ABINGDON, VA – The Friends of Southwest Virginia announced today an upcoming partnership with local business Winze Company of Wise, VA and a merchandise program for all sales of Southwest Virginia branded product. This announcement comes on the heels of a reorganization for the Friends of SWVA, as well as the hiring of a new Executive Director, Chris Cannon, in June of 2017. The Friends of Southwest Virginia represents 19 counties, four cities, and 54 towns in Southwest Virginia and introduces a different side of Virginia to residents and visitors alike.

“Working with Winze Company thus far has been inspiring. Blake Salyer and his team at Winze Company are a first-class business and we are excited to bring Southwest Virginia product to local residents and visitors,” said Chris Cannon, Executive Director for the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Friends of Southwest Virginia. “Blake came to us a few months ago, wanting to give back to the Southwest Virginia region. We explored his ideas more and landed on, what we think, will be a mutually beneficial partnership.”

Jenna Wagner, PR and Marketing Director for the Friends of Southwest Virginia, added that “We are very excited to begin this program and start working with Winze Company. Since the launch of the Southwest Virginia regional brand in October of 2016, we’ve had a lot of interest in t-shirts, hats and many other forms of merchandise. This relationship will be a win, win for both groups. Not only will this merchandise help to increase the recognition of the Southwest Virginia brand, it will provide a cost-effective avenue for partners across the region to sell SWVA merchandise.”

Friends of Southwest Virginia is a non-profit organization that focuses on community and economic development through tourism and the creative economy and is a designated Destination Marketing Organization for the region. The new product line announced today, is a representation of Southwest Virginia and its unique assets. “The fact that this partnership is helping a local business, is just icing on the cake. As a regional marketing organization, we pride ourselves on being storytellers. This new product line helps to showcase much of the unique vibe of Southwest Virginia,” added Jenna Wagner.

The Winze Company is a clothing company developed right in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Their mission is to create high quality apparel that reflects a heritage and history unique to our “neck of the woods.” The breathtaking yet rugged beauty nearly hidden in these mountains render inspiration expressed in each piece of clothing or accessory they produce. Every item purchased, will not only benefit the Winze Company, but will also benefit the economic sustainability of the Appalachian region. It is Winze Company’s purpose and promise to use any success we have to foster improvement and expansion of the local economy. To get where you’re going, you must know where you came from.

Blake Salyer, owner of Winze Company, said his entire team is excited about partnering with Friends of Southwest Virginia.

“The Friends of Southwest Virginia are doing amazing things to promote Southwest Virginia. We’re excited to be a small piece of the larger puzzle,” Blake Salyer said. “Not only are we going to be producing merchandise for Southwest Virginia, but we will also be helping to tell the Southwest Virginia story through content generation.”

“We want to tell the story and experience that is SWVA. This is just the great new start of many opportunities for Southwest Virginia’s localities, businesses, individuals, artists and residents to reach the world in a whole new way,“ added Chris Cannon.

Stay connected with Southwest Virginia and Winze Company on their social media and websites for new product launches and information on where to purchase. Southwest Virginia merchandise is currently available here. Launch discount code is SWVA10.[/text]Download Press Release[clear by=”15px” id=”” class=””]Learn More about SWVA Merchandise