Local Businesses Demonstrate Safe Reopening in Project Rebound Videos
Project Rebound, a local economic recovery initiative led by the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and local economic development partners, today released five short videos featuring local businesses demonstrating COVID-19 safety practices.
The videos, produced by Lifeview Marketing & Visuals and supported by grant funding from GO Virginia, show business owners and employees demonstrating their daily routines to prevent COVID-19 infections during Virginia’s gradual reopening.
“Our business community has told us loud and clear they want to reopen carefully and safely,” said Chamber President & CEO Elizabeth Cromwell. “By following these standard safety procedures consistently across the community, we can help keep employees and customers healthy.”
The videos show local businesses carrying out safety measures such as maintaining social distance, using PPE, disinfecting work spaces, and screening employee health in real-life situations.
Chamber members Pearl Island Café, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia, Four Corners Real Estate Solutions, Tiger Fuel Company, and SERVPRO of Charlottesville participated in the videos.
Project Rebound produced the videos in response to input received during multiple meetings with the business community in May 2020. More than 300 stakeholders contributed ideas, concerns and solutions.
On June 25, Project Rebound released “A Blueprint for Economic Resiliency and Reinvention in the Greater Charlottesville Region,” a report produced by KPMG LLP, which maps out action steps and envisions pathways to an inclusive economic recovery.
An overarching theme that emerged from local conversations was the need to rebuild consumer, business and workforce confidence. Participants identified health & safety concerns, an uncertain business environment, and confusion over guidelines as some of the confidence barriers to economic recovery.
The Blueprint identifies six priority areas for immediate action to bolster confidence and boost the economy, while appropriately reflecting current public health realities:
(1) authoritative safety protocols
(2) trustworthy information sharing and ways to access resources
(3) facilitating access to testing
(4) working with government on emergency policies
(5) continued inclusive conversation
(6) a buy-local initiative
The full Blueprint report is available at www.CvilleChamber.com/blueprint.
Project Rebound is led by the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with economic development partners at the University of Virginia, Albemarle County, and the City of Charlottesville and supported by volunteers and funding from the City, County and GO Virginia.