The Interfaith Outreach Association (IOA), housed at 701 Clay Street, exists to offer help to those in need through a variety of avenues. Charity organizations vary in both funding sources and purpose, but IOA is unique among these for its focus, which is centered on Lynchburg and the immediate surrounding counties. IOA financially assists clients who are facing eviction or cut-off notices for utilities and those who are in need of security deposits for rental contracts.

The majority of IOA’s funding comes directly from 69 local congregations, a group comprised of churches and a synagogue. Funds are delivered monthly, quarterly or even yearly, in some cases, but all of the money is used to directly benefit local citizens.

“The key component of Interfaith is to give financial assistance,” Loretta Robinson, IOA’s Program Coordinator for Emergency Assistance, said. “We have all kinds of programs happening, and if we have another winter like last year’s then we will need much more money.”

Robinson is referring to the exceptional amount of snow the Central and Southwest Virginia region received last year—a winter forecast that might be set to repeat itself this winter. With last year’s higher than average snowfall totals came increased heating bills for thousands of local residents, and with an increase in electricity usage, more and more patrons were left scrambling to pay rapidly escalating bills.

It’s in the midst of such a crisis that IOA steps in and literally lends a helping hand.

“An applicant with IOA must reach the point where they receive a cut-off notice for a utility,” Robinson explained. “If they come in as soon as they receive the notice, there is ample time for us to take care of it.”

After a brief application and screening process, IOA will pay certain bills for applicants. Specific rules apply, such as making sure that the applicant is financially unable to meet the financial obligation and also ensuring that the applicant has not been helped by IOA in the previous year.

“Depending on the situation, we can typically receive a request for help and process the payment within a five to 10 day span,” Robinson said.

In the last year, Lynchburg City was unable to continue funding to non-profit programs, so Robinson asserts that local contributions are more critical than ever before as the threat of winter looms just a flip of the calendar away.

“We were seeing cut-off electricity notices through this entire summer,” Robinson said. “And many of them had originated from the winter months when electric companies continued providing heat despite lack of payment.”

More and more clients came through IOA’s doors, and for some, the bills they carried stretched into the thousands.

The numbers speak for themselves. In July and August of 2009, IOA helped 207 clients. During July and August of this year, they helped 384 clients—an 85 percent increase. Robinson does not foresee this burgeoning growth slowing down anytime soon.

“We’re expecting to be facing the same issues throughout and after this winter,” Robinson said.

In addition to financial assistance, IOA also helps clients with practical items needed for day-to-day life. Robinson asserts that even the most common daily items are often overlooked by charities because many people take them for granted or assume that food stamps might cover such purchases but food stamps are reserved for solely that—food. Robinson cites toothpaste, deodorant and soap as some of the hygiene items that IOA gives out.

“Sometimes, when a client has finished their application and is about to leave, they’ll say, ‘Do you have any toilet paper?’ That question brings it all to the front because then you know that they are desperate,” Robinson said.

While IOA primarily helps clients with gas, electric or rent payments, it also provides basic food items, furnishings and heating for the elderly. They also have a program working with progressive release for individuals starting anew after serving jail time, and scheduled social gatherings and activities for the visually impaired.

Robinson also acts as a liaison for citizens who might not be aware of other helpful organizations in this area.

“There are many resources in the community, but because many of our clients are limited in how to go about connecting to those resources, it’s incumbent upon Interfaith to try our best to make that connection for them,” Robinson said.

For more information about programs, volunteer opportunities or how to donate funds, call (434) 846-1040 or visit interfaithoutreach.org.

The ERS was founded in 1973 by Drs. Charles and Claire Whitmore, both dermatologists, to give companies an opportunity to try products through controlled testing. Since that time, the ERS has built a solid and lasting reputation in the industry. Today, co-owners Dr. Julie Doyle and Dr. Kappa Meadows, M.D., continue to maintain and promote the business they purchased from the Whitmores in 2005.

For anyone who has ever wondered about the validity behind “Doctor Approved!” or “Dermatologist Tested” messages on various products, the origin and authenticity of those statements lies with companies like the ERS.

“If a company uses that claim, they must have documentation that proves they did test it,” Doyle explained, adding that the ERS would provide that documentation through clinical trial research.

Essentially, companies will design a study with specific protocols and hypotheses, which will then be passed to the ERS for management and implementation.

At the ERS, there are two primary areas where research is done—pharmaceutical products and consumer, or over the counter (OTC), products. Doyle says there is not much differentiation in the process for either type of research since the ERS must consistently follow FDA regulations and procedures.

