Glade group gets funds for incubator

By JUSTIN HARMON/Staff

Glade Spring’s economy has been in a downward spiral for some time now, but a unique venture hopes to help prop it up.
The idea itself, a small business incubator, isn’t new or unique. The thing that really sets the project apart is who’s behind the push.
“Project Glade is supported by the town council,” said Dirk Moore, president of Project Glade. “It’s not politicians or community leaders, but the community itself.”
According Moore, who is also on the Glade Spring Planning Commission, the entire process, including the site selection and grant applications, is being handled by Project Glade.
Project Glade recently applied to the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission and was awarded $276,000 from the to help get the business incubator off the ground.
“I think they really appreciated an initiative inspired by the community,” he said.
While the money Project Glade was awarded is substantial, it’s only just over half of what it is needed.
Now, Moore said the group is looking at the Appalachian Regional Commission for funding.
“Already having some money should increase our chances of getting the rest. There’s already a commitment there,” he said. “They’re not having to provide seed money… they’re essentially taking us to the finish line.”
According to Moore, this is the first time Project Glade has gone to the Tobacco Commission or anyone else for funding. Up until this point, he said the group has acted more like “ambassadors for the community.”
Moore hopes that a small business incubator will be just what the town needs to help stimulate its economy, but also hopes to kill three birds with one stone.
The first thing the group hopes to accomplish is to aid the ailing local economy.
According to Moore, a small business incubator would allow people who can’t really afford a storefront or infrastructure to set up in the incubator. This would allow the businesses to be nurtured and have a better chance of establishing themselves.
Another goal they have is to save a historic bank in downtown.
“It was built in 1895,” said Moore. “If something isn’t done soon, the bank may have to disappear from the cityscape.”
The idea, according to Moore, would be to renovate the building and update it for modern use then locate the incubator there.
The final goal, according to Moore, would be to affect the local economy on a wider scale with other local businesses getting a kick from use by new business owners.
Moore added that he would like the Glade Spring small business incubator to not compete with the one in Abingdon, but work alongside it.
“We’d like to make sure we’re fitting in with their mission as well,” he said.
According to Jason Berry, head of the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, he and his board members haven’t had a chance to discuss the prospect of another small business incubator. Project Glade’s plans, he said, are on the agenda for the incubator’s Thursday meeting. Berry declined further comment.
Justin Harmon can be reached at 276-628-7101 or