Regulus Group is tops for the year

View larger image Suzanne Roulston, right, is a partner with Regulus Group in Woodstock while Kelley Phillips serves as creative design/office manager. Rich Cooley//Daily

Company provides engineering support for FAA and Pentagon

By Kaitlin Mayhew -- kmayhew@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Regulus Group LLC was named the business of the year on Tuesday at the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting banquet.

The chamber also honored People Inc. as the organization of the year, and Dan Dellinger as the citizen of the year.

Regulus Group provides system engineering, program management and air traffic support for Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense programs.

Karl and Suzanne Roulston started Regulus Group LLC in their Woodstock home in 2001. Since then, it has grown into a 60-employee business with four office locations and five partners.

The headquarters is still in Woodstock on Main Street, where 11 employees operate.
Mrs. Roulston, who was present to receive the award at Tuesday's banquet, said she was surprised when she heard Regulus Group won.

"There are so many great businesses in Woodstock that could've won," she said.

Regulus Group has become increasingly involved in community activities and charity fundraising events in the last few years. It participates in annual Valley Foundation events, and two years ago started its own Woodstock Turkey Trot, which is a 5K and 10K run. Proceeds from the event were donated to the Shenandoah County Free Clinic and A Small Hand. Leftover food also was donated to local food pantries.

Mrs. Roulston said she has enjoyed becoming more involved with the local businesses community.

"The Woodstock Chamber of Commerce is a really vibrant group," she said. "There's a lot of synergy between all the different organizations trying to promote the area."

The next charity event planned for the group's participation is the Valley Foundation's St. Patrick's Day-themed benefit fundraiser. Proceeds will benefit the Woodstock/Edinburg Little League and the Blue Ridge Food Bank.

On Jan. 3, Regulus Group opened a subsidiary business, the Pollywog Place day-care center in Woodstock. The idea for Pollywog Place stemmed from the needs of Regulus Group employees.

"We had a lot of employees needing child care and we thought this would be a great thing for the community," Roulston said. "[Day care] is not part of our main objective as Regulus Group, but it adds to the quality of life for our employees."

Roulston said there are no plans to create more subsidiary businesses like Pollywog Place, but that the possibility is never off the table.

"You never know what problem might pop up that we have to solve," she said. "A lot of it is driven by our employees' needs."