BERRYVILLE, VA (April 1, 2021) For more than 40 years, Cochran’s Lumber has produced fine reclaimed and newly milled hardwood flooring in its 60,000-square-foot facility in the Clarke County Industrial Park in Berryville. It has an excellent reputation, but like many independent businesses, it aims to grow in the right direction. To that end, Cochran’s Lumber recently received guidance from a unique program offered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and the National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG).
Virginia’s Economic Gardening program provides qualifying companies access to custom resources, data analytics, and other tools to identify and resolve distinct growth challenges that traditional business assistance and incentives do not address. Over the course of six to eight weeks, professionals work with businesses to develop strategic growth plans, identify new markets, and refine business models.
The Economic Gardening program is free for qualifying business owners.
“From our first meeting to our closing call, we gained beneficial marketing research knowledge, and we were given access to many tools that will help Cochran’s Lumber and our new company, Sawmill Designs, grow in size and market strength,” said General Manager Ben Cochran. “As a small family-owned business that supplies quality hardwood flooring and wood accessories to clients throughout the United States, Cochran’s Lumber understands the need for staying informed of market trends and potential geographical growth areas. Without a doubt, the information we received [through the Economic Gardening program] has given us valuable market insight to aid our decision-making.”
Economic Gardening is an entrepreneurial approach to economic development that aims to grow a local economy from within. The premise is that local entrepreneurs create the companies that attract new wealth and economic growth in the form of jobs, increased revenue, and a vibrant local business sector. Economic Gardening focuses on growing and nurturing local businesses rather than hunting for “big game” outside the area.
The National Center for Economic Gardening (NCEG) was established in the late 1980s to help states, regions, and communities set up and run Economic Gardening programs. VEDP was created in 1995 by the Virginia General Assembly to encourage, stimulate, and support development and expansion of the Commonwealth’s economy.
“Working with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership is extremely beneficial,” said Felicia Hart, Clarke County’s director of economic development and tourism. “The knowledge, resources, and staff support it provides to localities like Clarke and its businesses delivers an end product that most business owners simply could not afford on their own.”
VEDP works with local economic development offices to help companies confirm eligibility and answer questions before beginning the application process. Clarke County businesses that want to be considered for this program should contact Hart at fhart@clarkecounty.gov. Companies accepted into the program begin an engagement period of about two months. VEDP covers all costs. (Retail, restaurant establishments, and local service providers such as accounting, legal, and staffing firms do not qualify for this program.)
Find more information about Virginia’s statewide Economic Gardening program at vedp.org. Learn more about the National Center for Economic Gardening at economicgardening.org.
For more information about business resources and opportunities in Clarke County, contact Director of Economic Development and Tourism Felicia Hart at (540) 955-5107 or fhart@clarkecounty.gov.
