Ledger

Startup help

Frederick County has teamed up with the state so local entrepreneurs can submit business licenses online at Virginia's Business One Stop website, according to Peter Su, director of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance.

Online submission integrates the initial application requirements of Frederick County, and registering certain businesses can be done completely online.

Business One Stop also helps small business owners with information on starting, running and expanding their ventures.

Visit http://bos.virginia.gov or call the Virginia Business Information Center at (866) 248-8814 for information.

Best Companies

Edward Jones was ranked No. 5 on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in 2012" list.

It is the 13th time on the list, said Ann M. Stalbird, financial adviser for Edward Jones in Woodstock. The company also ranked No. 3 for large-sized companies and No. 2 for work-life balance for associates.

The company was the highest ranking financial services firm on the list.

'Greenest' Award

Trex Company, Winchester, took top honors in the decking products category of the Green Builder Media 2012 Reader's Choice Brand Study. More than 50 percent of participating readers picked Trex decking as the "greenest" in the industry.

Trex is the world's largest manufacturer of high performance wood-alternative decking and railing.

Workers donate

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative employees, through their Project Big Heart, donated more than $50,000 in 2011 to the areas the company serves.

The project was formed in the early 1990s and has made "significant contributions" to local communities since, said Rhonda F. Curtis, manager of cooperative communications.

REC provides electric service in parts of 22 Virginia counties and has a general office in Fredericksburg. It maintains more than 16,000 miles of power lines throughout its service area.