Spotlight FRONT’n About

Gene Marrano

Summit View welcomes tenants >

Stik-Pak Solutions, a contract packaging company at the Summit View Business Park in Franklin County, has cut the ribbon on their new 10-million-dollar, 50,000 square foot building. “We are so glad that they have chosen Summit View as the new location for their home. As they continue to grow and expand, we look forward to bright things ahead,” said Chris Whitlow, the Franklin County Administrator. “It’s a symbol of the potential for Summit View Business Park, but also the Roanoke Region,” noted Roanoke Regional Partnership executive director John Hull at the ribbon cutting. “It’s a great investment that’s [prompting] more lead generation and more opportunities. It’s a testimony to what this region can do to support development.”

The other tenant at the 550-acre park just off US 220 between Boones Mill and Rocky Mount - the Valley Star Credit Union headquarters was expected to cut another ribbon in late August. Sixty people are currently employed at the Stik-Pak facility. Still under development, the 550-acre Summit View Business Park in Franklin County will eventually feature recreation amenities like trails and event space.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” said Kennon Marshall, the CEO for Stik-Pak Solutions. “A lot of support from the community; the quality of the employees we’re getting in Franklin County is just amazing. I never thought I’d be blessed with the quality of the employees I’m getting right now.” Marshall is a second-generation CEO. Stik-Pak Solutions is a contract packaging firm and relocated to Franklin County from Pennsylvania over a decade ago.

Gene Marrano

FloydFest returns with a bang in late July >

“After surviving and navigating a year off, our goals were to host a safe event, facilitate healing and catharsis through live music and art, and to bring back a sense of community and humanity for our family of FloydFest patrons, both old and new,” wrote Sam Calhoun, Chief Operating Officer, FloydFest/ Across-the-Way Productions, Inc./Blue Cow Arts in an e-mail to Valley Business FRONT. “We are thankful for the support of our patrons, staff, volunteers, vendors and artists, who both entrusted and energized us to get back to doing what we do best: host extraordinary live-music experiences.”

Jordan Sokel with Pressing Strings, out of Annapolis Maryland, said after their main stage gig at this year’s FloydFest that it was “awesome. We’ve had such a good time at this festival. It’s really cool, really well run. It seems like they are fresh on it. We’ve been trying to get on [to FloydFest] for a long time. Finally [co-founder] Kris Hodges became aware of us and asked us to come out and play”

There were rumors about having to relocate with a 20-year lease up for renegotiation, but adds Sam Calhoun, “as we began planning and preparation for FloydFest 2022 and beyond, I can assure you that we’re not going anywhere, and that we plan to be a cornerstone of the Southwest Virginia — and national — music scene for at least the next two decades. Right now, we’re poring over patron survey feedback and critiques in order to fine tune our event, and developing programming, art, tickets, logistics and a theme for our November 1, announcement of FloydFest 2022. ‘Onward’ has been our mantra for the past two years [with a COVID hiatus in 2020), and we’re up for the challenges that lie ahead, no matter what may come. This is what we do, and we are grateful to be able to do it in this region.”