Union Hotel, a delightful experience, one-of-a-kind atmosphere

Local partners see dream come true

When Travis Collins and Rodney Bair decided to go into business together, they easily could have set up shop closer to the metropolitan centers where their stone counter tops and fixtures would be hot commodities.

Instead, they chose to stay at home in Everett. Bedford County, they knew, was a special place to live and work and they wanted to remain a part of a community where they knew they could grow their company while enjoying a high quality of life. BC Stone is now a highly successful company that values its committed staff, and its quality craftsmanship.

With the pilot light of the entrepreneurial spirit still burning inside them, Rodney and Travis set their sights on the Union Hotel. When they looked at it, they saw what many could not see – a thriving business, an attractive destination and an anchor for downtown Everett.

“There are many reasons that we decided to pursue the Union Hotel project,” said Collins. “Rod and I always wanted to own a restaurant. We were bringing business people to our facility at BC Stone and really didn’t have a place to take them to talk privately over lunch. We figured we could restore the hotel to a much higher scale than it was originally and have it serve as a showroom for our BC Stone products at the same time.  We now have a great marketing tool for BC Stone and a place that lures tourists to the area.”

Clearly, the renaissance of the Union Hotel has been a win for the entire Bedford County community.

And because of the two men with the vision to restore the place, jobs have been created in the area. The Union Hotel currently has 44 employees, 10 regular rooms and two honeymoon suites.

 “We have two conference rooms, three dining rooms, an upstairs bar and a basement tavern,” said Collins.   There are also five flat-screen televisions and a large screen in a separate lounge room. It’s the perfect setting for small- and medium-sized business gatherings.

“Our goal is to provide great tasting food in a leisurely dining experience. We think we have a one-of –kind atmosphere.  Our facility is definitely our main competitive advantage.  We constantly hear that the Union Hotel would be at home in Manhattan or any epicenter in the world.”

Realizing that there are cross-promotional opportunities, Collins said that BC Stone is a good marketing tool for the Union Hotel. “We are in a half dozen homes a day within a five hour radius of Everett in which we can individually market the Union,” he explained.

Collins and Bair are proud of the organizations they have created in Bedford County and understand their role in the community.

“I think we all have a responsibility to give back and improve our surrounding communities, to improve the quality of life.  As business leaders, we need to do this by example.  We have been given much, therefore much is expected of us,” Collins said.

Collins and Bair are gratified to be providing jobs for the community, but they also see other ways to contribute to Bedford County.  For example, the partners converted the old BCS building into a fitness center for the local community. They have both been active in numerous community organizations including Everett’s Pop Warner football program. They are in the third year of helping revive the Bloody Run Canoe Classic, a big event that had fallen dormant for a few years.

“With a lot of help from REI, we have been very successful in getting it going again,” said Collins.

Collins, who eschews any attention for his community involvement, is active in his church and remains an important contributor to the BCDA.