Virginia has done it again, receiving another top ranking on the Forbes.com annual Best States for Business study. Virginia ranked No. 4 this year and had previously held the No. 1 or 2 spot since the inception of the study in 2006. While we are accustomed to a higher billing, Virginia is honored to receive the continued recognition from Forbes as a best state for business.

The Forbes.com ranking is based on six categories pulled from 36 points of data — costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

Highlights for the Commonwealth of Virginia include the No. 1 ranking for its regulatory environment. Forbes.com touted Virginia’s strong incentive offerings and business-friendly government policies.

Virginia ranked No. 2 for labor supply and was the top state on the East Coast. The Commonwealth’s skilled and well-educated workforce has long been esteemed by Virginia companies as a key component in their success. In addition, Virginia has the highest concentration of high-tech workers according to the TechAmerica Foundation’s Cyberstates 2013.

Virginia received a No. 5 ranking for quality of life. The Commonwealth’s favorable cost of living combined with access to natural resources, from the ocean to the mountains, and its historical, cultural and sports and entertainment offerings make Virginia a great place to live and work.

Concern over the effects of sequestration led to a lower score in the growth prospects category, ultimately affecting Virginia’s overall ranking this year. The growth prospects category includes a five-year forecast from Moody’s Analytics.

VEDP and the Virginia economic development community have long realized the potential impact of sequestration to our economy, and today’s No. 4 ranking further illustrates the new economic challenge facing Virginia.    

The Commonwealth is committed to attracting new jobs and capital investment, and cultivating new economic growth through a proactive and aggressive economic development program. Initiatives like VEDP’s Going Global Defense Initiative, which helps Virginia defense companies mitigate the impact of federal spending cuts by launching an international strategy and growing revenue in markets overseas, will play an important role as we build a new Virginia economy.

In the meantime, Virginia takes pride in our strong showing in the 2014 Forbes.com Best States for Business report. We continue to be ranked a best state because Virginia offers a business-friendly environment, favorable operating costs, a top workforce and premier East Coast location and transportation network. To learn why companies have prospered in the Commonwealth for more than 400 years, click here.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corp.

The Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation was recently established in Halifax County, Va., through the merging of the National Tire Research Center and SoVa Motion.

The facility will remain at the Virginia Motorsports Technology Park, adjacent to the Virginia International Raceway, which is the longest motorsports road course in the U.S. with 4.2 miles of tarmac.

The National Tire Research Center was established in 2010 through a public-private partnership among the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, General Motors, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission.

The tire center houses the Flat Trac LTRe, an $11.3 million, high-performance tire testing machine that allows speeds of 200 mph on car, truck and motorsports vehicles. Due to strong customer demand, the center has grown from 13 to 26 employees, and expects to expand beyond 30 employees over the next year.

NTRC has previously partnered with SoVa Motion (Southern Virginia Vehicle Motion Lab), which is operated by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. SoVa Motion has an eight-post shaker rig and driving simulator which can replicate various road conditions and many of the world’s racing tracks to test driver performance, shock and suspension reaction, on-vehicle sensing, as well as virtually prototype vehicle components.

While the facilities have served major U.S. customers, such as General Motors, Goodyear Racing and NASCAR, rebranding as GCAPS reflects the increasing global scope of their customer base.

GCAPS will also build upon the success of its math modeling and simulation capabilities by adding a virtual design and integration laboratory. The facility will provide full performance testing of highway and racetrack vehicles in both physical and virtual environments.

GCAPS is a key part of Virginia’s Motorsports Alley and augments the Commonwealth’s strengths in the automotive industry. To learn why more than 150 automotive companies call Virginia home, click here.

Executive Director Frank Della Pia appears next to a tire testing machine at the newly-branded Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation in Halifax County, Va. Photo courtesy of the Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation.

VEDP recently released two new marketing tools for use on mobile devices.

First, the YesVA App version 2.0 was released to the Apple App Store. For those who have already downloaded the original app to your iPad or iPhone, you can obtain the new version in the Updates section of the App Store.

New features for the YesVA App version 2.0 include:

• Overall redesign to iOS 7 standards for design and user interface
• The ability to filter properties by region
• Better property grouping and functionality in map view
• Better search functionality which matches the search function of the VirginiaScan desktop version

There were no changes made to the Android version. For those who have never downloaded the app, links to both the Apple and Android versions are available at http://www.YesVirginia.org/aboutus/app.

Second, we have also released the VEDP iBook. This interactive sales tool allows economic development professionals to present to clients on the road using only an iPad. The VEDP iBook links directly to VirginiaScan for property searches and the Compare Virginia tool for side-by-side comparisons between Virginia and other states and MSAs on key economic metrics.

Content also includes video testimonials from C-level industry peers and interactive graphical presentations of Virginia’s premier assets, including our workforce, infrastructure and transportation network.

These interactive tools are another demonstration of the innovation that is alive and well in the Commonwealth. We hope these will assist our economic development partners in marketing Virginia as the best state for business to companies across the globe. To learn more, click here.

A view of the VEDP iBook homepage.

Earlier this month, schools and companies partnered to host 17 events across Virginia as part of the second annual national Manufacturing Day campaign.

One such event included students from Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools for the second year. Students, teachers and guidance counselors were given tours of the manufacturing plants at six local companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Ball Corp., Coresix Precision Glass, Owens-Illinois, Printpack Inc. and Walmart Distribution Center.

Students learned about the diversity of careers in manufacturing, as well the high-tech skills needed to pursue a career in advanced manufacturing.

The students also learned about the various paths available to prepare for this type of career. Representatives from Thomas Nelson Community College were on hand to discuss coursework they offer to prepare students to directly enter the manufacturing workforce or continue on to a four-year degree.

The event was sponsored by WJCC Public Schools, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and James City County.

A WJCC guidance counselor also attended another Manufacturing Day event nearby at Newport News Shipbuilding. The program allowed 13 area high school guidance counselors to tour the Welding School and The Apprentice School to view hands-on demonstrations of trades training.

Manufacturing Day is a national program that encourages manufacturing companies across the U.S. to open their doors and provide tours for high school students in their communities. The purpose is to dispel misperceptions about the industry and inspire students to pursue careers in manufacturing after seeing the high-tech, rewarding career paths available to them.

