Business
BLK RVA serves as year-round source for celebrating black history and culture in region
While Black History Month may be over, Richmond Region Tourism is reminding the community that the BLK RVA campaign serves as a resource to honor and celebrate Black culture and Black-owned businesses every day of the year.
While Black History Month may be over, Richmond Region Tourism is reminding the community that the BLK RVA campaign serves as a resource to honor and celebrate Black culture and Black-owned businesses every day of the year.
Richmond Region Tourism and a group of community-driven leaders launched BLK RVA in 2019 to develop unique ways to amplify local Black-owned businesses by increasing tourism, engaging regional residents and showcasing spaces that highlight Black excellence.
BLK RVA’s website includes an overview of attractions and historical sites that center the Black experience, as well as Black-owned tourism-related businesses and restaurants in the region.
Earlier this year, BLK RVA welcomed a new group of community leaders to its Advisory Board. The Board provides direction for the program, while helping to grow community involvement and building the BLK RVA brand.
Organizers are committed to launching four local marketing campaigns in 2021 that will spotlight each of BLK RVA’s main pillars: history, community, arts & entertainment, and food & drink.
The first campaign focused on Black history in the region launched last month and included BLK RVA trivia challenges, scavenger hunts at historic attractions, limited edition t-shirts designed by local artist J Ford and visual strategist Shannon Bass, and a section of the website dedicated to historic resources and video content from community leaders. The videos aim to connect viewers to the past, celebrate the present and look toward the future and will release over the coming weeks.
The first two profiles in the series feature Omilade Janine Bell, Elegba Folklore Society’s President and Artistic Director and Free Bangura, Founder & CEO of Untold RVA, Chair of the City of Richmond’s History and Culture Commission, and BLK RVA Advisory Team Co-Chair.
Ryano Graphics, a local communications and design firm, is leading planning and execution for the marketing campaigns.
“We’re creating authentic and thoughtful marketing campaigns that highlight and celebrate the Black experience,” said Tameka Jefferson, Richmond Region Tourism’s Community Relations Manager. “Black contributions to Richmond’s culture dates back centuries, and our restaurants, businesses and legacies continue to thrive in our region. We look forward to rolling out the videos and engaging residents and visitors with the BLK RVA campaign throughout 2021.”
In addition to 2021 marketing programming, BLK RVA is introducing initiatives that build capacity and expertise at Black-owned businesses. The organization has partnered with Capital One to create mentorship programs for Black-owned businesses. BLK RVA also recently hosted a Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (SWaM) certification training in partnership with VCU’s Department of Procurement, the Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity, and the Metropolitan Business League. Part two and three of the SWaM certification training will be hosted in April and May.
“My small business has greatly improved with the resources and support from BLK RVA and the mentorship program with Capital One,” said Keshia Bell-Rainey, owner of Bodies N Motion, LLC. “I have access to great mentors to help with marketing and ideas for creating revenue. I would definitely recommend this program to small Black-owned businesses.”
Organizers are also offering a training course March 15 to help caterers and food service professionals navigate procurement and corporate contracts. Two participating businesses will have a chance to win $2,000 supply stipends to support recovery efforts. Eligible participants must register by March 12 to attend the two-part course.
“By learning and growing from industry experts, local Black entrepreneurs will be able to arm themselves with the skills needed to recover, rebuild and thrive,” added Jefferson.
BLK RVA received national recognition last December when The New York Times featured Omilade Janine Bell and the Elegba Folklore Society in Five Kwanzaa Celebrations Around the Country.
In January, BLK RVA collaborated with Nomadness, an award-winning lifestyle brand that supports underrepresented demographics in mainstream travel, for two well-received panel sessions during the virtual Audacity DIGI 4 event that showcased Richmond. The “BLK RVA: Why Richmond needs to be on your radar!,” session featured videos highlighting BLK RVA and Richmond’s artistic landscape that continues to evolve in response to the social justice movement, comments from Enjoli Moon about the region and campaign, and remarks from Hamilton Glass about the Mending Walls mural project.
Richmonder Melody Short also participated in the panel discussion, “Keeping Small Businesses Alive” giving an overview of the Richmond Night Market and the Jackson Ward Collective.
