Onward NRV Hosts Tour for Site Consultants

NEW RIVER VALLEY, VA – With the help of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Onward New River Valley completed a familiarization tour for three site consultants last Wednesday May 23rd, which focused on the theme “Automotive and Automated.”

In order to make the visit as convenient as possible, VEDP was able to fly the consultants in to the NRV just for the day.

The tour started with a visit to the Volvo Trucks Customer Experience Center where guests heard presentations from Marcus Thompson and Bobby Compton. This visit featured a unique experience: the chance to of drive a semi-truck on the closed test track. This stop on the tour concluded with lunch and a regional presentation by Executive Director Charlie Jewell.

The visitors then moved to TORC Robotics for a brief presentation from CEO Michael Fleming and a ride in Asimov, a self-driving car.

Next, the tour headed over to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to tour the Virginia Smart Roads with Andy Schaudt, Project Director for Automated Vehicle Systems at VTTI.

Visitors finished the day with a brief tour of Lane Stadium and the Virginia Tech athletics facilities, for something extra fun.

Each consultant received a book with comprehensive information for: regional demographics, communities in the NRV, each stop of the tour, workforce and talent data, NRV targeted industries, and more. That book can be viewed here! Onward NRV also showed appreciation for the visit with gifts that represented each county/city in the NRV.

Virginia’s New River Valley: For those searching for an inspiring place to live and do business, Virginia’s New River Valley provides both an eclectic small town atmosphere and an innovative, collaborative business community with a loyal, highly skilled, and educated workforce. Offering the best of all worlds – magnificent mountains, cutting-edge research, arts, entertainment, and education – it’s A NATURAL FIT.

Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.