News & Notes
New Kitchen Supply Store Opens in Amherst
Ladle & Blade, a marketplace for commercial-grade kitchen tools, opened its first showroom in downtown Amherst last July. The shop, located at 106 East Court St., is the first brick-and-mortar location for this retailer, which until then was operated solely online. Serial entrepreneur and Amherst resident Carl Jackson is the owner and manager. For more information, see page 27.
Hickey Electric Open in Madison Heights
Hickey Electric Heating and Air has relocated from Lynchburg to 4262 South Amherst Hwy., Suite 100, Madison Heights.
The full service electrical and HVAC contractor has been installing, repairing and servicing equipment in Lynchburg area homes and businesses for more than 30 years.
For details on available products, seasonal specials or to schedule services, see page 9.
4th Annual Shopaloosa Fest Held in Madison Heights
Jake and Sarah Ryan held their 4th anniversary music event aka My Guitar Shopaloosa Fest, Sunday August 20th, at their store My Guitar Shop located in the Town and Country Shopping Center in Madison Heights. They raffled two custom pinstriped Jackson guitars by local tattoo artist Jamie Krantz and all the proceeds went to the Amherst County Habitat For Humanity. My Guitar Shopalooza Fest is already planned for the same weekend in August 2018, the Sunday before the Lock’N Festival. It’s Free to the public and always features local bands, local vendors, food trucks, raffles, door prizes, a Loose Shoe beer garden and more!.
Centra Amherst Medical Center Open
The Centra Amherst Medical Center, located in the Ambriar Shopping Center, opened to patients in Dec. 2016. Primary care, imaging and physical therapy are some of the services available at the state-of-the-art facility.
New Hydro-Powered Brewery Coming to the Historic Amherst Mill
The historic Amherst Mill is on track to become the first hydro-powered brewery in the U.S. by summer 2018. The Amherst Milling Company has been an iconic business in the Town of Amherst for over 100 years and is being purchased by Waukeshaw Development, based in Petersburg, Virginia. Waukeshaw intends to preserve the Mill and the bucolic setting and uses the one-of-a-kind property as an outpost for its existing Trapezium Brewing Company. To be called Trapezium West, the Brewers intend to use local ingredients, capture wild yeast for its ales, and retool the historic water wheel for the production of electricity. The main level of the Mill will include a brew house and taproom, with the upper levels preserved for tours of the historic milling equipment. “The Mill will continue to be an amazing asset for Amherst County,” according to Calvin Kennon, EDA Chairman. “Once repurposed, its’ fun and unique personality will be just what the County needs and will become a must-see gathering place. This will bring people to Amherst County and benefit our tourism efforts.” For more information, visit www.waukeshaw.com. Courtesy of Economic Development Authority of Amherst County.
Amherst Business Expanding – Buys Land in the Amelon Commerce Center
Another Amherst business is expanding and has bought a site in the Amelon Commerce Center. David Wall, owner of Affordable Energy Concepts and Wall Construction, chose Amelon Commerce Center because of the affordable price and great location. He intends to build a 7,500 – 10,000 square foot building to house both businesses. The Economic Development Authority of Amherst County has been working with Wall for several months to facilitate their purchase and assist them in accessing local incentives. When asked why he purchased land in the Amelon Commerce Center, Wall explained “I needed to expand, and because of the good purchase price, it made it easier to grow.” For more information on Wall Construction and Affordable Energy Concepts, visit WallConstruction.biz or AffordableEnergyConcepts.com. Courtesy of Economic Development Authority of Amherst County.
Branding and Marketing Plan for Amherst County Unveiled
The unveiling of the Amherst County branding and marketing plan took place last June. Branding is the process of capturing the essence of a product -in this case, Amherst County and its’ communities unique story and character – and promoting it in a compelling way. The Brand will be used to market and promote Amherst County and its communities to new businesses, tourists, new residents, etc.
Over the last several months approximately 400 community members and leaders were engaged through interviews, focus groups, social media, and an online survey, to gather community thoughts on the values and character that make Amherst County a special place and to tell Amherst’s unique story. Courtesy of Economic Development Authority of Amherst County.
Integrated Technology Group Moves to Amherst County
A technology company moved to Amherst County last July, bringing 22 full-time, high-wage jobs. Integrated Technology Group (ITG), a provider of commercial technology solutions to the Central and Southwestern Virginia regions, is moving into a building owned by the Economic Development Authority of Amherst County (EDA) in the Amelon Commerce Center. ITG is a growing company that is looking to expand to new markets and doubles their employee base over the next 5 years. “Gaining a tech company like ITG is a great win for Amherst County. The partnership between the EDA and ITG will provide jobs and economic growth for Amherst for years to come,” said Calvin Kennon, EDA Chairman. Courtesy of Economic Development Authority of Amherst County.
Expanded Services at Riveredge Park
A playground recently was added to the landscape of Riveredge Park, giving Amherst County residents a new family attraction.
Sara Lu Christian, director of Amherst County Recreation and Parks, said the playground has been a collaborative effort thought about for “quite some time.”
“It’s more to attract the community and there’s not a playground in the area,” Christian said.
Christian said since the playground was installed the department has received several phone calls saying residents are “really thrilled and excited” about the addition to the Madison Heights park.
The playground, designed for a variety of ages, is large enough to accommodate a lot of children and is handicap accessible, Christian said.
Riveredge Park now offers the James River Adventures concession, which offers rental opportunities for exploring and enjoying the scenic James River. Canoe and kayak rentals (and optional shuttle service) are offered to people of all skill levels. For more information, call (434) 847-1090 or e-mail rcampbell@jrava.org.
Amherst County Administration Building Addition
The Amherst County Administration building, which is home to the County Administrative offices, School Administration, Health Department and Social Services, has taken on a new addition.
The new addition includes a new Public Meeting Room, several meeting and conference rooms, and the expansion of offices in the lower level to accommodate the growth in staff in the Department of Social Services. The new Public Meeting Room is where all of the Board of Supervisors, School Board and Service Authority meetings will be held.
The new Public Meeting Room features updated technology such as: two projector screens that are full HD, 1 65in 4k ultra HD Smart TV, an audio rack and 2 digital recorders. One digital recorder is for the school board and the other is for the board of supervisors. The two projectors are for the audience and the TV is for the board.
The new addition also includes four conference rooms upstairs that are all available for the public. The public Meeting Room seats 150, the Committee Room seats 10, the Small Meeting Room seats 6 and the Board Room seats 16.
If you would like to book any of these rooms or need more information please call Layney Sandifer at (434 )946-9400.
If you know of something new in Amherst County, please e-mail Dan@AllAmericanPub.net.
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