Cael Kendall’s lifelong sustainability journey has landed under the soaring beams of a heavy-timber warehouse in Waynesboro, Virginia. But once, it began in the mists of the coastal Rocky Mountains, in the old growth forests of British Columbia. Born into an era of clearcutting booms, Cael spent his childhood watching…
Initial Inspiration runs what founder and owner Jennifer Ledford calls an “Idea Factory.” Curious customers with t-shirt concepts, costume ideas, Pinterest images, embroidery designs, and more are welcomed into the business’s production studio for collaborative and personalized fabric and design creations. “If you’ve seen it on the Internet,” she says,…
The first pressing question upon arriving at PEV Labs in Waynesboro is obvious: Would you like to ride the Dork Pod? An inviting yet slightly terrifying brainchild of Brian Williford, the Dork Pod boasts a zero degree turning radius and one-thumb navigation controls. But it is only one of many…
Boom Town to Brewery Basic City once sat at the crossroads of two railroads and the coming industrial boom. Founded in 1890, the town experienced a three-year rally of manufacturing investments in the “basic” process of turning pig iron into steal. For its moment, prior to a national depression beginning…
On the first Friday of every month, an eclectic band of hammer wielders descend on the South River Complex in Waynesboro. They come from many corners – one man moved to Virginia from Texas for the certificate program in Artistic Blacksmithing, others hope to become historic reenactors, independent blacksmiths, industrial…
Finding Home The pottery wheels weren’t the only thing spinning in Jake Johnson’s life. He’d been “always on the move,” from Illinois to Pennsylvania, from outdoor art fairs to new gallery placements. But several years ago, Jake and his wife Katie decided to make Waynesboro their home. Today, Make Waynesboro…
Grounded in Love, Growth Flourishes The story of The Faded Poppy reads like an unexpected love affair, perhaps not unfamiliar to the many brides and grooms who have walked down aisles bedecked in the business’s flowers. Asked to tell the story of its beginning, Jason Kite, who handles the logistics…
It All Began Here Standing in front of hundreds of bales of hemp, housed in a Waynesboro warehouse on a rainy winter day, it doesn’t take Marty Phipps long to arrive at his favorite Thomas Jefferson quote: “Hemp is the necessity for the wealth of our nation.” Growing up in…
Difference Made Obvious New Country Organics has a fast-track approach for sharing their business mission. In my one hand, they place a bag of a competitor’s organic, animal feed product. A uniform grind of grains and unnamed ingredients, it is a pelletized collection of nutrients and looks like every bag…
Award Part of Governor McAuliffe’s Virginia Community Business Launch Grants WAYNESBORO – Community Business Launch (CBL) awards were announced this week by Governor McAuliffe, totaling $300,000 for five projects in the Commonwealth. The City of Waynesboro secured $60,000 in funding for its Grow Waynesboro program, which will provide resources to…