Friends of Southwest Virginia

What Friends of Southwest Virginia does

Friends of Southwest Virginia is a nonprofit regional economic development organization and designated Destination Marketing Organization for the 19 counties, 4 cities, and 53 towns of Southwest Virginia, established in its current legal form in 2008 by the Virginia General Assembly and operating the public-facing brand since 2011. Headquartered at the 29,000-square-foot Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace in Abingdon, Virginia, the organization coordinates regional tourism marketing, creative economy development, and outdoor recreation planning across an 8,600-square-mile footprint anchored by 8 geographic destinations (Mount Rogers, Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, Clinch River, New River, Breaks Interstate Park, High Knob, and Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail).

Core program assets include the Cultural Center & Marketplace retail venue (formerly Heartwood), The Crooked Road heritage music trail, the 'Round the Mountain juried artisan network (over 100 regional craftspeople), Visit SWVA tourism website, SWVA Outdoors initiative, and the Marketing Access Program for regional partners. Supporting products include the Stories From SWVA podcast, LOVE SWVA Concert Series, branded merchandise (via Winze Company), SWVA Cafe, and the newly launched Creative Economy Dashboard and Destination Southwest Virginia planning initiative.

The business model is grant-funded and partnership-driven rather than transactional. Primary revenue flows from state appropriations through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, federal grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and U.S. EDA, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, and philanthropic foundations (Thompson Charitable, Anne & Gene Worrell, Rapha, Cumberland Forest Fund). Marginal revenue is generated through artisan marketplace commissions, branded merchandise sales, Cultural Center event rentals, and cafe operations. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is led by Executive Director Kim Davis.

Name

Friends of Southwest Virginia

Legal name

Friends of Southwest Virginia

Website

https://friendsofswva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friends of Southwest Virginia is a nonprofit regional economic development organization and designated Destination Marketing Organization serving 19 counties, 4 cities, and 53 towns across Southwest Virginia, operating the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace, The Crooked Road music trail, and 'Round the Mountain artisan network through grant funding and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development and Destination Marketing

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Destination marketing
• Creative economy development
• Outdoor recreation planning
• Heritage tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Abingdon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: The organization receives significant grant funding from government entities including the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to support regional development initiatives, outdoor recreation planning, creative economy assessment, and economic development projects.
2. State and Federal Government Support: Receives ongoing operational and programmatic support from Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and other state agencies as a designated regional economic development and Destination Marketing Organization.
3. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded Southwest Virginia merchandise including apparel through partnerships with local companies like Winze Company. Revenue supports regional economic sustainability and brand recognition.
4. Artisan Marketplace Sales: 'Round the Mountain Artisan Network operates retail sales at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace, selling regional artisan crafts and products with sales supporting regional creators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Friends of Southwest Virginia is a regional economic development and destination marketing organization that promotes tourism, outdoor recreation, arts, culture, and heritage across 19 counties and 4 cities in Southwest Virginia. It operates the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace as a physical destination center, promotes The Crooked Road heritage music trail, supports 'Round the Mountain artisan network, runs the Visit SWVA tourism website, and coordinates regional marketing, small business assistance, and economic development programs for localities and creative economy businesses.

Product overview

Friends of Southwest Virginia operates as a regional economic development organization offering a platform of interconnected programs and physical destinations. The core offerings include the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood) in Abingdon as the central visitor gateway, The Crooked Road heritage music trail, and 'Round the Mountain artisan network. Supporting programs include Visit SWVA tourism marketing website, the Marketing Access Program for regional partners, Destination Southwest Virginia planning initiative, SWVA Outdoors for outdoor recreation development, a Creative Economy Dashboard for data-driven planning, and the Stories From SWVA podcast. The organization serves 19 counties and 4 cities across Southwest Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visit SWVA: The region's primary visitor-facing tourism website promoting Southwest Virginia's tourism assets, outdoor recreation opportunities, and attractions.
• SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace
• SWVA Outdoors