“We conduct business everyday as if the FDA is coming tomorrow,” Doyle said of their standards. “And that’s the only way to run the company; our integrity is the most important thing in this business.”

One of the primary differences between prescription trials and OTC trials is the type of participants that are needed. Whereas prescription medications would require participants to have certain pre-existing conditions, such as acne or rosacea, OTC trials do not have any requirements other than participants who are generally in good health.

Doyle notes that consumer product trials are “nice for the community in that there is much more opportunity to be involved” and with involvement in a trial comes the opportunity to earn some money on the side as participants are often paid in relation to the time and effort invested in the study.

Currently, the ERS primarily focuses on dermatological products, and they have conducted studies in topical medications, oral prescriptions and OTC drugs, cosmeceuticals, health and beauty aids, various devices and dental products. Studies needing participants at this time are listed on the Web site, and they include an acne study and a shoe insole study for women.

The ERS has enjoyed established relationships with multiple companies of national prominence, though specific names cannot be shared to ensure confidentiality of testing procedures. Doyle estimates that the company manages around 10 to 15 unique studies at a time; some of the studies are conducted in a matter of a few days while others may be long term and stretch over the course of a few years. Eight full-time employees work at the ERS office located on Langhorne Road, but contracted doctors and additional part-time staff are called in as needed for larger or specialized studies.

“A key advantage with ERS is that we have a strong long-term staff in Lynchburg,” Doyle, who believes it is this established continuity that increases their reputation in the business, said.

As the recession has closed many clinical research facilities, Doyle also believes that the established reputation of the ERS is more important than ever before.

“They want to know that we aren’t going anywhere,” she said of their clients.

Of special importance, Doyle notes, is the experience of the ERS staff—some of whom have over 20 years of experience in the field of clinical research.

“We have stability here, [and] our workforce is not transient,” Doyle said. “This is a real advantage because it’s important to our clients that they have a strong staff working for them who understand the industry. Also, in this industry, staff turnover can be a problem but we have continuity and stability.”

Since some studies can last up to five years, a consistent staff adds to the success of the ERS in maintaining client relationships as well as acquiring new clients. Enjoying a recognized reputation in this industry is beneficial when companies merge or are reconfigured.

“We have such a strong reputation that when people move or companies merge, they still do testing with us and keep us in mind,” Doyle said.

While clients often send representatives to Lynchburg from far away states, mostly New Jersey or Florida, Doyle believes a Lynchburg location is largely beneficial.

“A negative for clients is mostly the lack of a prominent nearby airport,” she said. “But once they find us, we hear great feedback on how easy it is to travel around this region, how they appreciate the history and how beautiful the natural scenery is.”

Doyle also notes that the local population, especially as it burgeons with college attendees, is critical to the success of their trials as they always need participants. To learn more about ERS and their trials, call (434) 847-8400 or visit www.educationandresearch.com.

As Jacki Anctil of Sans Soucy Vineyards explained it, “Most people know of Virginia wine from Northern Virginia or Charlottesville, but those in southern Virginia are small, family-owned boutique wineries.”

Being smaller, Anctil says these wineries can offer a more “personal and quaint experience” to their visitors; a distinction that makes the work enjoyable for both herself and her husband, Paul.

“We planted all of the vines ourselves,” Anctil recalled. “We planted them in 2000, then started making our wine in 2006, and it was incredible. There are not many things in life where you can see it happen from beginning to end.”

Today, the Anctil’s vineyard is housed on six acres and produces 1,200 cases of wine per year. The name, derivative of Paul’s French heritage, means “without words,” a reaction hopefully arising from one who drinks some Sans Soucy wine. The winery currently sells eight wines online (www.sanssoucyvineyard.com), which range in price from $13 to $26. Anctil says their wine has “flavor for everyone,” as they feature everything from Spanish grapes to blackberries. They specialize in growing Traminette, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo grape varietals. Above all, Anctil says they feature “boutique” wines, which are known for being made in “limited quantity and expressing a particular passion of the winemaker,” according to wine connoisseur, Dennis Manuel.

And passion certainly defines the work of these boutique vineyards. Speaking of what led to the Anctils starting a vineyard, Jacki said, “We drank wine all the time; we were raised with it. … We had the acres, so why not do what we love to do, which is make wine? We decided to go big with it.”

Anctil speaks of the other wineries on the SoVA trail affectionately, and when asked what sets Sans Soucy apart, she indicates that it is the region which is ultimately unique.