The Manufacturing Day events in Virginia illustrate the Commonwealth’s leadership in preparing students for advanced manufacturing careers and developing a workforce with the skills to meet industry needs. To learn more, click here.

Virginia students tour the Anheuser-Busch control room and learn about the high-tech nature of today’s advanced manufacturing careers. Photo courtesy of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence.

VEDP was named a “Best in Class” economic development organization today at the International Economic Development Council’s Annual Conference.

The results were tabulated by Development Counsellors International as part of its 2014 “Winning Strategies in Economic Development Marketing” report. DCI conducts a survey among U.S. corporate executives and site selection consultants every three years.

“The leading economic development organizations identified in this year’s survey set the standard across the country for being ‘Best in Class’ on so many levels and clearly stand out to site selectors across the country,” said DCI President Andrew T. Levine. “As states look at how to build and strengthen relationships with site selectors and influence corporate executives’ decisions on where to locate, invest and create jobs, ‘Winning Strategies’ provides a glimpse into the minds of this important audience.”

VEDP tied for sixth place with 15 percent of the responding executives and location advisors identifying us as a top economic development organization.

During FY2014, VEDP assisted on 183 projects that resulted in announcements of 15,029 new jobs and $5.19 billion in invested capital. These 183 projects will generate an estimated $280 million of new state tax revenue for Virginia after five years and approximately $620 million after 10 years. These projects will also generate an estimated $276 million of local tax revenue after five years and approximately $612 million after 10 years.

VEDP’s recognition as a “Best in Class” organization from one of our key markets — executives and location advisors — makes this award all the more meaningful and illustrates that we are on track to fulfill our mission:

"To enhance the quality of life and raise the standard of living for all Virginians, in collaboration with Virginia communities, through aggressive business recruitment, expansion assistance, and trade development, thereby expanding the tax base and creating higher-income employment opportunities."

To learn more about how VEDP can assist your business, click here.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium recently announced a new program called STEM Takes Flight at Virginia’s Community Colleges funded by a $500,000 grant from NASA.

The purpose of the initiative is to augment STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education within the Virginia Community College System and build stronger connectivity with NASA to provide students with world-class learning and research opportunities.

STEM Takes Flight at Virginia’s Community Colleges offers a full suite of programs that includes real-world internships, research experiences, additional coursework and faculty training.

One example is the Build/Fly/Learn component which allows students to work on paid summer research projects at both NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. This opportunity is available to 38 community college rising sophomores who work in teams under the guidance of a NASA mentor.

Additional coursework includes two multi-disciplinary classes on mission development and planning offered through Virginia’s Eastern Shore Community College, which will allow students to develop and fly a sounding rocket payload. A third course covers sea level rise and its impact on coastal communities. It’s available online and led by Virginia Western and Thomas Nelson Community Colleges.

VCCS faculty will also receive additional training through a residential professional development STEM workshop at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Twenty professors will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on case study beginning June 2015.

The STEM Takes Flight program is another example of Virginia’s premier higher education system that provides real-world experiences to ensure Virginia’s workforce pipeline is ready to meet the industry needs of the future. To learn more about Virginia’s higher education and workforce training solutions, click here.

James Carter, a former NASA Langley Research Center intern, researches heat calibrations on model spray coatings.

James Madison University and partners have joined together to create the Ice House, a revitalized building complex in downtown Harrisonburg that will serve as a center of collaboration and engagement for JMU students, entrepreneurs and citizens in the local community.

Formerly known as the Cassco Ice House complex, the building was constructed in 1934 for ice and cold storage to support the region’s distribution of agricultural products. Operations were discontinued in 2004 and the building was unused until the recent revitalization plans rechristened it the Ice House.

The name references both the building’s history as well as a JMU initiative called ICE, an acronym for Innovation-Collaboration-Entrepreneurship. JMU seeks to become a model of engagement that mobilizes resources from the university and community to launch new businesses and commercialize technology.

Phase one of the project is complete and JMU has occupied 30,000 of the 80,000-square-foot building with departments such as Outreach and Engagement, the Office of Technology Innovation, Communications and Marketing, the JMU Small Business Development Center, the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Lifelong Learning Institute.

The principal developers of the Ice House project are both JMU alumni and the furniture was designed and built by JMU’s Industrial Design students.

The building currently offers space available for rent that includes offices, event space, a kitchen, and classrooms and conference rooms fit with touchscreen A/V equipment and web conferencing capabilities.

Phase two of the project includes plans to make the Ice House a center of the downtown community with restaurants, a brewery, yoga studio, retail space and loft apartments.

The project is a win-win for the university and the community. Small business owners and entrepreneurs gain better access to JMU’s resources, and JMU students benefit from working on live projects with real businesses.

JMU and its programs at the Ice House are another example of how the Commonwealth’s premier colleges and universities provide real-world experience to Virginia students and innovative ways to collaborate with the local community. To learn more, click here.

A view of the open office and collaborative space at the Ice House in downtown Harrisonburg, Va. Photo courtesy of James Madison University.

Recently, a group of economic development professionals toured the new Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences building at Mary Baldwin College in Fishersvillle, Va.

Classes are well underway — the school officially opened this past June and welcomed its inaugural class of 70 occupational therapy and physical therapy students.

The state-of-the-art building is 55,000 square feet, with a central atrium that encompasses all three stories. The tech-rich environment incorporates multimedia with cameras that allow students to see a close-up demonstration during class, as well as view a recording of the session.

The nine clinical laboratories include a neurological lab room, simulation lab, multiple skills labs, a human anatomy and a virtual anatomy lab. The multimedia environment also includes four large classrooms and six seminar rooms. 

The building was designed as a place where students can congregate after class to continue learning. The open architecture allows for multiple collaboration spaces, and the building includes a café and break room with lockers. The myriad of windows lets in natural light, making it a place where students want to be.

The Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is currently training doctoral students in both physical therapy and occupational therapy, with plans to add a master’s degree for physician assistants and a degree-completion program for nurses in 2015.

The school is located in the center of the Augusta County medical corridor. Adjacent to the Augusta Health hospital complex, it offers easy access to I-64 and is just seven miles from Mary Baldwin’s main campus.

The Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences is another example of how Virginia’s higher education institutions are using cutting edge technology to prepare a workforce ready to add value as soon as they enter the employment pipeline. To learn more about Virginia’s world-class education system, click here.

Mary Baldwin College welcomes its inaugural class of occupational and physical therapy students at the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences new building in Fishersville, Va. Photo courtesy of Mary Baldwin College.

Where can a student work on a live project alongside classmates from the Schools of Arts, Business, Engineering, and the Humanities and Sciences? VCU’s da Vinci Center.

Companies in the greater Richmond area submit a product innovation problem to the da Vinci Center. Art, design, business and engineering students then work on cross-functional teams to develop an innovative solution, sponsored by the company.

The da Vinci Center prepares Virginia students to enter the workforce and hit the ground running, armed with the innovative and entrepreneurial thinking they will need to tackle everyday problems on the job. While students major in one area of study, the program allows them to see through the lens of multiple disciplines. It also emulates the way different departments work together to solve problems in a corporate environment.

Housed in the Pauley Pavilion, part of the School of Engineering, the center offers a multi-use space that facilitates product development from idea generation to market validation. Students have access to rapid prototyping machines and computer modeling and 3D object scanning equipment.

VEDP’s own economist, Michael Gilbert, was a da Vinci Center participant during his time at VCU. He worked on a minimally-invasive surgery trainer for physicians at MCV.

“The experience gained was invaluable,” said Gilbert. “Working on a cross-functional team with students from the School of the Arts, School of Engineering, and School of Business provided me insight and skills I still use today. Developing intellectual property on the team and through the course as an undergraduate is something I will never forget.”

The center offers two programs — an Undergraduate Certificate in Product Innovation and a Master of Product Innovation. The center is currently accepting applications for its spring 2015 class.

The da Vinci Center is yet another example of the cutting edge programs Virginia’s colleges and universities offer to prepare the workforce of tomorrow. To learn more about the Commonwealth’s premier higher education system, click here.

A group of students at VCU’s da Vinci Center develop a surgery trainer for MCV physicians. Photo courtesy of VCU da Vinci Center project team.

VEDP received six communications awards for its marketing collateral at the SEDC (Southern Economic Development Council) Communication Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony was held this August in conjunction with the 2014 SEDC Annual Conference in Atlanta, where more than 350 economic development professionals gathered for three days to learn about current economic development trends and strategies.

The six awards presented to VEDP included:

• Special Judges Award for Online Content and Mobile Access recognizing VEDP’s website
• Award of SUPERIOR for VEDP’s website relaunch
• Award of EXCELLENCE for VEDP’s pocket brochure Map Out Success for Your Business in Virginia
• Award of MERIT for VEDP’s annual report Results 2013
• Award of MERIT for the VEDP marketing video Business Legacies Begin in Virginia
• Award of MERIT in Thinking Outside the Box for VEDP’s webinar Innovation in Virginia: Live from the National Innovation Summit

“VEDP hit the mark this year with their marketing campaigns,” said SEDC President Gene Stinson. “These campaigns not only show creativity, but also solid messaging and effectiveness at reaching their target audiences. We were wowed by all the entries we received this year, and were impressed with the high level of marketing work being done in economic development by SEDC members.

The judging panel consisted of economic development consultants, practitioners and design professionals from across the southern U.S. Criteria included graphic appeal, clarity of message, quality of information, positioning, differentiation and format.

VEDP markets the Commonwealth of Virginia to companies seeking new business locations, expansion and international trade opportunities. To see examples of VEDP’s award-winning marketing materials and learn why Virginia is the Best State for Business, click here.

VEDP Vice President of Business Attraction Mike Lehmkuhler accepts the Special Judges Award for Online Content and Mobile access on behalf of VEDP from SEDC Chairman Hal Johnson.

Last week, Governor McAuliffe celebrated the opening of Volvo Trucks’ new Customer Experience Track with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Dublin, Va.

The 1.1 mile track features two paved lanes, straight-a-ways and eight percent super-elevated curves to simulate highway conditions. There is also an off-road portion to replicate more challenging conditions, showcasing the range of the company’s Class 8 vehicles.

The track is located on the company’s nearly 300-acre New River Valley campus, which contains the largest Volvo Truck manufacturing facility in the world at 1.6 million square feet. The plant is certified to ISO 500001 energy, ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 environmental standards.

The company drew from the expertise of its advanced manufacturing workforce to design and build the track. Employees even had a role in naming it the Twin Oaks Track after deciding to keep two oak trees in the center of the course.

Market demand has made significant strides since the recession, with the plant employing more than 2,500 workers. Earlier this summer, the company invested $69 million to add state-of-the-art equipment and redesign the facility to further improve efficiency and product quality, creating 200 new jobs in the process.

The track will likely draw additional customers to the New River Valley region to visit the plant and test drive potential Volvo Truck purchases.

It also augments Virginia’s thriving automotive industry which includes assets like the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, National Tire Research Center, SoVA Motion, National Crash Analysis Center, CCAM, C-CARE and the Virginia Modeling and Simulation Center, to name a few.

To learn why more than 150 automotive companies call Virginia home and have announced $1.1 billion in capital investment over the last 10 years, click here.

Governor McAuliffe takes a test drive on Volvo Trucks’ new Customer Experience Track in Dublin, Va.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership will attend the German American Trade Association’s U.S. Entry Meeting in Stuttgart, Germany on March 29.

The German American Trade Association is a nonprofit organization that offers seminars and advice on site selection, funding, customs affairs, and finding agents and distributors for companies looking to do business with the U.S.

Ryland Potter, a member of VEDP’s Business Investment division, will serve as a foreign direct investment expert and speak on subsidies and grants available to German companies looking to expand into the U.S. market.

Virginia is a leading gateway to successful business in North America, with more than 550 internationally-owned companies choosing to call the Commonwealth home.

"Companies thinking about establishing a subsidiary in the U.S. attend GATA meetings to get the most up-to-date information in order to assess their potential,” said Luisa Blumfeld, GATA’s Marketing Director.

VEDP values its partnership with the German American Trade Association and the opportunity to meet with companies directly to showcase Virginia as a location to do business.

