BLACKSBURG, Va. – Henritze Dental Group, based in Roanoke, is now recognized as one of the most successful Virginia Tech alumni-led businesses.
Virginia Tech football fans may know the story behind the lunch pail, but its symbolism of hard work goes beyond the football field.
The Lunch Pail 100 list is an annual list that honors the fastest growing and most successful Hokie-led companies.
This year, Henritze Dental Group, led by Class of 1993 Hokie, Dr. Andy Henritze, received the honor.
“To be a part of the Hokie community all the time is great. But to be recognized as one of the fastest growing companies that are led by Virginia Tech Hokies is a true honor,” said Henritze.
Henritze Dental Group took off in 2018 and since then, there have opened nine locations across Southwest Virginia along with three specialty groups, including the Southwest Virginia Sleep Center, which opened last month.
“Certainly the need was there and I think that’s the biggest thing in recognizing that, just like medicine 25 years ago started to consolidate for different reasons, you started to see it coming in dentistry,” said Henritze. “And now it’s actually here so to be ahead of the game and try to make it look the way I feel dentistry needs to be to be able to provide top quality dentistry to our community and they absolutely deserve it.”
Not only does Henritze consider making the Lunch Pail 100 list an honor, but he said it’s also a way to network with fellow Hokie entrepreneurs.
“When you are an upstart and an entrepreneur there are so many roadblocks that are in your way. So to have people who’ve lived it, and been through the process to be able to reach out to someone who is also a Hokie is immeasurable,” Henritze said.
Henritze Dental Group is the only Roanoke-based business to make this year’s Lunch Pail 100 list.
This year’s list features businesses from across the country, including some based in Danville and Blacksburg.