Company moves to Beach for its ease of travel

VIRGINIA BEACH

It's not something economic developers hear very often - a business moving to Hampton Roads to have more access to commercial airline flights.

But for a small company that operated for nearly two decades on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod in Massachusetts, the region seems a hub of air travel.

The Bead Goes On, an importer and distributor of specialty beads and silver jewelry, packed up last year and headed hundreds of miles down the East Coast to set up shop in a small Virginia Beach warehouse near Lynnhaven Mall.

"The bottom line was we had to get off Martha's Vineyard because of the inconvenience of travel," said Sally Roesler, the company's owner. "We have wholesale clients from around the country, and the airport here is a major improvement over Martha's Vineyard."

Roesler started the company in 1989 and began importing beads from Thailand, Nepal and Indonesia. The next year, she opened a retail store called Beadniks.

In 2003, Roesler began franchising the bead store, marketing the idea to some of her longtime customers. The company now has eight franchise locations across the country, and last year had revenue of nearly $900,000 between warehouse sales and franchise fees.

The decision to relocate came after Roesler began traveling more regularly to trade shows and conferences to promote the franchise. She also often would invite potential clients to visit her operations.

Before settling on Virginia Beach, Roesler considered Las Vegas; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Charleston, S.C.

Roesler also cited the region's lower cost of living and lower costs to import goods through the port of Hampton Roads. She said the port's proximity to her Virginia Beach warehouse, where she employs six people including herself and her husband, is also helpful.

The company's franchise stores are in Martha's Vineyard; Chicago; Santa Monica, Calif.; Denver; Park City, Utah; Naples, Fla.; West Chester, Pa.; and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.

Roesler said she hopes she can sell the idea for a store in Virginia Beach.

Warren Harris, the city's economic development director, said it's not often that a business decides to move to Virginia Beach for commercial airline access.

"That's very unique," he said. "For the corporate exec, there is a greater desire for access to direct flights and international flights."

For Roesler, even the ability to travel by car, if through tunnels, was a bonus.

"Now, I don't have to take the ferry," she said.

Josh Brown, (757) 446-2318, josh.brown@pilotonline.com