“We all come from various walks of life, and most of us have other full time jobs. … So we take our love of the land, and our love of the wine, and try to do this. It’s not a venture just to make money—we truly love what we do,” she said.

Sans Soucy Vineyard recently held a Shrimp and Wine Festival on September 11, which featured several other wineries from the SoVA wine trail, along with fresh local shrimp and bison. In mid-October, Sans Soucy will once again host Sangria Saturdays featuring the vineyard’s unique sangria mix, live music and a bonfire.

DeVault Family Vineyards is also one of the nine wineries featured on the SoVA wine trail that offered tastings at the Shrimp and Wine Festival. The vineyard is larger in size than some of the other SoVA wineries as it resides on 32 acres in Concord, Virginia. Sharon and Terry DeVault spent years searching the East Coast, “from New York to Georgia,” in pursuit of the perfect plot of land.

“I knew it was the place when we came down here,” Sharon says of the vineyard’s location, which is just a quarter mile off Route 460. With eight children and 16 grandchildren, the DeVault’s appreciate a host of recreational amenities and offer them to visitors of the winery as well.

“We basically want the public to enjoy what we found,” Sharon said, listing numerous family oriented activities offered on their land, such as tennis, volleyball, basketball, a stocked pond for fishing and an indoor pool with a diving board.

Being lovers of wine who made their own wine for family consumption, the DeVault’s began growing grapes on the premises back in 2001. A few years ago, they obtained their license, and are now a full-fledged boutique winery.

“We all have our little differences that make us unique,” Sharon said of the SoVA vineyards. “And they are so helpful in helping us get started. We have some very good connections with everyone.”

DeVault Family Vineyards is currently selling five wines; the two most popular are Mr. D’s, a sweet red wine, and Sweet Autumn Mist, a sweet white wine. This year Sharon is excited about the Chardonelle, a hybrid dry white wine.

“The crop was perfect this year and gave us the sweetest grapes,” she explained.

DeVault Family Vineyards has also had great success with their Sangria mix. Sharon recently posted the recipe on the vineyard’s Web site (www.devaultvineyards.com) after numerous requests from people who had tried it.

“It’s a Sangria to die for,” she said. “It includes our Norton grapes, and people will stop just for the Sangria.”

This fall will be the first time that DeVault Family Vineyards participates in various local festivals, and they are also hosting a fall festival on their property on October 30. The event will run from 4 to 10 p.m. and will feature a haunted hayride, face painting, craft vendors and pumpkin picking. Tickets are $6 for children and $10 for adults.

Another unique offering by both Sans Soucy and DeVault is wedding and event hosting. For more information, call Sans Soucy at (434) 376-9463 or DeVault at (434) 993-0561.

With great wine, room to expand and visitors streaming in from all over the country, the SoVA wine trail is slowly making a name for itself right in Campbell County, as business by the bottle continues to sprout up with each new grape pressed.

“It’s been great,” he said. “Carol’s already has a lot of loyal . . . and active customers; word gets out when you’ve lived in the area so long like myself, people stop by to see how it is, and, thankfully, they stay to eat too.”

The transfer of ownership was anything but conventional. A 30-year veteran of Forest, Goodwin often ate at Carol’s and loved ordering his favorite menu items. As he recalls, he was paying his bill after eating breakfast at Carol’s a few months ago, and the cashier asked how he had enjoyed his food.

“I said I liked it just fine as always and that I liked Carol’s enough to buy it,” Goodwin explained. “Well, the owner at the time was standing there, heard me say that, and said, ‘Well, they’re trying to sell it. I’ll give you the number’,” and, laughing a bit, Goodwin continued, “That was it!”

While Goodwin likes to laugh, he’s serious about his food. And food is what Carol’s does well. As a former owner of Myrt’s Hot Dog on Candler’s Mountain Road, he says, “I know the business, and I can do it well.”

With an easy smile and an interest in pleasing customers, Goodwin is nothing short of genuine and passionate when speaking about Carol’s.

“We’re a good, home country cooking restaurant, so we’re keeping the menu the same,” he said. “I’m not reinventing the wheel, but I’m using what I know from the past to improve.”

Driving west on Route 221, it’s impossible to miss Carol’s trademark red, white and blue-striped roof, a design implemented by previous owners to gain attention and, according to Goodwin, it works.

“It’s the first thing people see as they enter Forest,” he said. “We have a unique view of the mountains, and we don’t compete with other restaurants in this area because our menu is unique.”

