Once again, Virginia received a podium ranking from Forbes.com in its annual Best States for Business ranking. Coming in at No. 2, Virginia is the top state on the East Coast and has held first or second overall since the ranking began in 2006.

The ranking is based on six categories: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

The Commonwealth was ranked No. 1 in the category of regulatory environment. According to Forbes.com, “The state ranks on top of the regulatory category because of its strong incentive offerings and business friendly government policies." With right-to-work laws, an unemployment tax burden 32 percent lower than the national average, and a six percent corporate tax rate unchanged since 1972, companies have improved their bottom lines just by locating in Virginia.

In the important category of labor supply, Virginia came in at No. 2 and was the top state on the East Coast. With 4.1 million motivated and highly skilled workers and more than 500,000 students enrolled in Virginia’s top-ranked colleges and universities, the Commonwealth has a strong pipeline ready to fill present and future industry needs.

Virginia was ranked No. 4 in the quality of life category, a metric that is gaining increasing importance for companies making relocation decisions. Virginia has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of historic resources and is blessed with beautiful mountains, rivers and beaches, as well as 35 state parks, 22 national parks and more than 500 trails, providing an abundance of recreational opportunities for residents.

This top ranking from Forbes.com adds to the distinguished list of honors Virginia has received this year, including winning the 2011 Competitiveness Award from Site Selection magazine, a No. 2 ranking on Pollina Corporate Real Estate’s Top Pro-Business States for 2012, and No. 3 rankings on Business Facilities’ 2012 State Rankings Report and CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business list, to name a few. 

To learn why Virginia continues to receive top recognition from the industry as the premier state for business, click here.

At an event overlooking the site for the company’s new headquarters building in Tysons Corner, Va., Governor McDonnell announced Intelsat will move its U.S. headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Fairfax County in 2014. The project will bring at least 430 jobs and an investment of more than $24 million in leasehold improvements to Northern Virginia.

With plans to lease 188,000 square feet, Intelsat will be the anchor tenant at Tysons Tower, a new, 20-story office building being developed by Macerich as part of a three tower, mixed-use project at Tysons Corner Center. 

The state-of-the-art tower will be the tallest building in Tysons Corner, offering Intelsat employees panoramic views of Northern Virginia, a modern workspace, prime access to the amenities of Tysons Corner, and direct connection to the Capital Beltway and planned extension of the Metro Silver Line.

In addition, close proximity to Washington Dulles International Airport gives the Luxembourg-based company access to 80 percent of the world’s economies.

As the world’s leading provider of satellite services, Intelsat has delivered information to leading media companies, multinational corporations, Internet Service Providers and government agencies for more than 45 years. 

Intelsat’s new headquarters location in Fairfax County is not only aligned with its growing customer base, but it also offers access to a strong pipeline of highly-skilled workers. According to Cyberstates 2011, Virginia has the highest concentration of high-tech workers.

To learn why global leaders continue to select Virginia as an environment that reflects their innovative culture, click here.

Phoenix Packaging recently announced plans to invest $20 million and create 100 new jobs to expand its Virginia operation in Pulaski County. This represents the second expansion in less than two years, bringing the company’s total announcements to $58 million in capital investment and more than 400 new jobs.

Part of Virginia’s New River Valley region, Pulaski County also serves as the company’s North American Headquarters. Phoenix Packing is a subsidiary of Grupo Phoenix, a leading Latin American manufacturer of packaging products targeting the food and disposable consumer product industries.

Seeking closer proximity to its U.S. customers, the company first selected Virginia in 2010 from more than 40 other possible sites. Virginia competed against Arizona for this latest expansion project and has successfully competed against Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, California and Nevada over the last three years. 

After investigating options overseas, Phoenix Packaging’s decision to remain and grow its Virginia operation illustrates just how well the Commonwealth competes on a global level.

Virginia’s strategic location, premier transportation infrastructure, skilled workforce, world-class higher education institutions, and competitive operating costs were all leading factors in the company’s multiple decisions for Virginia.

In addition, Virginia’s growing food and beverage industry, a primary market for Phoenix Packaging, proved to be an attractive asset. With names like Kraft Foods, Nestle and Hershey, Virginia boasts more than 550 food and beverage manufacturing companies that have invested $1.9 billion in the Commonwealth over the last decade. In fact, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, one of Phoenix Packaging’s customers, announced last year it would invest $180 million to establish a production and distribution facility in Isle of Wight County, Va.

To learn why Virginia manufacturers continue to find success in the Commonwealth, investing more than $13.8 billion over the last decade, click here.

Rolls-Royce recently announced it will begin construction on a second advanced manufacturing facility at its Crosspointe campus in Prince George County, Va., which is expected to bring a $136 million investment and 140 new jobs to the Central Virginia region.

