RAVEN, VA – DECEMBER 31, 2021 – From mobile welding to handyman and carpentry-related services, Competitive Performance owner Scott Davis said his new business caters to both commercial and residential clients.
Competitive Performance, a sole proprietorship, is a recent recipient of a $6,500 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) seed capital grant.
“Both commercial and residential clients can benefit from the services offered by Competitive Performance which projects one full-time job and up to five contract labor employees at various times, dependent on need,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher.
Davis noted that while the new business primarily focuses on welding repairs and construction, the handyman services he also provides have been utilized from the start. Trained and certified in various welding techniques, Davis is also committed to continuing his education and expanding his knowledge in the field and to keeping up to date on the variety of certifications offered in the field.
Future plans for the business include to add welding assistants and other general laborers, who he said will also be required to hold all necessary certifications before being assigned to specific jobs.
Davis said he will travel within a 100-mile radius of his Raven location, which will see him offer services in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina depending on client need. Additionally, he can take some projects in for work in a garage he has dedicated for services on his property. He has already outfitted a mobile rig which is ready to go.
“The VCEDA grant has been real helpful,” Davis said. “I am using it to purchase some of the gases I need for welding, for tools and for upgrades to the garage.”
Davis worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in the development of his application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority.
“The Small Business Development Center staff at SWCC was excited to learn that Competitive Performance of Raven, has been awarded a Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority’s Seed Capital Matching Fund grant,” said Misty Bandy, SWCC SBDC business advisor.” This grant will help bring mobile welding services to Buchanan County and the surrounding areas.
“It was the pleasure of the SWCC SBDC team to work with Scott Davis, owner and operator of Competitive Performance, to bring this innovative style of welding service to agricultural, commercial and residential clients,” Bandy added. “Mr. Davis’ partnership with the SWCC SBDC, along with his experience and educational background in the industry, has prepared Competitive Performance to provide customers in the area with superior customer service, knowledge and quality work.”
Competitive Performance may be reached by calling 276-596-3082.
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.