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The Roanoke Region has always been an outdoor wonderland. Did you know that it is an outdoor business center, too? With a rich mix of outdoor amenities and a burgeoning outdoor industry cluster, there is limitless potential for growth.

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Strategic Advantages for Outdoor Business

  • A top East Coast destination for outdoor activities. Check out our outdoor benchmark study which demonstrates the breadth and depth of Roanoke’s outdoor amenities is equal to regions already identified with the outdoors.
  • A culture of outdoor recreation that supports service providers and brand promise alike.
  • Millions are being spent promoting the region’s outdoor image.
  • Two-thirds of the U.S. population within a day’s drive, providing fast, convenient access to your markets.
  • Access to a young, vibrant population. The region has more undergraduate students on a per capita basis than San Francisco, Austin, Boston, and North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
  • Low business costs including construction, logistics, and electricity. The cost of doing business and cost of living are well below national averages.
  • Virginia has the sixth lowest tax burden on new investments in the U.S.
  • Workers comp and unemployment insurance costs are among the lowest in the U.S.
  • Virginia is a right-to-work state.

Perfect Testing Grounds

Build your brand at the crossroads of outdoor amenities in Virginia and the East Coast. For mountain or road biking, hiking or camping, bass or fly fishing, climbing or caving, whitewater or flatwater, Roanoke is your ideal testing ground.

  • More than 21 percent of all land is designated for public recreation.
  • Most visited National Park property in the U.S. – Blue Ridge Parkway.
  • Longest continuously marked footpath in the world – Appalachian Trail.
  • Second largest municipal park in the U.S. – Carvins Cove Nature Preserve.
  • Virginia’s largest lake – Smith Mountain Lake.
  • More than 1,000 miles of trail and 30 miles of greenways.
  • Six state parks.
  • Two major rivers – James and New Rivers.

Signature Events

Marathons, adventure races, bike races, gran fondos, 5Ks, trail runs, river floats, guided hikes, environmental education, triathlons, festivals, and more provide numerous opportunities to connect outdoor users with your brand.

Who’s Here

Supporting employers both large and small, Roanoke offers outdoor companies the right business environment.

Distribution

Manufacturing

Skills Training

Outfitters

Retail

Learn more about the advantages to locating your outdoor business in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.

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