The 90,000-square-foot Advanced Airfoil Machining Facility will be located on Rolls-Royce’s 1,000-acre campus, adjacent to its Rotatives manufacturing facility. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

The Advanced Airfoil Machining Facility will produce turbine blades and nozzle guide vanes for advanced aero engines used in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus 380 and Airbus 350. Using Rolls-Royce’s advanced machining technology and proprietary high-speed cutting process, the company has the ability to precisely shape specialized materials and efficiently produce durable engine components.

Driven by growth for its aero engines, the company continues to expand its Crosspointe facility, making it the largest and most advanced Rolls-Royce campus in North America. Rolls-Royce’s vision for the Crosspointe campus is to create a hub of advanced manufacturing innovation, with partnerships between leading research universities, government and businesses. 

To date, the Crosspointe campus includes the company’s Rotatives facility, which opened in May 2011 as a center of excellence to manufacture the company’s engine discs. Also at Crosspointe, CCAM opened this fall as an applied research center, joining leading Virginia universities and manufacturing companies to bring real-world solutions to market more quickly.

With ample space and a robust, industrial-grade infrastructure for additional facilities, Rolls-Royce’s Crosspointe Campus is poised to attract suppliers and continue its growth as a leading center for advanced manufacturing.

To learn more about the Rolls-Royce Crosspointe Campus and Virginia’s capabilities in the advanced manufacturing space, click on the highlighted links.

A rendering of Rolls-Royce's Advanced Airfoil Machining Facility at its Crosspointe campus in Prince George County, Va.

HanesBrands recently announced plans to expand its Woolwine plant in Patrick County, Va., through a $1.6 million investment.

The company will upgrade the plant with high-speed manufacturing equipment that will double current capacity and allow the company to increase production of performance fabrics in the women’s sports market. 

The investment will bring 50 new jobs and retain 215 jobs at the Patrick County operation. In addition, HanesBrands employs a workforce of 400 at its distribution center in nearby Martinsville, Va.

HanesBrands has a long history in the region and the company’s positive experience with Virginia’s pro-business climate and advanced manufacturing workforce helped ensure the Commonwealth was selected once again.

Southern Virginia maintains a rich heritage of textile operations, and this investment illustrates Virginia’s manufacturing prowess in the competitive worldwide apparel industry.

With more than 6,000 manufacturers located in Virginia, the Commonwealth has seen more than $13.8 billion in capital investment from manufacturing companies over the last 10 years. To learn more about Virginia’s advanced manufacturing industry, click here.

WEIGHTPACK Inc. recently announced plans to move its headquarters from Italy and expand its existing operation in Powhatan County, Va. The project will bring a $2.6 million investment and 35 new jobs to the Central Virginia region.

WEIGHTPACK is a packaging machinery company that designs and builds complete lines for the filling and capping of liquid product containers, with applications in the beverage, home care, personal care, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

The company has operated in Powhatan since 2001, and the decision to move its global headquarters to the same location illustrates how well Virginia’s business environment, workforce, and logistics infrastructure compete at a global level.

The Powhatan location is poised to become a major production hub as the company transitions to a more vertically integrated supply chain, providing for growing customer demand in the North and South American and Asian markets.

Powhatan County’s strong quality of life and access to Virginia’s world-class transportation network make it a premier location. WEIGHTPACK has historically used the international Port of Virginia for importing component parts. With the expansion of the production facility, the company expects to increase its exports through the port to reach international markets.

As global companies continue to bring high technology, manufacturing jobs to the U.S., Virginia stands ready to fulfill industry needs with a strong pipeline of highly-skilled, advanced manufacturing employees.

To learn more about Virginia’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and why more than 6,000 manufacturing establishments have located in the Commonwealth, click here.

The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) received its full certificate of occupancy and opened its facility in Prince George County, Va., this September. CCAM has been steadily growing both in members and machinery and is expected to host a grand opening event in spring 2013.

CCAM has added three Tier 2 and three Tier 3 industry members over the last few months, bringing the total number of participating companies to 14.

The applied research center includes a high bay area, five machining labs, five computational labs, a visualization lab, meeting rooms with conferencing ability, open and modular workstations, and a cafeteria.

With participation from its industry partners and university members, engineers at the center are currently working on 10 research projects. One project involves adaptive machining, which uses specialized equipment to measure and make adjustments in real time as components are being manufactured, leading to improved performance and lower costs.

Another project incorporates multi-modal part inspection, which uses imagery to obtain information and identify small defects early in the manufacturing process, allowing any issues to be fixed before entering into high-rate production.

CCAM is another example of the public-private partnership between Virginia’s leading universities and world-class manufacturing companies to bring real-world solutions to the market more quickly. To learn more about CCAM, visit www.ccam-va.com.

CCAM’s high bay area includes a Laser Powder Deposition Machine and the Sulzer Metco Thermal Spray Cell, pictured below.