For Goodwin, having a solid product is the foundation of a profitable business, and he says Carol’s established country menu needs no alterations.

Carol’s is open daily during the week from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., hours which coincide with Carol’s specialties—breakfast and barbeque sandwiches. Breakfast buffets began shortly before Goodwin took over, and he says Carol’s will continue to offer buffets on Saturdays and Sundays, since they have been met with such enthusiasm from customers.

“People feel like they’re getting a good value, and they like to eat big breakfasts on the weekend,” Goodwin said. “Serving 60 to 70 people at the buffet makes it easier for the kitchen, and that allows us to focus on the customer more and give better service.”

The primary changes Goodwin is bringing to Carol’s are a fresh face, social networking and added venues for serving the food he’s so passionate about. Cleaning, some redecorating and planned renovations for the dining room are tangible signs of Goodwin’s influence. But it is Carol’s online footprint where Goodwin, formerly a Communications Director with World Help, hopes to change Carol’s public face.

“Any business, not just a restaurant, needs to have a web presence,” Goodwin said. “If you mention something about Carol’s on Facebook, that’s better off for me. The web is now about conversation, not information. This is our vehicle.”

In addition to social networking via a Facebook fan page—Carol’s Restaurant—and a Twitter account—EatAtCarols, Goodwin also launched www.eatatcarols.com, which will soon offer customers the option of ordering take-out food and paying online so they can easily pick up their order at the restaurant. Goodwin also plans to streamline Carol’s catering services via the Web site and has lined up a number of events in the upcoming months, including one planned for 300 people.

“We purchased a new smoker which is so huge it’s actually on a trailer,” Goodwin said. “We can cook many pounds of meat right on-site. This isn’t premade food in tubs—people are smelling the smoke and tasting the food as it’s cooked; it is a whole experience for everyone.”

For day-to-day operations, Goodwin will continue to draw on Carol’s history and traditions while moving forward.  Carol’s originally opened in the mid-1900s and the first owner was a woman named Carol who still lives in the area and occasionally stops by for a meal. But even before Carol came along, the restaurant was a gas station. Today, Goodwin is excited to incorporate that piece of Carol’s heritage into the current décor.

“We’re going to get new coffee mugs,” he explained. “Regular coffee will go in mugs labeled ‘premium’ and decaf coffee in mugs labeled ‘unleaded.’”

Goodwin’s enthusiasm spills over into other aspects of the business as well, and he believes it has been a contributing factor in the smooth transition of ownership.

“Because I’m so excited to be here, and it’s real in me, the staff is getting excited along with me,” he said. “No one has said, ‘This is how things were always done,’ they’re just excited to improve.”

Goodwin’s philosophy is to work right alongside his chefs and wait staff, which currently stands at 13 full-time and 13 part-time members, so he shares in even the most mundane tasks.

“An owner has to be present,” Goodwin stated. “What I do is bus tables … that way I can talk to everybody, and I’m not interrupting anyone’s meal. By quietly taking their dishes, I have the opportunity to speak to [customers].”

Customers would find it difficult to miss Goodwin’s enthusiasm, between Carol’s new slogan—“Do Your Mouth a Favor”—which is featured on staff shirts, and in his many interactions with customers, both during and after their visits. All of these efforts are done in hopes of increasing customer awareness of Carol’s.

“Even as a customer, I was amazed that more people didn’t know about this place,” Goodwin said. “Now that I’ve tried everything on the menu—I’m thinking to myself … I owe it to the staff to get the word out about Carol’s. I think this is a hidden gem.”

Visit www.eatatcarols.com for hours of operation, daily specials and menu selections. Free wi-fi and outside deck seating available daily.

One company at the forefront of energy efficient technology is Valley Energy Consultants (VEC), a company primarily located in southwest Virginia and headquartered in Roanoke.

Essentially, VEC wants to “shake the world” as co-founder and now co-partner, John Cook says of the company. Along with co-partner, Jack Helms, Cook began VEC a year and a half ago after working as a business developer in the food industry for 32 years. Now, VEC has 12 full-time consultants who are located throughout the New River Valley.

The company’s stated purpose, to “provide clients with all the alternatives to become energy efficient, energy self-sufficient and environmentally conscience,” is carried out in a variety of ways, and Valley Energy offers cost-effective options for companies and homeowners alike.  

While working between consultations in the field, Cook spoke about a new dehumidifying system which will be launched to retail markets in the coming months.

