2023 September/October Issue
What’s the Status of Coastal Virginia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem?
The dialog was flowing at this summer’s HR Chamber-Strome Business Series panel discussion, “Developing an...
A Personal Touch in a Digital Age
Small Business Spotlight | Jacobson Fine Papers & Gifts In an era of email and...
She’s Got the Power: Selma Spratley
One summer while a student at Hampton University, Selma Spratley got a part-time job that...
Perspectives on Coastal Virginia’s Small Business Scene
From your favorite ice cream shop to your local auto shop, small businesses provide the...
Progress & Preservation: Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc
Small Business Spotlight | Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc. What may appear to the untrained...
Billy Foster: Finding Comfort in Community Banking
GUEST COLUMN By Billy Foster As a community bank, we’re well aware of the conversations...
Taking on the Affordable Housing Crisis
Across the country, in places both urban and rural, principals, teachers, even school bus drivers...
Brick and Mortar Isn’t Dead, Not by a Long Shot
In short, retail is about to get a lot less bifurcated. Some of the most...
Biophilic Design Blurring Boundaries
If the terms “biophilia” and “biophilic design” are new to you, you are not alone....
2023 NextGen Awards Honorees
Compiled by Beth Hester | Photography by David Uhrin Each year, CoVaBIZ asks our business...
2023 NextGen Awards and CoVaBIZ Magazine Relaunch Event
On the evening of September 6, 2023, CoVaBIZ staff and guests gathered at The Harbor...
Regional Green Hydrogen Hub Update
On Friday, October 13, President Joe Biden and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy...
Small Business: East Coast Repair & Fabrication
East Coast Repair and Fabrication, better known as ECR, started out as a one-man ship...
Small Business: Bold Mariner Brewing
It was 2011 and Norfolk-based Navy SEAL, Michael Stacks, owner of Bold Mariner Brewing, was...
A Good Year for Tourism and Hospitality in Coastal Virginia
Since 1999, the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University has...
Something Ventured
Raising capital for a small business is challenging. Add social and economic barriers to the...
2023 Real Estate Forecast
In the past four years there have been unique developments in every industry, and the...
Old Dominion University Prepares Students for Maritime Careers
Each day, lines of 18-wheelers, 100-car freight trains and construction vehicles snake through the region’s...
The Challenge of Accessing Capital
What is the biggest challenge faced by small business owners?” It’s a question I often...
Navigating the 4th Industrial Revolution, Part 1
AI is changing the way we live, work and interact with one another. Disruptive technologies...
Community Service, Lava Lamps and Petula Clark
Optometrist Diane Wallach, is owner of Selden Optometry in downtown Norfolk, a comprehensive optometric practice....
On Being a Brand Architect
Building a brand involves more than creating an eye-catching logo or producing a memorable slogan....
NextGen Awards and CoVaBIZ Magazine Relaunch Event
Photos by David Uhrin On the evening of September 6, 2023, CoVaBIZ staff and guests...
In the Arena With ITA International
ITA International is a family business, but not your typical Mom and Pop. Since its...
The Civic 50 Hampton Roads 2023 Honorees
In 2023, Coastal Virginia Magazine and CoVaBIZ partnered with VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads for the inaugural Civic 50 Hampton Roads business recognition program. The...
What’s Ahead for Commercial Real Estate in Coastal Virginia?
Uncertainty surrounds the commercial real estate (CRE) industry heading into 2024. Geopolitical tensions, volatile capital...
In 2023, Coastal Virginia Magazine and CoVaBIZ partnered with VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads for the inaugural Civic 50 Hampton Roads business recognition program. The Civic 50 is a national initiative established by Points of Light that honors community-minded companies as determined by an annual survey administered by True Impact. This is the first time the program has been offered at a local level in Virginia and it is one of a select few regional Civic 50 initiatives in the U.S.
The Civic 50 Hampton Roads program sets the standard for civic engagement and creates a roadmap for companies committed to using their time, talent and resources to serve others and improve their communities. The program functions as a benchmarking tool and platform for sharing best practices in the corporate citizenship sector.
Companies are selected for The Civic 50 based on four dimensions of their community engagement program: Investment of Resources, Integration Across Business Functions, Institutionalization Through Policies and Systems, and Impact Measurement. In addition, the top company in each business size category (small, medium and large) receives special recognition.
In this issue, we’re proud to feature the Civic 50 Hampton Roads 2023 honorees representing 24 companies from a variety of industries, all with one thing in common—devotion to creating a culture of service and caring for their communities as they meet their business goals.
The 2023 Hampton Roads Civic 50 Honorees
ADP, Altor Processing Systems, Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, Atlantic Union Bank, Busch Vacuum Services, Capital Group, Chartway Credit Union, Coastal Fermentory, Damuth Trane, Dollar Bank, Dominion Energy, Elizabeth River Crossings, Langley Federal Credit Union, Newport News Shipbuilding, Old Point National Bank, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co., Sentara Health, Shorebreak Pizza and Taphouse, TowneBank, VIA design, Virginia Natural Gas, Virginia Wesleyan University
Altor Processing | Small Sector Leader
ALTOR Processing is a leader in payment processing systems offering support to businesses of all sizes with special expertise in helping government contractors meet their SWaM (Small, Women, and Minority-owned) contract goals. Committed to community engagement, in 2018, ALTOR officially launched ALTOR/50, the ALTORGivesBack mission dedicated to donating half of the company’s profits to charitable organizations like Code Blue Cares, VBSPCA, Mercy Medical Angels, Vanguard Landing and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Coastal Virginia. Currently, ALTOR contributes to more than 20 different charitable organizations. Whether customers slide, swipe or tap, every time ALTOR processes a payment transaction, someone receives much needed assistance.
