With the economy shaking at its knees and companies reporting huge second quarter losses, Roanoke proves once again to be recession proof and continues to progress.
Advance Auto Parts, an international auto parts company based in Roanoke, has reported an increase in profits from last years $68.4 million to $75.4 million in the second quarter. Furthermore, in the past few days Advance Auto Parts has hired three new executives, one who will be working in the Roanoke region.
Other industry progress is taking place as well. Carilion Clinic's continued expansion within the region is painting the picture of the future Roanoke. As the cranes keep moving from one building site to another, Carilion and Virginia Tech are also finalizing plans for the new Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine which will be located in the medical empire's Riverside Center. On top of that, Carilion and Virginia Tech are also teaming up with the University of Virginia to develop the Carilion Biomedical Institute (http://www.biomedicalinstitute.com/), a medical research establishment.
Finally, the new Taubman Museum of Art is preparing for its big debut on November 8th. Leading up to the opening night, there will be 40 days and 40 nights of arts and cultural programs hosted by the Art Council of the Blue Ridge. For more information, go to www.4040fest.com.
More will come on this blog about the exploding arts and culture scene. I will also be discussing the rise of the young professionals and their influence on the Roanoke region.
CNN published a report on the new migration of big-city professionals to smaller areas with cheaper costs of living and a less stressful life style. http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/07/28/going.home.ap/index.html
A large portion of the article focuses on the efforts of this area to recruit people leaving large cluster areas; it is called "Return to Roots."
Given modern technology, today's professionals are able to work away from the office, or even relocate their office to other areas. This is a great opportunity for the Roanoke Region. Professionals want a less stressful lifestyle with access to the outdoors, but many a probably hestitant to leave big city amenities. Roanoke has the best of both worlds, and individuals trying to get out of the hectic big city life will find that the Roanoke region best suits their needs.
Also, for people looking for information about the Roanoke region from people who live or have lived here, check out the City-Data.com forums: http://www.city-data.com/forum/roanoke-area/
There are a bunch of people on it daily trying to learn new things about the region, and it should be a helpful resource for finding information about the region.
Oh yeah! The annual downtown Roanoke Peach Festival is this weekend in Elmwood Park! It's peach season baby so come check out the event that draws thousands of people to downtown Roanoke each year!
And, of course, Friday August 1st is the first Friday of the month, so head downtown for live music and drinks at First Friday's at Five! First Friday's is a non-profit social event that raises money and awareness for local charities; so, its pretty much a good cause to come hang out! http://www.firstfridaysroanoke.com/
Have a great weekend and we hope to see you around the Roanoke Region!
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