“If you have 90 percent humidity one day, and 30 percent humidity the next, the day with lower humidity will be an easier day for your air conditioner to cool your home,” he said. “Likewise, by lowering the amount of moisture in a refrigerator that drastically reduces the price of cooling.”

By lowering the humidity level, the system will save energy and prolong the life of food, thus cutting resources lost on both energy costs and wasted food. The system was created by a prominent chef Cook declined to name, and though the initial impetus was food safety, there are numerous economical benefits as well.

“Any hospital could benefit and save money with this,” Cook said, mentioning hotels, breweries, restaurants, schools and homeowners as other businesses and individuals that could benefit from this new technology.

One of Cook’s personal passions—children’s hospitals—is a venue he would like to see benefit from the dehumidifying system due to the safety and monetary benefits.

“It will extend the life and freshness of food products in a refrigerator,” Cook explained. “It’s a phenomenal product that will absorb odors and unwanted gases.”

The dehumidifier will be so effective in absorbing odors that a freshly cut onion and a newly sliced watermelon could be placed on the same refrigerator shelf, and neither of them would smell or taste like the other when checked a day later.

“And they could both be unwrapped!” Cook added. “This is my personal opinion, but it is 10,000 times more effective than baking soda, and I use that myself. But this will really, really increase the safety and flavor of food.”

A system also working to regulate the energy efficiency of refrigerators is eCube, which Cook says could work alongside the dehumidifier to provide even greater savings. Typical refrigerators do not maintain consistent temperatures, resulting in wasted energy and higher costs to consumers. The wasted energy results because “air temperature rises faster than the temperature of food.”

VEC evaluates and installs commercial refrigerators with eCubes, which better regulate the air cycles used to keep food cool, thus consistently maintaining food temperatures with less energy production. The science behind the eCube is environmentally-friendly by reducing CO2 emissions and economically appealing by cutting energy costs.

But the eCube is not the only technology VEC sells that cuts costs.

“One of VEC’s greatest systems is the LED lighting,” Cook said.

This system, launched in January of this year, can cut lighting expenses by up to 90 percent in a warehouse or industrial building.

“It’s a two-fold benefit,” Cook said. “Energy efficiency is increased, but also, the environmental impact is substantial.”

He notes that old lighting fixtures, such as those using mercury and phosphorous, will no longer threaten the environment, and LED lighting also requires significantly less maintenance.

“In Danville, there are two guys who only replace street lights; that’s all they do,” Cook remarked. “These guys will now be available for other tasks because the LED lights will work not just for a year or two—the same equipment will work for many years.”

LED lighting offers many benefits, but it is primarily recognized for reducing electricity costs, lasting up to 80,000 hours and providing a reduced but more natural type of light.

VEC designed a model for outfitting commercial buildings with lighting systems that exclusively use LED bulbs. VEC consultants assess the cost and energy usage of current lighting systems through a detailed evaluation of the quantity and type of lamps, wattages and hours of usage that comprise a lighting system. Based on that information, VEC then estimates project costs and the return on investment.

“I recently did a site survey on a 300,000 square foot facility where we will replace all of the mercury tubes and cut their lighting expenses by 60 to 70 percent. It is a very attractive return on investment. We have had some great success with the systems so far,” Cook said, further mentioning a recent project where company owners saw their energy costs plummet from $9,500 a month to $1,200.

In the near future, Cook says VEC will be coupling solar power with the LED systems.

“We could easily include the solar, but it’s not a necessity for the systems; LED greatly reduces demand for energy and makes renewable systems more applicable,” Cook explained.

In addition to the refrigeration and LED advances that VEC is making, they are also installing a system called KVAR, which is a type of Power Factor Correction Device (PFCD). This system regulates and controls the amount of electricity used by any particular circuit system. Much like the eCube maintains consistent air temperature cycles in refrigerators, KVAR “reduces the amount of non-productive current in an electrical system,” Cook said. “KVAR stores and refeeds reactive energy back into the system, so instead of being lost as heat, it is fed back into the system.”

PFCDs like KVAR can be beneficial for businesses and homes alike because they greatly increase the amount of energy used versus energy wasted. A typical household has a power factor of 0.77 when a 1.0 reading represents 100 percent energy maximization. With a device like KVAR, a power factor usually increases to 0.97 or 0.98.

“We are very selective with who we sell KVAR to because we don’t sell to someone who doesn’t need it,” Cook said of the system. “If they don’t have enough energy generated, we can’t sell it to them because it won’t benefit them. With multiple heat pumps it could benefit a homeowner—it just has to be the right candidate. We believe in making the customer happy.”