International companies have invested more than $8.3 billion over the past 10 years. To learn why so many companies choose to invest in Virginia, click here.

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Virginia rose from fourth to second in the Atlantic region in a recent analysis of state workforce development activities conducted by Site Selection Magazine.

Site Selection’s third annual state workforce development rankings provide a general sense of which states, in a given region, are devoting sufficient or superior resources to preparing their workforces for current and future employment. The analysis looked at states’ commitment to skills development as measured by their spending on workforce development, K-12 preparation and the number of working-age adults deemed “career-ready.”

Among the eight ranked states, Virginia scored ahead of highly competitive states like Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware, and tied with South Carolina.

“Virginia’s improved ranking is further evidence that we’re making significant progress toward building a 21st century workforce,” said Governor McAuliffe. “We know that workforce is the number one factor companies evaluate when making a decision to locate a new facility or expand their existing business.  We’re pleased to see our position improve relative to our regional competitors and will continue our efforts to assure our position as a leader in workforce development and education.”

Virginia offers customized recruiting and training services through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP). To learn more about this economic development incentive, click here.

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Five of Virginia’s top economic developers were recognized on Consultant Connect’s 2017 list of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers last week.

Consultant Connect, an agency designed to bridge the gap between economic developers and site consultants, announced its annual list of leaders in the industry. The recognized economic development professionals were nominated by their colleagues in both the economic development industry and the site consultant community for excellent practices and innovation and success in building the communities they serve.

Virginia tied for the second most appearances of any state on the list of top economic developers. We are thrilled to congratulate:

    - Pandy Brazeau, Virginia Economic Development Partnership

·         - Carrie Chenery, Shenandoah Valley Partnership

·         - Beth Doughty, Roanoke Regional Partnership

·         - Megan Lucas, Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance

·         - Buddy Rizer, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development

This recognition is a testament to Virginia’s dedicated economic development team at the state, regional and local levels. VEDP is proud to work with such a committed team, and we are thrilled to have so many colleagues recognized on this list.

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As 2016 comes to a close, we want to recognize the economic development profession throughout Virginia that works tirelessly for the common good, and in particular, to the dedicated employees of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority (VEDP).

As leaders of the Board of Directors of VEDP—which by anyone’s measure, just experienced its most difficult year of operation since its formation in 1995—we are wrestling with deep problems facing VEDP, the economy and some systemic ones woven into the very fabric of how our Commonwealth approaches economic development. We are, however, optimistic because we know that economic development partners across the state are taking actions necessary to fortify Virginia’s future.

For our part, the VEDP Board is engaged. In 2014, Don Seale, then Chairman of the VEDP Board of Directors, realized that fundamental changes were needed inside the organization.  Don called for the creation of a Chief Operating Officer position and recruited Dan Gundersen to help reset VEDP. Dan’s initial focus was on strategic direction, creative programming, engaging employees, and assuring greater management control and accountability procedures.

We began to peel back the layers of VEDP. Dan Gundersen produced for the Board a first-ever Strategic Review that serves today as the guidepost for a 3-5 year action strategy for VEDP. A new compensation plan was adopted which provided pay equity across positions. We evaluated funding models for 49 other states’ economic development entities, produced new top-line metrics, put in place a robust communications strategy for the external partners and encouraged new avenues for employee input and engagement.   

We (Chris Lumsden and Dan Clemente) succeeded Don Seale as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively and the first thing we decided to do was to hear from our stakeholders. We conducted a Listening Tour that involved over 150 economic development professionals, public officials, and business interests in all regions of Virginia and more than 80 counties. We learned that over several years’ time, VEDP’s approach to marketing and deals had alienated many of its stakeholders and contributed to a crisis of confidence.

In March of this year, we asked Dan Gundersen to serve as Interim President and CEO, as well as COO, to help turn around VEDP. He demonstrated great courage and collaborative leadership skills in managing VEDP during a period of serious political stress and organizational crisis. Working with the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, the VEDP team put in place solid due diligence procedures for discretionary grants, cleaned up twenty years of Governor Opportunity Fund records, and delved into data integrity and integration issues. VEDP also moved its 55,000 square-foot headquarters to new space that saved the Commonwealth over $1.8 million. The new headquarters is designed with open spaces and glass offices and, quite literally, sends a clear message to all that VEDP is a transparent organization that is reinventing itself for the next generation of economic development.   

By mid-summer, again with direct involvement of key Board leaders, input from the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC) team and independent management consultants, VEDP was prepared to roll out a reorganization. Dan Gundersen successfully led VEDP through the difficult reorganization process, with input from a core planning group, cross-functional work teams, and facilitated focus groups of employees throughout the organization. Three new market-facing divisions were established: Business Investment, Competitive Initiatives and Workforce Development. They operate alongside VEDP’s International Trade team to support businesses.

New management in key spots has infused new energy and determination to have VEDP become recognized as the very best economic development organization in the country. We are pleased that Stephen Moret will join us at the helm in January.

Our work is not over—far from it. But we have laid a solid foundation on which to build a bright future for economic growth in Virginia. This would not have happened without the active support of Virginia’s economic development professionals. We thank you and look forward to continuing to work closely with you as we enter into the new year with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Dan Clemente, Chairman of the Board
Vince Mastracco, Vice-Chairman of the Board
Chris Lumsden, previous Chairman of the Board

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Throughout the year, VEDP embarks on regional familiarization trips, or FAM tours. In August, Charlie Jewell of the New River Valley Alliance lead a small group from VEDP on a tour around the New River Valley (NRV), which included 20 visits to local businesses.

The NRV covers more than 200 square miles and is home to Giles County, Pulaski County, Floyd County, Montgomery County, the City of Radford and Towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg. With a growing population of 183,000, the NRV has an incredibly diverse and robust economy for its size.

In 2015, the region had the second highest job growth rate in Virginia, and this year, Area Development Magazine listed the NRV as having the fourth best workforce in the nation. The Valley is also a constant recipient of quality of life accolades thanks to the area’s beautiful mountainous setting and charming small town atmosphere. The NRV is also bolstered by their esteemed universities, including Virginia Tech and Radford, in addition to the New River Valley Community College.

