This week is not only National Economic Development Week, but it’s also a week to celebrate tourism and small businesses, which we have combined into the Week of EXTRA Appreciation! For this reason, we want to take some time to thank our Lynchburg business community for all of their hard work and dedication that helps make this city a vibrant and opportunity-filled place to live.
To All Businesses, Large And Small
Lynchburg’s economy depends on all sizes of business to keep our city’s economy humming. Everything from local retail and entertainment to healthcare and nuclear power characterize the diversity of businesses and opportunities that are present in our city.
Thank You to LYH Small Businesses
Small businesses are a unique workforce for our economy. These mom and pop shops are often creative and fill niche, but necessary, needs in the Lynchburg community. Hubs like the Lynchburg Community Market provide a place for local cafes and artisans to sell their goods, and the Downtown, Route 221 and Wards Road areas are known for businesses such as Gilded, Vector Space, Fifth and Federal, Speakertree, One Way Out Escape Rooms, Given’s Books, Blackwater Bike Shop and nonprofit organizations like the Academy Center of the Arts and Amazement Square. These small, independently owned establishments are a testimony to what can happen when a person takes a dream and dedicates time and hard work to bring it to reality. Additionally, we’re proud to be able to support those who want to begin small businesses with our local business incentives and initiatives and CO.STARTERS entrepreneur class. We take this week to thank the dreamers, entrepreneurs and the employees who keep these small enterprises running. Their tenacity and passion for what they do are truly a vital part of what keeps our economy growing.
Thank You to LYH Medium-Sized Businesses
Many medium-sized businesses (51-499 workers) in Lynchburg have been established for a while, such as Flowers Foods, Belvac, Tessy Plastics, CB Fleet, KDC/One and American Hofmann. These businesses may be larger in scale, but their commitment to staying local and continuing to provide for our community is something we greatly appreciate. It’s partly through medium-sized businesses’ willingness to build or grow in Lynchburg that we find our economy expanding, because they prove that this City is a place ripe with opportunity and leaders willing to commit to our city’s future.
Thank You to Large Businesses
Of course, without large businesses (500+ employees), Lynchburg wouldn’t have the expansive economy it currently enjoys. Tech, manufacturing, healthcare and engineering firms like Delta Star, BWXT, Centra and Framatome provide modern services to the world while providing well paying jobs for our citizens. Beyond these, however, we must also mention Lynchburg’s institutions of higher education—University of Lynchburg, Central Virginia Community College, Randolph College, Liberty University and others—that empower and equip Lynchburg residents and people from beyond our borders to build lives and careers of their own.
We Say Thank You
There are no words that can fully express our appreciation for the many businesses that define our local economy. But here’s what we can say: because of you, our city is resilient with a healthy economy that gives our community a bright future—and for that, we thank you!