NICKELSVILLE, VA – JUNE 16, 2021 — The lack of a convenience store with a deli and fuel are in part what spurred Hunter Lambert, of Gate City, to open Moccasin Junction Inc., a full-service convenience store with a fuel island at the junction of State Routes 71 and 613 in Scott County.
Moccasin Junction Inc. is a recent recipient of a $9,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant.
Lambert, who also operates a cattle farm and fencing company, saw the need for a store where a customer could pick up a sandwich and get gas without having to drive an hour in either direction when he was working for the state and driving though the area. The new store, which opened March 15, 2021, fits that bill and features traditional fare, but also local apples and other local products from the region, including milk products from another VCEDA seed capital recipient, Nash Creamery. Fuel is also available at the new store.
“VCEDA was pleased to be a part of funding the Moccasin Junction Inc. project,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “The business projects three full time and two part-time employees.”
Lambert used the seed capital funds for the purchase of a cooler, signage and fuel.
He also spent additional funds for improvements to the building, on electrical and plumbing, to purchase inventory and toward the purchase of other needed items, including a deep freezer and deli equipment.
“The seed capital grant has been a big help,” Lambert said. “It means a lot to a small business. It’s definitely help for somebody just starting out.”
The store’s full-service deli is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers a variety of food items from pizzas and cheese breadsticks, to hamburgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, corndogs, onion rings, fries, tater tots and much more. The breakfast menu features biscuits, egg sandwiches and cheddar rounds.
Bologna, ham and cheese are also available in the deli and are sold by the pound.
He noted that the store’s location at the intersection of two Scott County roads is where the name comes from.
“It’s a good friendly community and a good location,” Lambert said.
Lambert worked with the Small Business Development Center at Mountain Empire Community College. The Scott County Industrial Development Authority provided a letter of support for the project.
The new business may be reached at 276-479-2600 and is also found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Moccasin-Junction-101500018730748.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.