Orvis celebrates, seeks VA conservation projects

Orvis is celebrating its 20th year operating a massive distribution facility in Roanoke, Va. Massive might even be an understatement.

Company officials say Orvis is projected to do about $335 million in business this year. A big chunk of the merchandise responsible for that hefty figure will flow through Roanoke, where roughly 575 employees work in a facility that covers 335,000 square feet.

Like most northern folk they were afraid they might not be able to understand us.

The Perkins brothers also admitted there was some anxiety about, of all things, the accents of the customer service representatives. "We were worried about it," said CFO Dave Perkins with a chuckle. "We were a New England company."

However, southern hospitality won out in the end.

The employees from Roanoke were extremely courteous and friendly, with great attitudes.
"Yankees aren't all that friendly," Perkins added, still laughing.

Its a win win for anglers as Orvis seeks to bring conservation dollars to the area.

Now, as Orvis tries to increase its profile in Roanoke and Virginia, the effort will center on a subject that also is not surprising for a fly fishing company: conservation.
Rigney and the Perkins brothers said Orvis has been discussing ideas with officials from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries regarding potential projects.
"We're looking for the right project to get behind," Perk Perkins said.

We give them a thumbs up!

Read the Mark Taylor article via Roanoke.com