Products and services

• Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace The regional gateway center located in Abingdon, VA that celebrates Southwest Virginia music, crafts, outdoor recreation, food and local culture. Formerly known as Heartwood, it showcases artisan work through 'Round the Mountain, presents regional music through The Crooked Road, and serves as a visitor destination center for the entire 19-county, 4-city region.
• The Crooked Road Virginia's Heritage Music Trail that recognizes and supports places where traditional acoustic string music is performed. Features live music events, concerts, and showcases at the SWVA Cultural Center and venues throughout the region, including a live music programming every Thursday at SWVA Cultural Center featuring regional musicians, open jam nights, and youth showcases.
• 'Round the Mountain Artisan Network Regional artisan network that strengthens the creative economy through artisan support, retail opportunities, membership programs, and community initiatives. Operates the Artisan Marketplace and provides merchandising services for regional craftspeople, with over 100 regional artisans represented through a juried process.
• Visit SWVA The region's primary visitor-facing website that promotes Southwest Virginia's tourism assets, outdoor recreation opportunities, and creative economy. Part of a family of regional websites being redeveloped through the partnership with Designsensory.
• Marketing Access Program (MAP) A partner marketing program that allows participants to access regional marketing programs and collaborate with partners across the region. Provides innovation, education, and marketing support for businesses and destinations.
• Destination Southwest Virginia A major regional destination development initiative designed to strengthen the region's economy by leveraging tourism, outdoor recreation, arts, culture, and heritage assets through comprehensive planning and community engagement.
• SWVA Outdoors An initiative focused on developing outdoor recreation assets across 8 anchor areas: Mount Rogers, Appalachian Trail, Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail, Clinch River, New River, Blue Ridge Parkway, Breaks Interstate Park, and High Knob.
• Tyler Flanary Bike & Skate Park World-class outdoor recreation facility featuring a UCI-rated asphalt pumptrack for competition-level biking and a competition-grade concrete skatepark with steel coping rails, serving as a destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts in Southwest Virginia.
• Southwest Virginia Branded Merchandise Branded Southwest Virginia merchandise including apparel, t-shirts, hats, and similar products sold through partnership with Winze Company in Wise, VA. Revenue supports regional economic sustainability and brand recognition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 56% increase in tourism spending since 2004
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Town of Big Stone GapmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Municipal partner in the Tyler Flanary Bike & Skate Park project at Bullitt Park. Combined investment with Friends of SWVA, ARC, Anne & Gene Worrell Foundation, Cumberland Forest Fund, and Rapha Foundation created a world-class outdoor recreation facility.
• DesignsensorymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Tennessee-based marketing agency with extensive experience in tourism and place-based marketing selected to lead redevelopment of the organization's family of regional websites including Visit SWVA, 'Round the Mountain, Friends of Southwest Virginia, and SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace.
• Destination by DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Nationally recognized destination planning and community development firm selected to lead the Southwest Virginia Creative Economy Assessment and Development Initiative. Also leading the Destination Southwest Virginia regional planning effort in partnership with Headwaters Economics.
• Headwaters EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Nationally recognized nonprofit research organization specializing in economic analysis and community development in rural regions. Partnering with Destination by Design to support the Creative Economy Assessment with data tools quantifying impact of Southwest Virginia's creative economy.
• DatafymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Tourism analytics firm selected to lead regional market research initiative providing visitor behavior insights, travel patterns, and location-based tourism intelligence across the 19-county, 4-city region.
• Future PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Nationally recognized travel research firm providing traveler sentiment analysis and industry insights for the regional tourism research initiative to understand visitor motivations and emerging travel trends.
• Buchanan CountymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Partner in the Gateways to Adventure: Buchanan & Dickenson Counties Outdoor Recreation Development Initiative, funded by Appalachian Regional Commission Area Development award. Focus on Southern Gap area connection to Breaks Interstate Park.
• Dickenson CountymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Partner in the Gateways to Adventure outdoor recreation initiative. Planning will evaluate trails, mountain biking, ATV connectivity, climbing, blueways, and water-based recreation while strengthening connections between outdoor assets and downtown communities.
• Cumberland Plateau Planning District CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Regional planning organization partnering on the Buchanan & Dickenson Counties Outdoor Recreation Development Initiative and Clinch River stream study assessment.
• City of GalaxsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Selected for the Community Mural Project through 'Round the Mountain, funded by ARC. The mural will celebrate Galax's arts and music heritage and support downtown revitalization and creative economy growth.
• Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHCD provides ongoing operational and programmatic support to Friends of Southwest Virginia and the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation. The organization was established in 2008 by the Virginia General Assembly and the Foundation became a self-sustaining community development organization with support from DHCD.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner working to foster increased expansion of the Commonwealth's economy through business location and trade opportunities.
• Virginia Tourism AuthoritysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism authority promoting and developing tourism and motion picture industries to stimulate Virginia's economy, including Virginia is for Lovers brand partnership.
• Virginia Department of Conservation and RecreationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState conservation agency protecting open space, clean water, natural habitat, safe infrastructure and access to the outdoors relevant to regional outdoor recreation development.
• U.S. Forest ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner sustaining health, diversity, and productivity of national forests and grasslands, collaborating on trail restoration and outdoor recreation asset management.
• Mount Rogers Planning District Commission (MRPDC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning organization serving Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington, and Wythe counties and cities of Bristol and Galax. Led extensive trail assessments in Mount Rogers region following Hurricane Helene.
• Winze CompanysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal clothing company in Wise, VA partnered to produce and sell Southwest Virginia branded merchandise. Partnership helps increase brand recognition while supporting local economy.
• The Crooked RoadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia's Heritage Music Trail, one of the organization's core partner organizations headquartered at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace. Promotes places where traditional acoustic string music is performed.
• 'Round the Mountain Artisan NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional artisan network headquartered at the Cultural Center, working to strengthen downtown development, community revitalization, and creative economy through artisan promotion and marketplace sales.

