Franklin County Office of Economic Development

09/15/2026

VBR Restaurant Week is happening NOW! 🎉

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge Restaurant Week is running from September 12-20, and there are a couple of participants located right here in Franklin County, VA!

With Restaurant Week in full swing, it’s a great time to try something new and show some love to our local restaurants! Whether you’re planning a quick lunch, dinner with friends, or a night out, every meal is an opportunity to support the businesses that make our community a great place to live and visit. 🍴

👉 Visit our website to read more about the participating restaurants here and across the region!
https://www.visitroanokeva.com/vbr-restaurant-week/
https://www.yesfranklincountyva.org/271/VBR-Restaurant-Week

09/10/2026

Celebrate the past, present, and future of manufacturing in Southern Virginia! 🏭

Join more than 200+ manufacturers, business leaders, educators, economic development professionals, and community partners for The State of Manufacturing: A Southern Virginia Perspective, a premier Manufacturing Month event highlighting the industry’s impact and future in our region.

Event Details:
📅 October 9
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 West Piedmont Higher Education Center | 191 Fayette Street, Martinsville

Join industry leaders and innovators to celebrate Southern Virginia’s manufacturing heritage, showcase where the industry is today, and explore what’s ahead.

🔗 Learn More & Register: https://wphed.org/event/the-state-of-manufacturing-a-southern-virginia-perspective-mfd26/

09/09/2026

The West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) is updating its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and is seeking input from residents, businesses, and community partners across the region.

The CEDS serves as a regional roadmap for economic growth and community development, helping identify priorities that can support job creation, stronger economies, improved quality of life, and future investment opportunities. Community input is an important part of making sure the updated strategy reflects the needs, challenges, and opportunities of the region.

The survey is now open, and your feedback can help guide the region’s economic priorities for years to come!

🔗 Take the survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=sbEKZEsaXkycw7xBRJawR8gco8i1xBxNnlYQbcsKfL1UOEtUODQwOFRPSkFSVEo3WVVPNlI1VlBBUi4u&route=shorturl

The planning process is expected to continue through early 2027, with final adoption anticipated in the spring.

09/08/2026

Join manufacturing professionals from across the Commonwealth for the Virginia ManufacturHER Conference, a one-day event hosted by Virginia Western Community College celebrating the impact women have made on the manufacturing industry. 🏗️

Attendees will have the opportunity to network, learn, and grow while exploring critical topics affecting manufacturing today. The conference will feature keynote speaker Patricia Davidson, Deputy Secretary of Labor for the Commonwealth of Virginia, along with breakout sessions, a gourmet lunch, and vendor walk. Come connect with others from across Virginia and celebrate the women making an impact in manufacturing!

Event Details:
📅 October 9, 2026
🕗 Registration & Networking: 8:00 – 9:00 AM
🎤 Conference: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
📍 Virginia Western Community College

Registration Pricing:
• Conference: $225
• Groups of 5 or more: $175 per person
• Vendor Walk: $125

Registration closes on September 25!
🔗 Learn More: https://virginiawestern.augusoft.net/connect/ClassInfo/ClassInformation?int_class_id=8127&int_category_id=6&int_sub_category_id=123&int_catalog_id=0

09/04/2026

AI is becoming an essential tool for small businesses—and now there's a new program to help you get started!

OpenAI has launched the ChatGPT for Small Businesses Program, bringing together AI tools, educational resources, webinars, and in-person workshops designed to help business owners work smarter and grow with confidence. Whether you're looking to streamline daily tasks, improve marketing, manage operations, or explore new ways to grow your business, this program offers practical guidance you can use right away.

Program Highlights:
💻 Hands-on webinars with live demos and Q&A sessions
🤝 In-person Small Business AI Academies
📚 Free resources, customer stories, and interactive guides
⚙️ Practical AI workflows for everyday tasks

Interested? Join an upcoming webinar to learn how AI can help you turn ideas into finished work, automate tasks, and accomplish more with your existing team!

🔗 Learn more and register: https://webinar.openai.com/small-business/chatgpt-work/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=marketo&utm_campaign=EML-chatgpt_for_smb

09/02/2026

The Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD) is seeking input from entrepreneurs and small business owners through the 2026 Virginia Small Business Survey.

