Danville foundation awards $912,000 to business development center
Denice Thibodeau
Carolyn Evans, left, chair of the Danville Regional Foundation board of directors; William Pritchett, chair of the Dan River Business Development Center board of directors; and Linda Hutson Green, president of DRBDC, were all smiling after a Wednesday announcement that the foundation had awarded $912,000 to the DRBDC to help it increase its capacity to help entrepreneurs in Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C.
The Danville Regional Foundation has awarded the Dan River Business Development Center $912,000 to help it expand its programs to help new businesses succeed.
Carolyn Evans, chair of the board of directors for the foundation, said the award will help the non-profit organization expand its broadband infrastructure and the programs it offers small businesses and start-ups.
The award will be disbursed over three years, Evans said during the announcement Wednesday afternoon at DRBDC.
William Pritchett, chair of the DRBDC board of directors, said the business incubator was the first joint economic development project Danville and Pittsylvania County worked on, and noted that it has paid off by helping emerging businesses succeed. Businesses that have worked with the DRBDC have been responsible for $58 million in capital investments in the region, Pritchett said.
The center provides affordable office space as well as conference rooms, a library and other services all of the tenants share as well as providing training programs that teach entrepreneurs how to cope with all the rules and regulations new businesses must cope with.
Many businesses, small and large, entered their various markets in this region through the DRBDC, including MidAtlantic Broadband, Danville Driving School and Swedwood — all DRBCD graduates — and current tenants, which include Southside Business Technology Center, A Movable Feast and eVince magazine. Affiliate tenants include Donnachaidh and Piedmont BioProducts.
Linda Hutson Green, president of DRBDC, said tenants have generated “$233 million in revenue in the last five years alone.”
Lascelles James, director of Danville operations for Southside Business Technology Center, said the business has been at DRBDC since October 2008. The Danville location is an expansion of the company, which began in Martinsville in 2005 — an expansion also made possible by a grant from the Danville Regional Foundation.
“This is a nice facility and the other tenants are nice to work with,” James said, adding that the company provides feasibility studies, market research, competitor analysis and other services to businesses.
“We’re kind of unique,” James said. “We’re a non-profit providing services for clients who are for-profit.”
Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders said he is happy to see the city-county partnership project get the award.
“The Dan River Business Development Center has meant so much for our region,” Saunders said. “The $900,000 will do even more to build upon what is already started in our region. I’m very pleased to see this major investment in the DRBDC, which will continue to speak well of our region.”
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Reader Reactions
How convenient that this story did not contain information on how a new business could apply for some of this grant money. As usual, this grant is just something this foundation can use to support entrepreneurs in ways that do not consist of money, but things that the average entrepreneur already know or can find out on their own. What good is telling someone HOW to do something, when they lack financial support?
Pritchett is nearly useless as a county supervisor. He was elected only because a district was gerrymandered to create a black majority, which he hasn’t served. Take a look at the roads in his districts, snow removal, etc. Always last. He likes to have his picture taken, but can’t be bothered to do useful work, like attending the Monday night meeting of subcommitte he’s on, which met to work on the critical shortage of EMS services in parts of this county. Maybe if there’s been a photographer there…
Maybe some of this money can be used to help Centra locate here. That is if Lifepoint doesn’t manage to somehow keep them out.
Hmmmm… maybe some of this money could have been put aside to help the people of Danville pay these huge electric bills. Have you noticed that any mention of that has been taken off this web site.. Innnteresting…
This ain’t worth what it cost to produce the Danville Regional Foundation—a decent hospital for our community!
This is money from the sale of The Memorial Hospital, built by the community and sold for a profit.
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