Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Roanoke Regional Partnership says Thrive 2027 targets met early, cites $565M in investment and 3,165 jobs
Summary
John Hall, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, told the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors on March 10 that the Partnership has exceeded its Thrive 2027 targets so far, reporting about $565 million in capital investment and 3,165 jobs; Hall highlighted manufacturing wins, an Elbit America project in Roanoke County and a regional biotech push.
John Hall, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, told the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors on March 10 that the Partnership has exceeded the targets set in its five-year Thrive 2027 plan and is operating ahead of schedule.
Hall said the Partnership tracked roughly $565 million in capital investment attracted to the region and 3,165 jobs—about 105% of the plan's 3,000-job goal. He said 2025 projects alone generated about $396.9 million in annualized economic activity and that the four-year total for the Thrive cycle exceeds $1 billion.
The presentation named several recent business wins. Hall described seven successful announcements in 2025 that together represented $176 million in new capital and 715 jobs, and he identified Elbit America as the largest project located in Roanoke County. He also noted a separate, earlier land purchase by Google in nearby Botetourt County as a regional development catalyst for suppliers and construction work.
Hall highlighted the Partnership's outreach metrics: a record 555 business inquiries in 2025, a talent portal with roughly 466 signups, 2,500 open positions from about 350 regional employers, and a 39-member talent-ambassador program aimed at recruiting and retaining young professionals. He said the Partnership is developing a wet-lab incubator in the City of Roanoke and is working with Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech and other partners to grow biotech opportunities across the region.
On placemaking, Hall reported that the Partnership's outdoor events generated about $5.1 million of economic impact in 2025, with roughly 56,000 attendees across four major events, and that a small-grants 'Project Outside' initiative has funded dozens of local projects (individual grants cited at $25,000 level and total program investment noted as over $200,000 to date).
Board members welcomed the report but pressed for county-level detail. Supervisor North asked that staff produce a Roanoke County snapshot of the regional figures so the county can better communicate local impact; Hall said Partnership staff would prepare and share that report. Supervisors also encouraged broader social-media promotion of the annual report and congratulated Partnership staff on the metrics.
The briefing closed after a round of questions and thanks; the board then moved on to the meeting's public-hearing agenda item.
