Tom Bishop reports on the progress of the Patrick County Chamber
January 7, 2008
At the Annual Chamber Banquet, January 4, 2008, Tom Bishop reported on the progress for the year 2007.
New Membership Growth:
End of 2005= 58% (189)
End of 2006= 30% (246)
End of 2007= 20%
Membership now stands at 295
NEW BUSINESS EXPANSION:
• New multimillion dollar lodge, restaurant, observatory now under construction at Primland Resort. This will be a resort class facility.
• Primland’s Highland Golf Course rated top course in Golf Digest magazine for those $75 or more.
• Results of Stuart (call center) has continued expansion with the addition of new jobs.
• New Surrey Bank and Trust office in Stuart, due for 1st Quarter opening
• Wendy’s Restaurant ground breaking this month
• Construction project underway for new residential community in Stuart-Laurel Landing
• Expansion at Aerial Machine and Tool, Vesta-added jobs
• Proliferation of DSL, high speed Internet in Patrick County by Embarq Corporation. Various projects will be completed in 1st Quarter of this year.
• These are just a few examples
New businesses:
• New Real Estate company in Stuart.
• New Rental storage unit at Spoon Creek
• New Christmas Tree farm opened at Meadows of Dan
• New graphic design company
• New news magazine at Meadows of Dan- The Laurel Lea
• New business promoting the Star Pavilion Tent and Bose Sound System
• Other New home based businesses
At the Chamber:
• High degree of popularity of the Dick & Willie Collector mugs and ornaments. Exceeded our expectations.
• Represented Patrick County at the following festivals and events:
 Martinsville Trade Show
 Strawberry Festival – Stuart
 Covered Bridge Festival – Woolwine
 Fourth of July Car Show-Stuart
 Kibler Valley River Run – Claudville
 Peach Festival and Folk Fair – Stuart and Meadows of Dan
 Patrick County Fair-Stuart
 Civil War Reenactment – Ararat
 Seniors Health Fair – Stuart
 EMI Security Conference – Bassett
Continued to fulfill Visitor information requests ranging from 10-20 packets mailed per month.
Hosted a meeting with Gov. Tim Kaine in March at the Star Theatre
The Chamber played a key role in promoting the Job Fair in April along with other sponsoring agencies.
Our Blue Ridge Visitor Center at Meadows of Dan continues to be a critical place to promote our County. We are assisting people from over 40 states and numerous foreign countries. The center is strategically located at the “Gateway to the Blue Ridge� which has tremendous impact on our local economy.
We have partnered with the media to advertise what we do at little or no cost to the Chamber. This includes new advertisements:
 The Laurel Lea-Meadows of Dan and surrounding communities
 Fun Facts Radio-24 hr. Internet based radio station
 Piedmont Magazine-serving parts of NC and Southern VA
 The Big Blue Magazine-serving the Blue Ridge Plateau
 Cooperative advertising with the Blue Ridge Car Show, the Fall Car Show, and the Patrick Co. Music Association
News concerning the Virginia Peach Festival Program for 2008:
• General Johnson and the Chairmen of The Board will be our premier band for this year’s festival
• We have a newly designed advertisement in the 2008 Travel Guide, see page 199 advertising the Virginia State Peach Festival. (copies available in the lobby)