On the tour, VEDP visited a wide array of business including Red Sun Farms, Jackson Park Inn, Floyd Commerce Park, Rackspace, Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center and the Riverbend Facility.

To learn more about Virginia’s wide variety of communities, click here.

Members from VEDP tour available building space in the New River Valley.

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This week, VEDP is attending the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. We had the opportunity to partner with our state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Department of Forestry to promote Virginia and its forest products, emphasizing the importance of the industry in the Commonwealth.

More than 31,000 people were employed by over 900 companies in Virginia’s wood products industry in 2015, which had a direct economic output of $10.3 billion and supported an additional output of $7.1 billion.

Virginia’s strategic mid-Atlantic location and superior transportation network provide access to 43 percent of the U.S. population located within a one-day (10 hour) drive. These assets combined with access to the Port of Virginia and a direct connection to over 100 foreign ports make an ideal location for wood industry companies.

Virginia’s higher education system provides education and training programs to bolster the Commonwealth’s workforce and therefore Virginia businesses. Virginia Tech’s Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation is home to the following research centers: Conservation Management Institute, Center for Geospatial Information Technology and Virginia Water Resources Research Center. Virginia State University partners with Virginia Tech to run the Virginia Cooperative Extension to offer programs such as the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program and the Virginia SHARP Logger Program. Blue Ridge Community College has a Die Cutting and Packaging program to generate skilled technicians for the paperboard packaging industry.

In the past decade, wood products companies in Virginia have announced projects worth $3.8 billion in pledged investment and more than 10,100 pledged jobs. To learn why companies choose Virginia click here.

VEDP, VDACS and VA Department of Forestry provide large Virginia presence at IWF 2016.

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This week, VEDP attended the SelectUSA Investment Summit, a high-profile event in Washington, D.C. dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. We had the opportunity to connect with companies all over the world to discuss the benefits of doing business in Virginia.

Governor Terry McAuliffe hosted a Virginia reception to showcase the Commonwealth’s assets and participated in a workforce development panel during the conference.

Global investment supports nearly 487,000 jobs in Virginia. These direct FDI and related supply chain jobs earn higher compensation than the overall state average.

During SelectUSA 2015, VEDP met ELDOR Corporation for the first time. Following the Summit, Governor McAuliffe traveled to ELDOR’s headquarters in Italy to meet with company leadership. Less than one year after first meeting at SelectUSA, ELDOR announced their plans to invest $75 million and create 350 new jobs at their North American regional headquarters in Botetourt County.

More than 700 internationally-owned companies call Virginia home, including Canon, Stihl and Rolls-Royce. Cost-effective operations, pro-business values, global logistics assets and easy access to the U.S. market are just a few of the unique resources that allow businesses to prosper here.

From 2009 to 2014, international companies announced more than 15,000 new jobs and $4.6 billion investment in the Commonwealth. To learn why companies choose Virginia for internal investment, click here.

Governor McAuliffe participated in a workforce development panel during SelectUSA.

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Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America (SMCA) is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its North American headquarters, located in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, one of the largest manufacturers of machinery in Japan and the global leader in power transmission knowledge and innovation. SMCA is the premiere power transmission and control solution provider and has customers across the U.S. and globally.

In 1987, Sumitomo relocated to Chesapeake from New Jersey and constructed a new manufacturing facility for the production of its cyclo drive technologies, speed reducers, speed variators, motors and related industrial gears.

Sumitomo has experienced consistent growth since joining the Commonwealth. In 2009, SMCA announced its first Engineering and Service Center would open in Chesapeake, and in 2012, they shared plans for the first phase of a three year investment strategy to transition their 250,000-square-foot facility from an assembly and distribution center to an assembly and manufacturing facility. 

In August 2013, the company announced a definitive merger agreement with Hansen Industrial Transmissions Inc., a leading provider of large size industrial gear drives, which operates at the HNA facility in Verona, Virginia.

Since locating to Virginia, Sumitomo has invested over $60 million in the Commonwealth and has 264 employees in Chesapeake, Suffolk and Verona.

Virginia’s strategic central location on the U.S. East Coast and access to the Port of Virginia has made an ideal home for Sumitomo.

To learn why more than 5,500 manufacturing companies like Sumitomo have chosen to locate in Virginia, click here.

Mayor of Chesapeake Alan Krasnoff and Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones recognize Sumitomo leadership during the anniversary event.

Virginia is celebrating Business Appreciation Month by showcasing Georgia Pacific and the 125^th anniversary of its Big Island paper mill in Bedford County, Virginia.

Georgia Pacific is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. Located just north of Lynchburg on the James River, Big Island mill is one of four Georgia Pacific locations in Virginia. The other facilities are located in Gladys, Emporia and Ridgeway.

The Big Island mill has been in continuous operation since 1891, when the first roll of paper was produced. The mill has faced ownership changes, fire, floods, and machinery and technological shifts during the past 125 years.

The paper mill’s most recent announcement in 2015 included a $50 million investment to improve reliability and environmental performance and upgrade technology.

To mark the mill’s 125 years of continual operation, Georgia-Pacific has launched a year-long commemoration throughout 2016 to honor the mill’s history, celebrate generations of employees and to thank the community for its enduring support.

The Big Island facility employs about 330 people and is Bedford County’s oldest business. The company credits its success to the community, which helped sustain and support Big Island and generations of families who continue to work at the mill for more than a century.

In addition to a strong manufacturing workforce, Virginia provides Georgia Pacific with a strategic location, offering easy access to the company’s customers. Located on the upper James River, the Big Island location offers employees a high quality of life with close proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains, scenic hiking and biking trails, and numerous national parks.

As we celebrate Virginia Business Appreciation month, Georgia Pacific’s Big Island paper mill serves as a great example of how Virginia can offer long-term prosperity. To learn why companies like Georgia Pacific call Virginia home, click here.

An undated photo of a maintenance crew working at the Big Island paper mill.

This week, for Business Appreciation Month, we’re highlighting Virginia’s distribution industry and celebrating the positive impact these companies bring to the Commonwealth.

Virginia's businesses provide services and manufactured goods to customers throughout the world. Our distribution base remains strong and continues to grow with companies like The Home Depot, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware and Amazon.com all delivering goods from the Commonwealth.