Though the company’s community engagement activities span a wide range of social impact causes, five areas of advocacy and engagement that are of prime importance have been identified: animal welfare, child and youth development, civil and human rights, equity and empowerment and military and veteran support.
ALTOR’s leadership believes that it’s important to donate time as well as money. ALTOR sponsors and assists with events and activities like fundraisers for the Virginia Beach Surf and Rescue Museum, the VB SPCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Vanguard Landing and Virginia Musical Theatre. Company team members conduct educational programs about credit card processing guidelines and best practices for businesses wishing to set up credit card processing accounts. ALTOR volunteers conduct free classes at numerous venues that introduce entrepreneurs to helpful business formation resources.
Committed to supporting underrecognized communities, ALTOR’s President, Ed Hopper, has been on the Minority Business Council since 2017, an organization supporting minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
ALTOR’s team members take the company core values seriously. One value in particular “Be The Light” in their mantra. “We strive to not only be a resource and positive support for businesses and charities,” says Hopper. “But we also want to shine the light on others doing good. We find the heroes and encourage our ALTOR team to participate and share their light however possible.”
ALTORProcessing.com
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning | Medium Sector Leader
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning has been a Hampton Roads, family-owned and operated business providing residential heating and air conditioning service to the Coastal Virginia region for over four decades.
The organization’s One Hour Cares program was founded in 2012, with the express purpose of supporting the guys and girls of Hampton Roads. Every quarter, deserving local organizations are nominated through the OneHourCares.com portal, then three finalists are chosen by the selection committee. Votes are tallied over a three month period and all finalists are encouraged to promote themselves and their cause in this contest. Winners are selected through a lotto-like drawing, allowing each group a chance to win rather than simply selecting the one with the most votes. What started out as a monthly $1,000 giveaway has evolved into a quarterly giveaway of $5,000.
Submissions by nonprofits seeking support come from the Hampton Roads community. The selection committee is comprised of a diverse group of team members representing all backgrounds and all departments of the company. One Hour is proud to be part of a larger franchise that offers internal diversity and inclusion training beginning with the initial onboarding process. Additionally, One Hour’s Human Resources manager hosts quarterly team meetings to discuss topics relating to inclusion in the workplace.
“After 44 years in business, there is much to be proud of,” notes One Hour’s leadership team. “Our One Hour Cares program will always be at the top of that list. To us, serving Hampton Roads goes far beyond our dedication to comfort. Many years ago, we found ourselves donating to large national organizations when the people right here in our community needed us the most—that’s when we started One Hour Cares. We intended to provide a helping hand to the people right here in our community with more than $250,000 donated to date along with and countless volunteer hours. One Hour Cares is our way of giving back to the organizations who give so much to the people we care about.”
OneHourComfort.com
Atlantic Union Bank | Large Sector Leader
Atlantic Union Bank is an institution with Virginia roots dating back to 1902. Offering personal, business, commercial and wealth management services, their corporate sponsorship and giving strategies are well-diversified. Through grant programs, local event donations, volunteerism and financial literacy and wellness outreach, Atlantic Union Bank is committed to enhancing and improving the communities where their customers live, work and play.
All full-time teammates are allocated 16 hours each year to participate in volunteer efforts in schools and local organizations, to support charitable initiatives or assist with fundraisers. Part-time teammates are eligible for 8 hours each year. In 2022, Atlantic Union Bank teammates donated 6,466 volunteer hours to their communities.
Community engagement has been an integral part of Atlantic Union Bank since its inception and the Community Reinvestment Act reaches all areas of the organization. The bank engages in efforts to understand the needs of the surrounding community. These efforts include, among other things, periodic self-assessments of the bank’s performance and networking with community organizations. In addition, Atlantic Union Bank made Community Development Loans targeting services supporting economically disadvantaged populations in the realms of affordable housing, revitalization and stabilization of communities, and economic development.
“Our Teammates come from different places and have unique perspectives,” says Andrew Hodge, group president, middle market and corporate banking. “Our goal is to create one team that values everyone’s ideas and contributions. By embracing our differences and treating everyone with respect, we’re able to enrich the lives of the people we serve.”
The bank’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion extends to their relationships with vendors and suppliers, and their Supplier Diversity Program seeks to identify and develop partnerships with business enterprises that are a majority owned, operated and controlled by minorities, women, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, service-disabled veterans, people with disabilities and small and disadvantaged business enterprises.
Atlantic Union Bank created the Future Community Impact Makers grant as an initiative to foster pay equity within the community-based sector. The grant awarded funds for summer internships to provide exposure to different career possibilities, opportunities for skill development and the ability to start building a professional network. “Our goal is to support local community-focused organizations and to remove barriers to these critical professional development opportunities for students in higher education regardless of economic status,” says Hodge. “Out of the 15 grants provided, six were awarded in Hampton Roads.
AtlanticUnionBank.com
