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West Virginia Hive Hosting August 6 Coffee Talks Session in Lewisburg
The West Virginia Hive is teaming up with Ascend WV Greenbrier Valley to host its next Coffee Talks networking session.
Beckley, W.Va. (September 8, 2023) – The West Virginia Hive, the entrepreneurial arm of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA), secured a $99,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program that will finance phase one renovations to 111 Main Street in Beckley for additional business incubation and retail space.
Judy Moore, executive director of the WV Hive and deputy director of NRGRDA, said once all phases of the project have been completed, more than 11,000 square feet of space on Main Street will be available to entrepreneurs participating in the WV Hive’s Accelerator Expansion initiative.
Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold and the City Council have already made considerable investment into the building that can be counted as match toward the overall project. Upon construction completion, the City will be leasing the space to the West Virginia Hive for retail and incubation space. “This small business accelerator center will not only offer space for entrepreneurs but will also create jobs and attract more people to downtown Beckley,” Rappold said. “This is a wise investment for the city and beneficial to the region. We knew the donation of this building to the City would help spark new life into our downtown.”
Moore said as soon as phase one renovations are complete 2,500 square feet of Main Street storefront space will be available for four business offices and 12 retailers. She said work will begin as soon as permitting and contractor schedules are completed. The renovation is scheduled to be finished within two years. Additional renovations and expansions will come in phases two through four. Once all phases have been completed, more than 11,000 square feet of space will be operational.
The optimum goals of the USDA grant (within three years of opening the space for occupancy), according to Moore, call for the WV Hive to assist in the creation of 12 new businesses resulting in 18 jobs. Additionally, the WV Hive will continue serving entrepreneurs across the region by offering retail space for 60 businesses to test products, various business-related courses for 125 participants, and other entrepreneur-related assistance for 225 participants.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and Ryan Thorn, West Virginia’s State Director of USDA Rural Development, announced $14,860,642 in grants on August 31 for 13 projects, which will build economic prosperity across West Virginia.
Other significant USDA grants that will benefit the NRGRDA region include:
The WV Hive was created in 2016 with funding provided by an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant. Moore said the physical location of this project is in Raleigh County; however, WV Hive serves a much broader region and includes Raleigh, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell, Logan, and Mingo counties. Of these counties, eight are distressed, three are at-risk, and two are transitional counties.
The West Virginia Hive is teaming up with Ascend WV Greenbrier Valley to host its next Coffee Talks networking session.
The West Virginia Hive is conducting a community conversation on inclusive capital access from 1-2:30 p.m. June 25, at The Loft, 1123 Mercer Street in Princeton, W.Va. The event is free to those who register.
The West Virginia Hive Network is hosting its 2nd Annual Network and Resource Fair, set for Thursday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Historic Black Knight Conference Center, 2400 South Kanawha Street, Beckley, W.Va.
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