Increasingly, retailers and distributors are taking advantage of Virginia's proximity to Eastern U.S. and Midwest markets. Millions of square feet of new warehousing space have been added at new distribution centers around the state.

In the past decade, 365 global logistics industry projects have announced capital investment of more than $1.8 billion and the creation of over 16,500 new jobs.

The Commonwealth is within a one-day drive time of approximately 43 percent of the U.S. population and over 186,000 manufacturing establishments. With our central East Coast location, Virginia is an obvious choice for many companies looking to establish or expand distribution centers.

In 2012, The Vitamin Shoppe announced a $39.4 million investment to establish a distribution center and create 174 new jobs in Hanover County. The 312,000 square-foot facility has become the company’s flagship distribution center featuring a state-of-the-art conveyor and picking and packing systems to move products from storage shelves throughout the facility to shipping bays.

McLane Foodservice Distribution, located in Prince William County, services restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic region. With two expansions in the last 10 years, the 223,000 square foot facility has three different temperature controlled areas—freezer, refrigerated and dry—in addition to employing more than 160 people.

As part of Virginia Business Appreciation Month, the distribution and global logistics industry is a great example of success due to the Commonwealth’s premier location and business environment. To learn more about the distribution industry in Virginia, click here.

The Vitamin Shoppe distribution center in Hanover County, Virginia.

It’s Business Appreciation Month in Virginia, and we’re celebrating by highlighting one of the Commonwealth’s top industries, cybersecurity.

With its close proximity to Washington, D.C., Virginia is part of the nation’s Cyber Capital. As the hub of leading-edge intelligence technology, Virginia serves as a fertile ground for the growing cybersecurity industry. Key federal agencies involved with cybersecurity along with the nation’s leading cyber companies, such as Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp. are located in Virginia.

The Commonwealth is at the center of the IT industry, with 70 percent of the world’s internet traffic passing through Virginia.

On the heels of California, Virginia has the second highest concentration of technology workers in the nation, with nearly 10 percent of the state’s workforce employed by the information technology sector, according to Cyberstates 2015. As a result, Virginia is home to the headquarters of nearly 40 of the Washington Technology Top 100 federal contracting companies.

Reston’s Carahsoft is one of the most successful, fastest growing technology solution providers in the U.S. Founded in 2004, Carahsoft helps government agencies find the best possible technology solution at the best possible value.

NCS Technologies, headquartered in Gainesville, designs, manufactures, distributes and supports its products from a single location for clients including federal agencies, healthcare and schools. Since its founding in 1996, NCS Technologies has become a leading domestic producer of computers, servers and storage systems.

As part of Virginia Business Appreciation Month, cybersecurity represents the high-growth and technological innovation that is alive and well in the Commonwealth. To learn why these companies have found success in Virginia, click here.

As promised, VEDP is delving into UBED (University-Based Economic Development) in our institutions of higher learning across the Commonwealth.

“William & Mary (W&M) is looking at how to grow what’s already in Virginia, as well as to help bring companies into the Commonwealth,” said Leonard Sledge, William & Mary’s Director of Economic Development.

To that end, W&M’s Technology and Business Center has partnered with the county to run the James City County Business & Technology Incubator (JCC-BTI). The incubator provides support and advisory services to help accelerate the growth of younger companies. This support includes help setting goals and milestones, general business advice, organizational guidance, networking events, assistance locating financing and other service providers, and the use of a professional business facility.

The incubator also liaises with W&M’s Mason School of Business and Entrepreneurship Center. Business school professors are assigned to each incubator company to help determine strategy. Business school students are also engaged in problem-solving initiatives for incubator companies through project and classroom exercises.

Launched in January 2007, the JCC-BTI has worked with 10 companies, graduating three to date. One such graduate is MODU System, a Malaysian manufacturer of conveyor belt systems. The incubator helped the company enter the U.S. market, advising management on how to position the product and locate resellers in the U.S.

Another success story is Breathe Healthy, a manufacturer of antimicrobial face masks with superior comfort and filtering abilities. JCC-BTI helped the veteran-owned company locate key markets for its product, as well as launch international sales.

According to William Bean, Director of W&M’s Technology Business Center, “We’re looking for companies that are passionate and serious about the growth of their business. Our incubator clients span a variety of industries, but the one thing they have in common is a genuine excitement to use the services of our incubator for accelerating growth.”

To learn more about W&M’s Office of Economic Development or the James City County Business & Technology Incubator, click on the highlighted links.

On Tuesday, advertising company Mail America announced plans to expand operations in Bedford County through a $5 million investment. The company will maintain its current facility while adding another 42,000 square feet through a nearby location.

This expansion will create 75 new jobs over the next three years as the company seeks to hire print and mail insertion operators, maintenance staff and administrative personnel to help meet growing customer demand.

Producing nearly 400 million U.S. mail pieces each year, Mail America has operated in Bedford County since 1989 and currently employs 325 Virginians. The company’s positive experience with the region’s skilled and motivated workforce was a major deciding factor for this project.

Virginia’s competitive operative costs and pro-business environment also influenced the company’s decision to expand in the Commonwealth. According to Virginia Delegate Kathy Byron, “Our region continues to demonstrate that it is an ideal place for businesses to grow and to locate. The attributes we have here—reasonable taxes and regulations, a skilled and talented workforce, and welcoming state and local governments that are ready to work as partners—are instrumental to the success of firms like Mail America.”

This is the second expansion Bedford County has seen this year. Forestry Equipment of Virginia announced plans to expand its truck assembly business earlier in March. Both companies received assistance from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission for their expansions.

To learn why companies continue to find success in the Commonwealth and why Virginia is ranked America’s Top State for Business, click here.

Virginia Tech has developed a number of University-Based Economic Development (UBED) programs as part of its long-term strategy to help connect faculty and students with companies and communities. 

According to John Provo, Office of Economic Development Director, “The global network starts as soon as you walk out the door. We facilitate the sharing of Virginia Tech’s intellectual capital with the private sector to develop problem-solving solutions.”

One such group is VT-IDEA (Virginia Tech Intelligence and Defense Executive Alumni). Founded in January 2009, VT-IDEA is made up of alumni working in senior government and industry positions in the national security sector. The group’s mission is two-fold:  it serves as both a resource for national security professionals to better connect, and it helps Virginia Tech get even more plugged in to the national security space.

