With all the hype about buying local and how entrepreneurship is what is going to save this country during this recession, we were so pleased to receive the news that Forbes had named Lynchburg as one of the “Best Places for Business and Careers in the US” this past April.

We already knew that Lynchburg is a great place to work, play and raise a family, but to have it officially recognized to the rest of the world is always encouraging. According to the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce, Lynchburg climbed from 70th in 2009 to 28th in this year’s study of the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country. The study was based on costs, job growth, income growth, educational attainment, projected economic growth and quality of life metrics. Lynchburg rated higher than Washington D.C., Roanoke, Virginia Beach and Richmond.

We are proud of the fact that HOME plays an important role in supporting our local economy and driving these statistics. In every issue we encourage you to find solutions for home improvement and then follow through by hiring the businesses in this area to make your ideas come to life. Next time you think about logging on to the Internet to buy your next home or garden item, or even consider traveling to a nearby city to find what you’re looking for, open the pages of HOME and try one of your neighbor’s businesses first. Maybe next year we will climb to first place!

—COLLEEN AND JULIE