Danville man cashing in on casino early
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YANCEYVILLE, N.C. — One Danville man is already all-in as Caesars Entertainment prepares to break ground on its Danville casino resort in December.
Jay Yow, a Danville native and graduate of George Washington High School, together with his partner Ronnie Randall of Yanceyville, launched Dan Vegas Designs in late summer 2020 – months before Caesars Virginia was approved by a convincing 68 percent of Danville City voters.
"I've been in the business well over 20 years," Yow said. "In July 2020 I left [a] company and decided to open up my own shop."
Yow and Randall run their merchandising operation out of a residential-home-turned-business at 693 Melvin Wrenn Road in Yanceyville, about 15 minutes south of Danville.
"Everybody called Danville 'Dan Vegas' as a joke," said Yow, who was born in 1966 and recalls hearing the phrase "Dan Vegas" since the 1970s. "I think the idea behind it was that we had so much crime, it was like Las Vegas."
Yow, an avid golfer and casino enthusiast, was excited to hear a Caesars resort was en route to his hometown and lifelong place of residence.
"I'm happy for it," he said of the casino. "I always have a yearly pilgrimage out to Las Vegas. I usually go the second week in October – been doing it since 2002. It's just fun."
In the printing and merchandising business for more than two decades, Yow also does branding for the Caswell County Chamber of Commerce and the Bright Leaf Hoedown in Yanceyville, as well as businesses such as Furniture World in Danville and Top Notch Landscaping in Graham, North Carolina.
"Business is steady," Yow said. "I still don't think a lot of people know that we're here. A lot of my business so far has been people that I've dealt with in the past. We're just trying to get our name out there."
Dan Vegas Designs produces shirts, hats, signs, mugs, mouse pads, koozies – you name it.
"We're hoping Caesars will want to use our marketing tool, Dan Vegas, and we'll work with them on that," said Yow, who also serves on the board of directors for the Danville Harvest Jubilee.
Supplying branded souvenirs to tourists visiting Danville to experience the $500 million Caesars casino resort after it opens in late 2023 would be a plus, Yow said, but right now, the business is focused on catering Dan Vegas pride to area residents.
"Large-scale production with the casino would be great," Yow said, "but a lot of the designs I would say are more local-based. Even our logo has got the Three Sisters. Long-term, if the Dan Vegas brand gets real big, that is what we thought would be the idea, but doing all the other jobs for the local people, right now – that is the niche that we're in."
Randall handles the financial side of the business, while Yow handles everything else – design, production, customer service and advertising. Yow said he sees himself hiring a few employees after the casino opens its doors.
"I thought it looked beautiful," Yow said of the casino design. "Considering that area now, Dan River Mills is an eyesore. To have something that is going to look that nice and impressive – it's only going to help the community through taxes and whatnot."
Along with Dan Vegas Designs, Yow has trademarked "D Vegas," "Vegas by the Dan," "Casino Life" and "Doing it Southern Style," a subtle nod to hopes of a future southern apparel line out of Yanceyville. Yow began pursuing the Dan Vegas Designs trademark in August 2020.
"I see the casino as a plus," Yow said. "It is a good cashflow for the city because on the Schoolfield side of town, you see a lot of empty buildings. For tourists and residents of Danville, it's a win for the city."
"It's going to be a top-notch casino," Yow said. "I just see the positive."