Through its efforts to build a faster pipeline from the research in Blacksburg to the cyber security needs in D.C., VT-IDEA has recently helped introduce two new ideas to industry insiders. The first is a data safeguarding device that can wipe tablets and cell phones clean, removing confidential information once the individual has left a secured area. The second technology foils radio signal eaves-droppers. The technology senses the intrusion and reconfigures the network to make it secure.

VT-IDEA not only helps spot and commercialize winning solutions; it also puts early stage entrepreneurs in touch with financing and venture capital sources. The group will be doing just that at its upcoming meeting “VT-IDEA Presents Innovation and Entrepreneurship at VTECH” on June 21 at the VT Research Center - Arlington.

To learn more about how the VT-IDEA group and Virginia Tech’s Office of Economic Development are building partnerships with the business community, click on the highlighted links.

German manufacturer McAirlaid’s recently celebrated the addition of a 75,000-square-foot expansion to its existing U.S. headquarters in Rocky Mount, Va. Adding to the company’s 70,000-square-foot facility at Franklin County Commerce Center, the expansion will increase the company’s global capacity by 30 percent while creating 40 new jobs in the region.

The expansion provides McAirlaid’s with the additional space to serve its customers in the hygiene, medical, food packaging, filtration and home décor spaces through its non-woven absorbency materials. It also allows the company to reduce imports of raw materials and rely more heavily on U.S. vendors, primarily on the East Coast.

McAirlaid’s first announced it would establish its U.S. headquarters in Virginia through an $85 million investment in 2006. In the words of CEO Alexander Maksimow, “Franklin County’s commitment to education through the public school system and job training programs, coupled with an existing workforce of highly motivated people with a strong work ethic, were key factors in McAirlaid’s site selection.”

Since opening its U.S. headquarters in Franklin County in March 2008, the company has received a warm welcome while experiencing the benefits of Virginia’s skilled workforce, education system and premier East Coast location. This additional investment allows McAirlaid’s to build on its success to date, illustrating the company’s commitment to grow in Franklin County.

To learn why companies continue to locate in Virginia due to the Commonwealth’s skilled workforce and excellent education system, click here.

Company and local officials joined Mary Rae Carter, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Economic Development, at McAirlaid’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Universities play an essential role in developing the human capital so important to economic development, leading to the current term UBED (University-Based Economic Development). Over the coming weeks, VEDP will feature a series of blogs focusing on what universities are doing across the Commonwealth to play a more active role in reaching out to the business community.

According to Tom Osha, President and CEO of Old Dominion University’s (ODU) Innovation Research Park (IRP), ODU is transitioning to a more active role in economic development by developing a 24/7 live-work-play community. IRP is capitalizing on the move away from traditional research parks to an updated model — the “knowledge community.” 

This new community caters to the next generation of researchers who desire a higher level of engagement in the neighborhood where they work. No longer satisfied with commuting home to the suburbs, this generation is looking to live, work and play all in the same location. 

IRP provides just that through its location within ODU’s University Village. Impressive on its own, IRP currently has 350 employees working in two 100,000-square-foot buildings, with plenty of room for expansion. Add to that University Village’s 10 restaurants, retail stores, hotel, theater, art gallery and the Ted Constant arena, and one can see the attractiveness of such a hub.

The economic development impact occurs when companies are drawn to communities like this, bringing with them investment and new jobs to the area. One such company is ipConfigure, which chose to locate at IRP over a location in Texas due to ODU’s multidimensional offerings.

ODU’s Computational Intelligence and Machine Vision Lab was a significant consideration for the company, as their video surveillance technology utilizes just the sort of facial recognition algorithms developed at the lab. Easy access to a qualified employee base and close proximity to amenities also clinched the deal.

"ipConfigure hires ODU graduates and interns, utilizes the ODU Business Gateway, eats in the ODU Village, puts guests up at the hotel, buys tickets to ODU football and other sporting events, and attracts its customers to come to IRP to see the research happening at the Vision Lab and elsewhere around ODU," Osha stated.

The university also put ipConfigure in touch with the Virginia Port Authority, the first customer of the company’s new Wide Area Surveillance products.

ODU is a shining example of a Virginia university that is seeking to bring the benefits of its research outside the classroom by catering to the needs of businesses. To learn more about ODU’s interaction with the business community, click here.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford area was ranked Top 5 on the recently published Forbes.com Best Small Cities for Jobs list. Looking at 242 MSAs, Forbes.com calculated the ranking using employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period November 2000 through January 2012.

This ranking continues the positive recognition the region has received including a No. 4 rating on Site Selection magazine’s Governors Cup for metro areas with a population of less than 200,000. Blacksburg, Va. was also named the No. 1 Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids by Bloomberg Businessweek.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA continues to receive accolades for a number of reasons. Home to top-ranked Virginia Tech, the area’s workforce is highly educated, with two-thirds of residents above the age of 25 holding a bachelor’s degree or higher and 40 percent holding a graduate or professional degree.

The research capabilities of Virginia Tech combined with a highly-educated workforce have proven to be a winning combination, attracting companies and research parks to the area. The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, located adjacent to Virginia Tech’s main campus, is home to 140 high-tech companies which employ more than 2,200 Virginians.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA is able to retain its highly-skilled workforce due to the strong quality of life the region offers. The family-friendly community provides residents with numerous recreational activities due to its convenient access to the Appalachian Trail, Washington-Jefferson National Forest, Smith Mountain Lake and New River.

To learn more about the Commonwealth’s plentiful resources — including a world-class workforce, top-ranked education system and strong quality of life — that make Virginia America’s Top State for Business, click here.

Congratulations to Virginia State University’s (VSU) Reginald F. Lewis School of Business for winning three awards over the last few months.

Last week, VSU’s business school was awarded the RichTech Technology Innovation Deployment Award for its creative use of technology to enhance a process. RichTech honors organizations that help advance Virginia’s technology-based economy.

This win was a nice follow-up to the “Best Business Program in the Country” award received earlier this month from The Center for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The Center for HBCU ranked VSU’s business school No. 1 for its commitment to innovation. 

