Middleburg Business and Professional Association to participate in regional job fairs
— The Middleburg Business and Professional Association plans to represent member businesses at regional job fairs this year as part of an expanded effort to draw more applicants for local job openings, MBPA board member Anne Marie Paquette announced at the association’s Feb. 12 Biz Buzz networking event at The Hill School.
“Our hope is to attend one of these job fairs in the springtime in order to advertise summer positions that might be available at your businesses,” Paquette said.
The job fair effort is just one new benefit of MBPA membership planned for this year, but the association is also seeking input from its members to help guide its work. As such, the board distributed a survey via email on Friday, Feb. 15, to all 2018 and 2019 members. Any members who did not receive the survey should contact info@visitmiddleburgva.com.
Another new initiative being pursued by MBPA is regular advertising on WINC-FM, beginning with spots on the Winter Weekend Sale to be held Feb. 15-17. MBPA President Punkin Lee said the marketing plan will include regular spots throughout the year as well. “We are trying to get Middleburg and the name out there consistently throughout the year,” she said.
Lee also paid tribute to Vince Perricone, who passed away Feb. 7 after a long battle with cancer. Perricone was the founder, owner and operator of Middleburg Printers for 30 years, a business he started in 1986 and sold to the current owners in 2016. Perricone was a fixture at Middleburg social events, often moonlighting as a bartender or master of the charcoal grill at the Back Street Cafe and the catering company of the same name, both owned by his wife, Tutti.
“He was very generous always to the business community and to our nonprofits. He always did what he could to help, and this help was very much appreciated,” Lee said.
The meeting also highlighted several new businesses that have moved to town, including specialty foods store Le Petit Marche at 5 W. Washington St. and its neighbor La Hacienda Tex Mex & Grill at 3 W. Washington St. Also opening up soon in Middleburg is Southerly House, an interior design and furnishings store located at 103 W. Federal St.
Jamie Gaucher, Middleburg’s business and economic development director, also announced at the meeting that the Town of Middleburg is looking for ideas on new events to be held in town to help attract more visitors. Anyone with an event idea should contact Jamie at jgaucher@middleburgva.gov or 540-687-5152.
Also discussed at the meeting were several upcoming events in Middleburg, including:
- Memorial Service for Vince Perricone at The Hill School (Feb. 16): A service to celebrate Vince’s life will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at The Hill School’s Sheila C. Johnson Center of the Performing Arts, followed by a reception at the Middleburg Community Center. The family requests donations in his memory be sent to Middleburg Humane Foundation and A Place to Be.
- “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman” Screening at The Hill School (Feb. 22 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.): The Goose Creek Association and the Land Trust of Virginia bring you the acclaimed film based on the book by Miriam Horn of the Environmental Defense Fund. Three rugged individualists explore how to preserve their way of life by stewarding the land and water on which we all depend. These conservation heroes learn to use the tools and methods created by law, academics, environmental groups, and their fellow outdoorsmen to forge alliances and continue to feed the world while enhancing the environment. This event is free to the public, but pre-registration is encouraged.
- “The State of Loudoun’s Towns” at the Middleburg Community Center (March 13 | 8-10 a.m.): This Loudoun Chamber of Commerce event will begin with brief remarks from each mayor, including our own Bridge Littleton, followed by an engaging panel discussion where each mayor is able to dive into a discussion on the chamber priorities of economic development, quality of life for Loudoun’s workforce, and transportation. Click here to register.
- Middleburg HEALth Fair & 5K at Middleburg Community Center (March 30 | 7 a.m.-1 p.m.): please join us for this annual event! The 5K will kick off at 8 a.m. and the HEALth Fair starts at 9 a.m. A screening of the movie “Styrofoam Mom” with a presentation and Q&A by its author and producer, Miriam Gennari, begins at 11 a.m. Click here to register for the 5K.
We hope to see you at the next Biz Buzz, to be held at Salamander Resort & Spa on March 12.