Since going on the road in spring 2010, the STEM Mobile Learning Lab has hosted 15,000 visitors in more than 300 locations. The lab offers numerous hands-on experiments as a method of educating K-12 students and members of the community in STEM subjects—science, technology, education and math.

The STEM Mobile Learning Lab was established by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), a research, education and conference institute based in Danville, Va.

The 38-foot trailer contains multiple work stations, a clean area for experiments and a movie screen. Its impressive equipment list includes several laptops, high resolution microscopes, an HDTV video monitor, and additional demonstration gear. 

The STEM Mobile Learning Lab offers experiments in the areas of nanotechnology and renewable energy. Leading by example, the flex-fuel truck that tows the lab can run on either diesel fuel or cooking oil.

Using the STEM Mobile Learning Lab, students can participate in experiments that compare the energy efficiency of CFL and incandescent light bulbs, see how wind and solar power work, learn about energy conservation and how to weatherize doors and windows, and even look at microscopic particles on their own skin.

Preparing students to join the Commonwealth’s world-class workforce in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math is key to keeping Virginia at the top. According to Cyberstates 2011, Virginia has the nation’s highest concentration of high-tech workers.

To learn more about Virginia’s premier education system and quality workforce, click here.

Students use high resolution microscopes to participate in one of the many hands-on experiments offered by the STEM Mobile Learning Lab.

VEDP’s International Trade division recently released an exporting guide focused on the unique needs of service companies called “Exporting Services: A Guide for New Exporters.”

Some of the issues addressed in the guide include assessing export readiness, understanding export regulations, identifying a target market, protecting intellectual property, acquiring work permits and certifications, developing a market entry strategy, and negotiating financing and payment terms.

The services industry is thriving in Virginia—professional, scientific and technical services was the top sector for job creation in 2011, announcing 12,769 new jobs. With human capital as the major input, it’s no surprise that Virginia’s highly skilled workforce has proved to be a key advantage in growing this sector.

According to The Brookings Institution, Virginia’s service exports accounted for 42.6 percent of the state’s total exports in 2010, illustrating an opportunity to grow Virginia’s exports in a sector where the Commonwealth has the resources to leverage its success into international markets.

Helping Virginia companies grow sales overseas not only benefits Virginia businesses, but it also creates jobs at home. According to The Brookings Institution, Virginia exports supported more than 236,000 jobs in 2010.

To learn how VEDP’s International Trade division can help your company grow, go to www.exportvirginia.org.

Fortune 500 company Celanese Corp. just announced it will invest $150 million to convert its Celco Plant in Giles County, Va., from coal-fired to natural-gas fired boilers. The project will create 22 new full-time jobs, as well as employ an estimated 200 construction workers.

Celanese Corp. is a global technology leader engaged in the production of specialty materials and chemical products used in a wide variety of industries and applications. The Virginia Celco Plant has helped make the company a leading producer of cellulose acetate tow, used in filter media.

The Celco Plant first established operations in Giles County, Va., in 1939 and is the largest employer in the county. Positioned along the New River and Route 460, this location offers the unique combination of a picturesque setting between the mountains, easy access to I-81, and close proximity to Virginia Tech and the region’s skilled and educated workforce.

This investment will allow the company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while updating equipment to improve its energy efficiency—two goals aligned with the company’s core values of sustainability and operational excellence.

This project continues the positive trend of Virginia manufacturers making significant investments to upgrade to more environmentally-friendly sources of energy. Last year, MeadWestvaco announced plans to invest $285 million to construct a new, state-of-the-art biomass boiler at its Covington plant, and just last week RockTenn hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a natural gas pipeline to its West Point mill.

To learn why leading manufacturers continue to invest in the Commonwealth, bringing more than $13.8 billion in projects over the last decade, click here.

A view of the Celco Plant from across the New River.

Today, VEDP launched the YesVA app for iPad, iPhone and Android devices available for download by visiting www.YesVirginia.org/app or through the App Store and Google Play Store.

The YesVA app is an interactive tool that allows clients and site selection consultants to perform site and building searches and compare Virginia to other states, directly from a mobile device.

The YesVA app allows users to perform the following actions:
   •  Explore Virginia’s existing inventory of available properties in an easy-to-use map
   •  Navigate properties by type and narrow down options based on user requirements
   •  Save properties for later and share them with contacts
   •  View 1:1 attributes of how Virginia compares to other states in major business categories
   •  View profiles for each of the communities, regions and MSAs in Virginia
   •  View recent industry announcements for each community
   •  Communicate with VEDP regarding any of the properties within the app

By helping companies make the most informed decision on business locations, the YesVA app is yet another example of an innovative tool developed by VEDP to market Virginia as a top state for business.

To download the free YesVa app, visit www.YesVirginia.org/app or go directly to the App Store and Google Play Store.

A view from the main screen of the YesVa app.