As part of Governor Spanberger’s Comprehensive Economic Development Policy, the survey will help identify the challenges, opportunities, and needs of small businesses across the Commonwealth. Feedback will help inform future policies, programs, and legislative priorities designed to support Virginia’s small business community.

Whether you’re just getting started or have been serving customers for years, your perspective can help state leaders better understand what businesses need to grow, compete, and thrive. Help ensure the needs and experiences of our region’s small businesses are represented!

📅 Survey Deadline: September 11, 2026
🔗 Take the survey: https://sbsd.virginia.gov/2026-survey/?cid=1CtE3z_VtdEfEuDRa5ZVhg3z2MJsCsR6vpOlMhXPwXsgH_wpj5TyharWu1vNfV8Aox6mjgVDvBkoPgEDpeJnbn_7xvVF0vdaxzJTNMrXZuVo=

09/01/2026

September is here, and so is the latest Franklin County Economic Development Newsletter! 🍂

This month’s edition is packed with updates, celebrations, resources, and opportunities from across Franklin County, including:

📊 The Economic Development FY 2026 Annual Report
🏆 Franklin County business milestone recognitions
✂️ Highlights from recent small business ribbon cuttings
💡 Resources, training, and events from our partner programs
📣 Opportunities to share your input and help shape the future of our economy

Whether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, community partner, or simply interested in Franklin County’s continued growth, there’s plenty to explore in this month’s edition!

📩 Read the September newsletter here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Economic-Development---September-2026-Update.html?soid=1139819836528&aid=Jtuk_eD2ulA

Want future updates delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe directly through the newsletter to stay connected each month!

Email from Franklin County, VA   September 2026 We’re proud to share the Franklin County Economic Development FY 2026 Annual Report, highlighting a year of growth, collaboration and opportunity across

08/31/2026

The Roanoke Regional Chamber’s next installment of Good Morning VBR is coming up on September 9 in Rocky Mount, bringing together regional leaders and the business community for a morning of updates, conversation, and connection.

Hear directly from regional representatives as they share what’s happening in their communities and discuss key developments in economic growth, infrastructure, workforce, education, and community initiatives.

This Good Morning VBR session will feature updates from the following locality representatives:
• Steve Sandy, County Administrator – Franklin County
• Holland Perdue, Mayor – Town of Rocky Mount
• Nathan McClung, Asst. Director of Planning & Zoning – Town of Vinton
• Rich Evans, Capital Project Manager – Botetourt County
• Doug Blount, Deputy County Administrator – Roanoke County
• Joe Cobb, Mayor – City of Roanoke
• And a representative from the City of Salem

Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, September 9
🕗 8:00 – 9:15 AM
📍 Harvester Performance Center | Rocky Mount, VA

Light refreshments will be provided, with opportunities to network before and after the program. Join the conversation and stay connected to the priorities and progress moving our region forward!

🔗 Learn More & Register: https://business.roanokechamber.org/community-calendar-list/Details/good-morning-vbr-september-2026-1874235?sourceTypeId=Hub

08/28/2026

New funding is coming to support Virginia’s local food and agriculture infrastructure!

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will open its Fall Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Infrastructure Grant round on September 14.

The program provides reimbursable grants of up to $50,000 for eligible capital projects supporting Virginia agriculture and local food systems, including:
🥕 Farmers’ markets and food hubs
🍽️ Commercial kitchens
🥩 Meat, dairy, and produce processing facilities
📦 Packaging and other value-added facilities

Applications must be submitted by an eligible locality or public entity, so local farmers, food producers, and organizations with potential projects are encouraged to connect with our economic development team to best explore partnership opportunities.

Grant Details:
📅 Applications Open: September 14
⏰ Deadline: October 30 at 5:00 PM
💰 Funding: Up to $50,000

🔗 Learn more: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml

08/27/2026

Your voice can help shape the future of Southwest Virginia!

Friends of Southwest Virginia has launched Destination Southwest Virginia, a regional initiative focused on strengthening the economy by building on the region's tourism, outdoor recreation, arts, culture, and heritage assets.

Community input will help guide a 10-year strategic plan for future investment, collaboration, and destination development across Southwest Virginia. If you live, work, or do business here in Franklin County, we encourage you to share your Southwest Virginia perspective by taking the community survey. Together, we can help shape a stronger future for our region!

🔗 Take the survey: www.destinationswva.org

The survey is open through mid-September. Please consider sharing it to help ensure voices from across our region are represented!