ABOUT THE FRANKLIN BUSINESS INCUBATOR

The Franklin Business Incubator is located in a building built in 1907. This sturdy 40,000 sq. ft. structure has 18-inch thick brick exterior walls, a metal roof and massive pine columns support each of the 4 stories. The building originally was constructed by the Virginia Buggy Company to manufacture buggies and surreys. And, legend has said that the first surrey with the fringe on top was manufactured here. This business thrived until the popularity of the automobile stalled sales, and unfortunately, the buggy factory closed around 1916. The owner then began manufacturing screen doors and windows in the facility but later moved that business to Suffolk. A few years later Birdsong Peanut Company bought the building and for decades it was used as a peanut warehouse. The City of Franklin acquired the property in 1985 and utilized it for storage.

The Incubator project was born from a discussion between the Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Commission in an effort to revitalize the community following the flood created by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Over 2 million dollars in funding was subsequently awarded from the EDA, Community Development Block Grant and the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. These grants have allowed the City to bring this important economic development project to fruition.

After four and a half years of planning, on May 23, 2005 the Franklin Business Incubator officially opened with eight tenants calling the Incubator their home.

Economic Impact

Currently, the Incubator has accepted 15 tenants into the program and 13 of these tenants have already moved in. And, there are 3 additional tenants in the selection process. Most importantly, the economic impact of our Incubator is 46 full-time and 19 part-time employees working for 13 businesses.

For more information on the Franklin Business Incubator, please contact the Incubator at fbi@franklinva.com or 757.562.8506.