08-05-2025
Noke Van Co close to resuming some operations one month after fire
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — When Roanoke-based adventure van company Noke Van Co lost its building to a fire in early April, that could have been the end.
But even in the days that followed the blaze, owners Keri and Justin VanBlaricom say quitting was never an option.
'In the Monday morning meeting after the fire, I was like, 'No one lost their job,'' said Justin VanBlaricom, who also acts as CEO of the company. ''I'll do whatever it takes to keep everybody because they're all a part of the family.''
The team quickly identified a new building, just around 100 yards away from the original location, still in Riverdale industrial park.
'Because of the building we were in, we were able to grow into who we are, and that was a huge blessing to us,' said Justin VanBlaricom. 'We felt very firmly after this that we wanted to stay in Riverdale, we wanted to be here. We wanted to be in the city of Roanoke.'
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Now, just a month after the fire, Noke Van Co is hoping to restart at least a portion of its operations by the end of this week, as they continue to renovate the new space.
The reboot for Noke Van Co 2.0, as the team is calling it, will begin with resuming the rental van program and unveiling the new service and upgrade bay.
'We're 23 business days out of the fire and having a turnaround like that, from losing everything to being back in business within 30 business days, it's pretty remarkable,' said Justin VanBlaricom.
The owners say they have the community to thank for the speed of this resurgence.
A GoFundMe started shortly after the fire has raised nearly $50,000, which has helped the company keep its 20-person staff on hand.
They have also received help from a number of local businesses, who have put on fundraisers in addition to providing meals and meeting spaces for the team.
Noke Van Co plans to honor that community support with a wall that separates the two main sections of the new building.
'That wall is just going to be logos of people and companies that have helped us because there's just too many to name,' said Justin VanBlaricom. 'We want to see that every day and know what got us to the point of being able to get back open.'
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