The Roanoker - January/February 2015 - 79

people to stop and talk to the people at the booth."
The studios' projects use technology like 3D laser
scanning and computer-guided cutting machines
and are made out of materials like foam, plastic and
fiberglass.
Shops that compete with 4DD Studios are mostly
located in Florida and California, near tourist attractions, according to Hatcher. The 58-year-old thinks
working in Western Virginia gives him an edge - and
the cheaper rent isn't the only reason.
"I believe in the area," Hatcher says. "There's a great
amount of talent here. It's underutilized."
Hatcher currently employs between five and six
employees full-time. Over the years, his payroll has
included sculptors, painters and industrial designers.
Hatcher includes Mark Cline, the crafter of whimsy
who gave us Natural Bridge's Foamhenge, and Roanoke sand sculptor Alan Matsumoto among his occasional collaborators.
Hatcher describes himself as a fabricator and problem solver. In 2005, he sold a Smith Mountain Lake
island he owned as well as his dock building business

7. General Warehousing and Storage
8. Commercial and Institutional Building
Construction
9. Religious Organizations
10.Temporary Help Services
The above list above does not, however, preclude growth in other areas. Joyce
Waugh, president of the Roanoke Valley
Chamber of Commerce, sees expansion in
manufacturing because of the "deep roots"
of such companies, referring to the other
THE

R OANOKER.COM

before settling in to think about what came next.
"I didn't have enough money to retire," Hatcher
explains. "I spent a year thinking, 'I've got to go back
to work. What would be the coolest thing I can do?'"
He came up with 4DD Studios.
Keeping the business afloat has sometimes been a
struggle. A fire seriously damaged 4DD Studio's building in Southeast Roanoke in 2011, forcing Hatcher to
start over. As this article goes to print, the company's
studio on Shenandoah Ave. has been sold and Hatcher
is hunting for a new facility.
"It's all right," he says. "Everything we've got is on
wheels."
Sometimes, commissions get thin. Other times,
employees are so swamped they work round the clock.
"We have slept on the floor," Hatcher admits.
As for his bottom line, Hatcher says 4DD Studios
is "barely" making enough money to stay open. "It's
taken a lot to keep it going," he explains.
Still, he remains optimistic. "Now that we've been
here for a while, we're getting opportunities to look
at some really cool stuff."

Products from Techlab
(left) are sold in 47
countries. The Corrugated
Container team of the
Higginbotham brothers
(above) includes, from left,
Jerry (VP Manufacturing),
Ronnie (VP Engineering),
John (VP Sales), and Dave
(President).

TECHLAB: 'NO. 1 IN THE NO 2 BUSINESS'
Location: Blacksburg and Radford
Product: Diagnostics for Intestinal Diseases
TechLab probably isn't the right work environment for
the prim and proper.
The New River Valley biotech company develops and
manufactures diagnostics for intestinal diseases.

jobs that spring from manufacturing such as
suppliers and vendors. Mersen USA, a manufacturing company that extends into sectors
such as energy, transportation, electronics,
chemical, pharmaceutical and process industries, will soon invest $5.7 million to expand
its operation in Salem, creating 50 new jobs.
The Office of Economic Development for
the City of Roanoke is establishing the Business Accelerator in downtown Roanoke, an
organization that will support technology

start-ups with mentoring and resources.
Jonathan Whitt, president and CEO of the
Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council,
echoes the strength of tech sectors in our
area.
The Virginia Employment Commission
employer listings lets you search for employers by keyword, industry, sales volume, size
range, and more.
For this data and more: VirginiaLMI.com

-MARTHA BOURLAKAS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

http://www.VirginiaLMI.com

The Roanoker - January/February 2015

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