Scale indicators11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• 'Round the Mountain Artisan Network: A subsidiary network of more than 100 juried regional artisans operating inside the SWVA Cultural Center. Included for completeness as an adjacent operating entity within the Friends of SWVA umbrella that performs comparable craft/heritage economy development work at sub-regional scope.
• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC): Federal economic development agency covering the 13-state Appalachian region. While primarily a funding/convener rather than DMO, ARC is comparable because it shapes regional economic strategy across the same geography Friends of SWVA serves and is its largest single funding source.
• Center for Rural Strategies: A nonprofit supporting rural Appalachian communities through media, advocacy, and capacity-building. Comparable as a peer in mission (rural economic development, place-based storytelling) and in using content/podcast media to advance regional brand and policy goals.
• Outdoor Industry Association: The trade association for the U.S. outdoor recreation industry. Comparable as a peer in the outdoor recreation development and economic impact measurement space, and as a partner that helps organizations like Friends of SWVA quantify and advocate for outdoor recreation investment.

Direct peers

• Visit Asheville: A county-level DMO for Buncombe County / Asheville, NC, that closely mirrors Friends of SWVA's positioning: a creative-economy-focused regional destination built on craft beer, artisan, music heritage, and outdoor recreation in Appalachian Mountains. Direct geographic and product-market competitor for SWVA visitor share.
• Appalachian Sustainable Development: A regional nonprofit serving Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee focused on sustainable agriculture, food systems, and rural economic development. Comparable as a peer organization operating in the same geography with similar mission-driven nonprofit funding model and creative economy framing.
• Virginia Tourism Corporation: The Commonwealth of Virginia's statewide Destination Marketing Organization, operating the 'Virginia is for Lovers' brand. It is a direct peer because Friends of SWVA serves as the designated regional DMO under Virginia Tourism Corporation's umbrella and shares the destination marketing mandate, though at a sub-state regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• Travel Oregon: Oregon's statewide DMO and a recognized leader in regional destination marketing and creative economy development. Comparable as a state-level organization promoting rural destinations, outdoor recreation, food/craft culture, and creative industry clusters.
• Visit North Carolina: Statewide DMO for North Carolina, comparable to Virginia Tourism Corporation. Operates destination marketing and economic development programs at a larger geographic scale, with overlapping artisan, music heritage, and outdoor recreation strategies that compete with SWVA for visitor share.

Regional players

• Discover Puerto Rico: A DMO with a destination marketing mandate similar in scope and structure to a state/territory-level DMO. While geographically distant, its mission-driven nonprofit model with public-private funding and place-based branding strategy is comparable to Friends of SWVA's operating approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myswva
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/southwestva
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendsofSWVA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-southwest-virginia
• Instagraminstagram.com/southwest.virginia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends of Southwest Virginia