To date, VEC has installed KVAR units in 40 to 50 homes.

Currently, VEC has consultants who are also working in Kentucky, Florida and the Carolinas. Clients who have commissioned Valley Energy for work include Roanoke City and County Schools, Pepsi, Disney, Starbucks Coffee, hotel chains, clothing distributors and many other recognized brands. For more information about any of the systems mentioned or to request a consultation for your business or home, visit www.valleyenergyconsultants.com.

“Our Lynchburg operation is an integrated part of RR Donnelley’s global platform,” Robert Leveque, Vice President of Manufacturing, said.

With over 60,000 global customers, RR Donnelley has an extensive but often times furtive existence. Evidence of the corporation’s work is easy to find, but the company logo is less obvious.

“Readers will probably have something in their home that RR Donnelley produced, though they might not realize it,” Leveque said.

He explains that RR Donnelley is a service provider for all types of companies and publishers, printing a wide range of materials including catalogues, menus, textbooks for graduate schools, reading materials for preschools, hard and soft cover books, magazines for colleges and consumer titles, phone directories, product labels and posters or signs. The scope of RR Donnelley’s work is immense, yet their name remains hidden due to the nature of the work.

“We are a producer, not a publisher,” Leveque clarified. “The materials that we produce do not ‘belong’ to us; they belong to the publishers that engage RR Donnelley.”

As a producer, RR Donnelley essentially helps clients move from concept to reality and the focus is on the final product received by consumers.

“What really sets RR Donnelley apart is our ability to work collaboratively with customers in order to create integrated communications solutions,” Leveque said. “One way to think about what we do is that we help prepare, produce, deliver and process communications. Our specialty is providing end-to-end solutions.”

The majority of that collaborative process comes about through the diverse portfolio of services offered to customers and the RR Donnelley representatives who work individually with clients.

“Our sales representatives are trained to understand a customer’s business and its underlying goals,” Leveque said.

In the modern business world, databases are becoming more diverse and versatile, and this is an area where RR Donnelley can help companies in a multitude of ways. Leveque explains that they generally work with existing lists provided by clients and use RR Donnelley tools and methods to utilize the information.

One way database information can be maximized is through the production of catalogs that “include digitally produced content that communicates with individual recipients,” according to Leveque. He adds that the company has also “developed digital printing presses that permit us to offer customers affordable, high-speed variable color printing. This has opened the door for more communications to be designed not only for a target audience, but for a target individual.”

An example of these targeted messages might be seen in college mailings.

“A college can use our digital printing capabilities to create communications that speak to an individual student’s interests,” Leveque said. “For example, if a student indicated that they’d like to play an instrument in college, write for the college paper and major in secondary education, they might receive information from a college that emphasizes the university’s concert and marching band, award-winning newspaper and success in helping to place graduates in area high schools.”

Another way that RR Donnelley helps businesses convey their messages is through TransPromo, which uses transactional documents like a billing statement to also carry an individual, targeted message to the consumer.

“The benefit of TransPromo is that the vast majority of recipients open and look at their online statements and other important transactional documents,” Leveque said. “It increases the likelihood that the marketer’s message will be seen.”

In addition to supplementing RR Donnelley’s global operations, the Lynchburg facility has been highly involved in strengthening the company’s safety priorities. Leveque identifies employee safety as an ongoing priority for the company, especially since RR Donnelley was recertified for STAR status in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. To put this honor in context, Leveque explains that “less than 1 percent of manufacturing facilities applies for and achieves STAR status.”

To be recertified for STAR, as the Lynchburg facility was, a company must improve on standards that are already very high. Admirably, the facility was awarded STAR status once again and some best practices noted were “innovations and excellence in employee safety awareness programs, fire brigade and medical response teams,” according to Leveque.

Leveque adds that having a Lynchburg facility is a great asset to the company for various reasons. Not only is Virginia routinely recognized as one of the best states in the nation for business locales, Region 2000 specifically offers “access to an excellent workforce, very good road and rail access, and is positioned centrally relative to the eastern seaboard,” Leveque said.

In addition, he says that RR Donnelley “strives to be a good neighbor in the communities in which employees live and work” and uses volunteer and charity efforts to do so.

From personalized, targeted mailings and invoices to giving back to the local community, RR Donnelly is a quiet but powerful force in Central Virginia that only seems destined to continue growth.

For information about RR Donnelley and the services they offer, visit www.rrd.com.