
Bringing professional soccer to Loudoun County was a HUGE team effort, which means a lot of scissors for today’s ribbon cutting! ✂️ 🎀
We’re thrilled to help Loudoun United FC unveil its official stadium sponsor this morning at our headquarters in Ashburn ⚽️ 🏟
🎥: Meet Paige Critchley, farmer and owner of Paige's Pit Stop - Farm Store & Produce 👩🌾 Located off of Rt. 9 in Waterford, Paige’s Pit Stop provides a necessary outlet for fresh, local food, servicing residents, commuters and visitors in Western Loudoun. Because of her creativity and innovation, Paige has twice expanded her business, providing a market for other Loudoun Farms and small businesses. Keep up the good work! 🥗 🥚 🍎🍓🍠🥩🥓🥛
🎥 Meet Jaideep Ganguli of Fusion Applied in Sterling. Jaideep hails from India and has been in Northern Virginia for 22 years. Fusion Applied located in Loudoun because of the cross-section of tech talent, quality of life, top education, and a bright future:
🎥: Meet Eddie Mason, who came to Loudoun as a linebacker for the 1999 Redskins. After retirement, he started MASE Training, focused on physical and mental strength: “It’s been a blessing to be here since retiring from the Washington Redskins...the future is bright in Loudoun County.”
🎥: Meet Suzanne Eblen, owner of The Old Lucketts Store, coming off of another successful Spring Market. In 1996, Suzanne restored a dilapidated general store from 1879, turning it into a regional center of antique and vintage finds. Here’s why:
🎥: Meet Mike Huber, the founder and CEO of Loudoun’s Belfort Furniture. When he opened for business in 1987, Belfort was the 40,000th furniture store in the country. Today, following huge expansion of his business, following the tremendous growth of Loudoun County, Belfort is in the top-100 furniture stores in the US:
🎥: Meet Tony Passos of @teampassosbjj in Sterling. Passos moved from his hometown of Recife 🇧🇷 to the 🇺🇸 in 2004 where he began teaching Jiu Jitsu. Since then, he has made a name for himself in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community both locally and internationally. Prof. Tony is a third degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who is gifted at coaching and teaching. He personally teaches the academy’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes six days per week. When he is not teaching locally, Prof. Tony conducts seminars and coaches at prominent competitions nationally and internationally throughout the year.
🎥: Meet Khurram Shafique, President of Novateur Research Solutions, who uses Loudoun’s superior quality of life as a workforce attraction tool: “To attract that workforce, it’s important that we live in a place where there’s good education; we have the best schools in the country. It’s also one of the best places to live, according to many rankings, and that is something that we pitch to our talent.”
Small Business Week Visit to 880 Harrison Street
🎥 Leesburg is in the limelight today, as we visit small businesses in preparation for Loudoun Small Business Week 2019! We asked our friends Torge Dennen and Trevor Dearman, co-owners of Leesburg's 880 Harrison coworking space, why they chose to open their doors in Loudoun County:
Loudoun United FC Breaks Ground in Leesburg
Loudoun United FC has broken ground on a new stadium in Leesburg, bringing the county's first professional soccer team one step closer to reality ⚽🥅🏆 Construction begins on 40,000 square feet of office space, four full-sized soccer fields, a 5,000-seat stadium that will be owned by the county, and the creation of 50 new jobs.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/2Dykpoh
Loudoun's Newest Co-Working Space Opens at 880 Harrison St.
We’re so excited to welcome 880 Harrison to Loudoun County! State-of-the-art technology meets comfortable and collaborative co-working space all in the heart of Loudoun County and Leesburg’s HUBZone.
🎦🚜 Opening remarks from Vanessa Wagner, our interim agricultural development officer, to kick off the regional Forum for Sustaining Agriculture! WATCH:
🤝☕️ Every week for more than six years, the 1 Million Cups-Loudoun program has given local entrepreneurs a forum to present their startups to a diverse audience of mentors, advisors, and entrepreneurs. The question from the audience to the presenter is, “how can we help you?”
This is the first stop for many of Loudoun’s successful startups and continues to be an important entry point for many of today’s great business ideas.
Join as every Wednesday at the Mason Enterprise Center - Leesburg/Loudoun:
Loudoun Leads Virginia in Business Growth Again
Rapid business growth is driven by top-notch assets and robust opportunities. We have both in Loudoun: http://bit.ly/2FX19oD
2019 Loudoun Farmer Trading Cards
Farmer Trading Cards are back for 2019, and we're so excited to open nominations up to the public! Nominate your favorite Loudoun farmer before Jan. 25 for consideration in this year's deck: https://biz.loudoun.gov/farmer-cards/
"Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown" Newborn Baby Onesies
Check out the baby onesies given to 100 of Loudoun's newest residents. 2019 babies born in Loudoun have a lot to look forward to, from great employment prospects to farm-fresh food. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2VrphF7
Smart Location. Smart People. Economic development & site selection. ICT, aerospace, defense & government contracting & we love small biz!
