The U.S. Small Business Administration announced on April 13 that Census Tract 209 in Campbell County has been designated as a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) through a Governor’s nomination during the final months of the Youngkin Administration.
The new designation is significant because it provides local small businesses with preferential access to federal procurement opportunities, which could encourage economic growth and attract new industries to the area. The HUBZone program aims to award at least three percent of federal contract dollars annually to certified companies and gives these businesses a ten percent price evaluation preference in open competitions.
Nina Rezai, Economic Development Director, said, “This announcement comes after months of working with local industry, the support from the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and the countless people in Former Governor Youngkin’s administration that facilitated this governor’s designation. The impact of this program will not only strengthen existing industry. but also provide additional tools to attract new industry to these areas.”
Katie Foster Rolfe, Payroll Manager at Foster Fuels, said, “With the HUBZone designation, Foster Fuels and other local qualifying businesses gain access to new federal contracting opportunities. These opportunities allow local businesses to grow while investing directly back into our community by hiring locally and contributing to the long-term success of our economic development.”
To qualify for certification under this program, a business must have at least thirty-five percent of its employees living in a HUBZone and maintain its principal office within one of these zones. Certified companies are required to recertify every three years without any time limit on participation as long as eligibility is maintained.
Campbell County Public Schools District enrolled 7,896 students during the 2023-24 school year according to official data. Brookville High School had the highest enrollment among thirteen schools in Campbell County during that period with 1,015 students as reported by state education records. White students made up sixty-seven point one percent of total enrollment (5,296 students), followed by Black students who accounted for seventeen percent (1,344 students) according to state statistics.
Enrollment across all county schools increased slightly by zero point three percent compared with last year state records show. Yellow Branch Elementary School enrolled sixty-nine pre-kindergarteners—twenty-two point five percent of all pre-kindergarteners in Campbell County—and Tomahawk Elementary School welcomed ninety-eight kindergarteners or eighteen point four percent countywide based on official figures.
Small businesses interested in learning more about certification can visit sba.gov/HUBZone for further information.
