Biz Talk - Business Blog Roanoke and Beyond

Roanoke, VA - The Clean and Green Business Coalition will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at Orvis on Campbell Avenue, to announce the emissions target set out by its members. The Coalition has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from each business' operation by a total of 20 percent over a period of five years (at 4 percent per year).

"The purpose of the Business Coalition is to provide leadership across all sectors in the region. By setting goals that are double the community standard, we are making a significant commitment to the greening of the Roanoke Valley," says Stan Breakell, president of Breakell Inc., one of the Coalition's charter members.

In March, a number of Roanoke's top employers and businesses joined efforts to create the coalition. Co-chaired by City Council Member Gwen Mason and Stan Breakell, the Coalition's mission is to identify and implement environmentally sound business practices, including the development of sustainable business plans, the tracking of carbon emissions, and recycling.
"As an employer in the Roanoke Valley and a provider of a green energy source, natural gas, we believe it is important for our company to take a leadership role in protecting the environment. Not only are we taking steps within our company, we encourage our employees to be conscious of the environment in their personal lives as well," says Dale Lee, vice-president and secretary at RGC Resources.

By joining the city in monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, encouraging green planning, and practicing conservation responsibly in business routines and processes, the private sector is
demonstrating true leadership in environmental stewardship.

Member companies of the Coalition include:
Berglund Chevrolet
Breakell Inc.
Carilion Clinic
Fralin and Waldron
Gentry Locke Rakes and Moore
HSMM AECOM
J.M. Turner Company
Lanford Brothers Co. Inc.
Orvis
RGC Resources
SunTrust Bank
Steel Dynamics
Virginia Western Community College

For more information about the press conference, please contact Faye Gilchrist in the City Manager's Office at 853-5801.

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Watch this video to see Roanoke's Carbon Footprint.

And here are 8 Simple Steps to make your business environmentally friendly.

The skies reflected the array of spotlights shining on the new Taubman Museum of Art as it opened it's doors to the public this month.  What a beautiful site as you drive down I-581 and glance to the city and see this magnificent contemporary building housing Roanoke's new Art Museum.

This area has never seen anything like this before. Dave Trinkle wrote A Great Day for Roanoke saying this was a "great example of a wild vision becoming a reality in our city".  Met with many varied opinions, from those who hate it to those who tolerate it to the many who love it. Regardless of your opinion you cannot deny the fact that it will have an impact on the Roanoke Valley.  Bringing in people from all around the world, from artist to collectors to those fascinated with the world of art, they will all be greeted with the warm and friendly hospitality this valley offers. These visitors will spend their money here as they dine, shop and lodge in our beautiful city.  They will return to their homes where they will share their photos and memories and encourage others to visit this city in SW Virginia that houses one of the finest museums in this part of the country.

Congratulations to the Taubman Museum of Art, the City of Roanoke and to all those who made it happen!

Valley Business FRONT launched in October 2008 with rave reviews from the business community. Dan Smith and Tom Field formerly of the Blue Ridge Business Journal have created a relevant easy to read monthly publication for the Roanoke NRV business communities.

The November issue features a discussion about one of the hottest topics in the world of marketing - Blogging.  Local bloggers are interviewed as they tell the various ways area businesses are using blogs.  And to back up the article, both Dan and Tom are also blogging.

With the economic downturn, local business people are looking for effective, affordable ways to promote their businesses.  Social media fits this criteria and there is definitely a strong local interest. VWCC Workforce Development Fresh Connect recently held a workshop where they had a full house for it's session on the Power of Social Media for Business.  

Stuart Mease gets it! In his recent blog post he pointed out the need for the region to use social media to showcase the area and attract and retain young adults.

To further demonstrate the interest locally in Social Media, a specific group has been created on Facebook.  SW VA Social Media Connect was launched one month ago as a resource for local businesses on social media. It has already grown to 178 members and continues to grow weekly. 

Optimized Strategies will be launching a series of How To Workshops on Business applications for social media networking sites FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn.