Originally an agricultural economy, Bedford's industrial development began in 1880, and since that time industrial growth has been consistent and often fostered by the involvement of local citizens. In the early 1980s, the city undertook renovation of its historic downtown district and became one of Virginia's first Main Street Cities. Its boundaries include the Blue Ridge Mountains on the west, the James River on the northeast and Smith Mountain Lake on the south. The area has a rolling to hilly terrain with elevations from 800 feet to 4,200 feet above sea level. The Bedford area labor force is adequate for existing and future industrial needs.
Workers are plentiful in the area.
A the end of 1995, the combined Bedford area and Lynchburg MSA Civilian Labor Force totaled 138,425. Twenty-nine percent of the Bedford area work force is employed in manufacturing. Service, retail trade, local government and construction are the next largest employers. The Lynchburg and Roanoke regional airports provide air service to the Bedford area. In Lynchburg, commercial air service is provided by US Air and United Express with 20 daily departures to four major hub airports.