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Grit Coffee is now serving customers from the ground floor of The Otis, the new mixed-use development in Scott’s Addition.
Business
Short Pump Kroger hosts grand reopening for remodeled store
Improvements include an integrated natural and organic foods with similar products, an expanded adult beverage section, and new floors.
On Wednesday, April 19th, the Kroger store in Short Pump hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a renovation at its store located at 11895 W. Broad Street.
To mark the occasion, Henrico County Supervisor Tommy Branin made remarks, and Henrico Economic Development Authority Executive Director Anthony Romanello and staff attended, along with Kroger Mid-Atlantic leadership and store associates.
To honor the renovation’s grand opening, Kroger handed out $5 gift cards for the first 100 customers and offered 20 cents off fuel. That continues through Saturday.
At the event, Kroger Mid-Atlantic announced a $4,500 donation to Keep Virginia Cozy, an organization with a mission to protect wilderness and inspire all Virginians to care for our wild places.
Improvements include an integrated natural and organic foods with similar products, an expanded adult beverage section, and new floors.
“We are pleased to offer our Short Pump customers an enhanced store with more convenient shopping options,” said James Menees, corporate affairs manager for Kroger Mid-Atlantic. “We are thankful for our customers’ continued support throughout the renovation.”
Business
LEGO breaks ground on new Chesterfield manufacturing facility
The LEGO Group on Thursday broke ground on its new carbon-neutral run factory in Chesterfield County. This is a US $1 billion investment in the company’s long-term growth globally and the first American manufacturing facility for the company.
The LEGO Group on Thursday broke ground on its new carbon-neutral run factory in Chesterfield County. This is a US $1 billion investment in the company’s long-term growth globally and the first American manufacturing facility for the company.
Once completed in 2025, the 340 acres site, the size of 260 American football fields, will have rooftop and ground solar panels and an on-site 35-40 MW solar plant, generating the equivalent of the energy needed to power approximately 10,000 American homes. The LEGO Group’s ambition is for the solar plant to match the total annual energy requirements of the site.
The site will be designed to support the company’s sustainability ambitions, including reducing its absolute global carbon emissions by 37 percent by 2032. It will use the latest energy-efficient production equipment while buildings and manufacturing processes are designed to minimize energy use.
Carsten Rasmussen, Chief Operations Officer of the LEGO Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to mark the beginning of construction here in Virginia. We are grateful for the fruitful collaboration we have had with all partners across the Commonwealth of Virginia who share and support our ambition to build this factory.
“We are working hard to reduce emissions at the LEGO Group and are really excited about our plans to build this solar plant as we push towards a better world for our children to inherit.
“Our new site will allow us to inspire millions of children across the Americas through play, and we can’t wait to get started.”
To celebrate the groundbreaking, the LEGO Group revealed it will officially ramp up its community investments by providing over US $1 million to charitable organizations that support local children from disadvantaged backgrounds with learning through play programs.
This donation is above and beyond the US $300,000 provided in support of the Children’s Museum of Richmond and the Science Museum of Virginia in 2022 as part of the ongoing LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network initiative.
Carsten Rasmussen said: “We are honored to have been so warmly welcomed by the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are committed to making a meaningful contribution to the community and giving children opportunities to realize their potential. We look forward to working with local partners and organizations to support initiatives that inspire kids.”
Other recipients of the donation provided in collaboration with the LEGO Foundation will be announced in the Summer.
Children of the greater Richmond area will also have a say in the site’s development. In March, the LEGO Group invited 250 children to share their ideas for making the land around the factory buildings welcoming to animals, plants, and visitors.
Built with LEGO bricks, their ideas ranged from building trees for flying squirrels and birds to fitting plants with cameras to enable visitors to observe the area’s biodiversity live and in color. The children’s boundless creativity will inspire the final landscaping design in 2025.
The LEGO Group is currently recruiting up to 500 people to join a temporary packing facility due to open in the first half of 2024. Once the main factory is fully operational, it will employ 1,760 highly skilled workers responsible for operating state-of-the-art molding, processing, and packing machinery.
The company is participating in the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program to raise awareness in the local talent market of current and future roles.
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