Last September, VSU’s business school received the Governor’s Technology Award in the category of Innovation in Higher Education. The award was presented at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium in recognition of the most creative initiatives in the public sector. 

All three awards recognized the business school’s “Digital at the Core” initiative. As the first school in the country to delivery its core curriculum primarily via digital format, the school launched its pilot program in the fall of 2010. Digital textbooks, MP3 audio chapters, MP3 study guides, quizzes and flashcards were all available via download for a cost-friendly licensing fee of $19.95.

Founded in 1882, VSU is an example of Virginia’s premier higher education system that partners with industries to prepare students with the technological training and skills they will utilize upon entering the workforce.

To learn more about Virginia’s highly skilled workforce as well as customized training and recruitment programs, click here.

Congratulations to Loudoun County for winning another expansion from data center provider, Digital Realty. The company officially broke ground on its fourth building in what’s known as “Data Center Alley” in Loudoun County, Va.

The two-story, 214,000-square-foot building will house 10 data centers and bring an $80 million investment along with 180 temporary positions and 12 full-time jobs to the area. With more than 50 percent of the world’s internet traffic flowing through Loudoun County each day, the region certainly has become a hub for leading data center operations. Add to that an energy rate 28 percent below the national average and 10 million square feet of data center capacity, and one can easily see why data centers are flocking to Virginia.

Data processing was actually the dominant sector across the Commonwealth in 2011, accounting for more than $960 million in capital investment and almost half of the nonmanufacturing investment. Virginia is poised to continue its growth in the sector as it has both the highest concentration of high-tech workers in the nation and the advanced telecom infrastructure across the Commonwealth to support the industry.

Virginia data centers claimed three of the top 10 spots in Southern Business & Development’s 2011 Ten Best Data Center Sites in the South list. In addition, Bristol, Va., was touted in the study Broadband at the Speed of Light as one of the first municipalities in the nation to build a citywide Fiber-To-The-Home network.

To learn why leading companies have invested more than $4.4 billion in Virginia data centers over the last ten years, click here.

State, local and company officials celebrated the opening of Digital Realty’s newest building at the groundbreaking ceremony in Loudoun County.

Governor McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bolling attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Henry County, Va., to celebrate the opening of ICF International’s Business Process Management operations center. The opening of the facility comes just over a year after the Governor announced the project would bring 539 new jobs and a $15 million investment to Southern Virginia.

As a global professional and technology services firm, locating near a skilled workforce is critical. Following the company’s $20 million expansion of its Fairfax County headquarters in 2010, this project is further validation of the strength of Virginia’s workforce across the state. 

This victory also illustrates the breadth of Virginia’s technology infrastructure, another key deciding factor that helped the Commonwealth compete against Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia. Companies in Southern Virginia can take advantage of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative’s 800 mile open-access, fiber optic broadband network.

In the words of ICF International Chairman and CEO Sudhakar Kesavan, “ICF is proud to expand its operations in Virginia and to call the Commonwealth its home. As a professional services firm, ICF International maintains its global headquarters here, which offers the best combination of a robust economy, a pro-business climate, a high-quality workforce, and an outstanding quality of life for ICF employees. We are pleased to open this new operations center in Henry County and to build our workforce from local residents.”

With the highest concentration of technology workers in the country, Virginia continues to attract world-class companies and gain recognition as the Top State for Business. To learn more, click here.

Governor McDonnell addresses the crowd at ICF International’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in Martinsville, Va.

Site Selection magazine named Virginia the winner of its annual Competitiveness Award, which recognizes excellence on the part of a state-level economic development group. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) accepted the award at the Industrial Asset Management Council’s Spring Professional Forum held in Austin, Texas.

The Competitiveness Award was based on a 10-factor index using Conway Data Inc.’s New Plant database. The number of new and expanded facilities, capital invested in new and expanded facilities, total jobs created, the individual state tax climate and state unemployment rate were a few of the factors used in selecting the Commonwealth as the winner.

Virginia’s low-tax business climate, right to work status and competitive operating costs were just some of the benefits touted by Site Selection. Add to that a world-class transportation infrastructure, robust telecommunications network, and a tech-savvy workforce, and it’s easy to see why Virginia is the clear winner.

This award continues the positive recognition the Commonwealth has seen in 2012. Virginia has already been recognized with a Top 3 Economic Outlook Ranking from the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Rich States, Poor States study, a Top 5 ranking in Site Selection’s Governor’s Cup, a Top 3 ranking on Gallup’s Job Creation Index, and a Top 10 ranking on Chief Executive’s Best States for Business.

To learn why Virginia continues to garner attention as a top state for business, click here.

Mark Arend, Site Selection Editor in Chief, presents VEDP representative Brent Sheffler with the Competitiveness Award.

Alleghany County won a new manufacturing operation when Balchem Corporation decided to locate its first operation in the Commonwealth there. The project will bring an initial investment of approximately $10 million and 55 new jobs to the region over the next 2-3 years.

As a leading producer of encapsulated ingredients for the animal nutrition and health market, Balchem’s growing portfolio of products has gained strong market acceptance at a global level. The manufacturing facility in Covington, Va., will allow Balchem to build on this success by more than doubling its output capacity for this market.

Virginia’s strong manufacturing workforce, rich raw material supply and competitive overall cost structure weren't the only reasons the Commonwealth was selected for this project. Alleghany County’s strategic location was also a critical factor in the selection process. Direct access to Interstates 64 and 81 will provide the company with convenient access to customers in the Northeast and Midwest markets, and close proximity to Virginia’s world-class port system will allow Balchem to easily serve its international customers.

A 45-year-old, publicly-traded company, Balchem was ranked #29 on Forbes.com’s 2011 America’s Best Small Companies list. To learn more about Virginia’s extensive manufacturing capabilities and why the Commonwealth continues to attract top companies like Balchem, click here.

LiteSteel Technologies America, Canon, Optical Cable Corporation, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and GE Energy were recently showcased in IndustryWeek as the definition of advanced manufacturing.

LiteSteel was touted for its globality and Canon for its sustainability. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding was highlighted for its successful supply chain network and Optical Cable Corporation for customization. GE Energy received high marks for leading-edge technology.

Had they paid for that horn-tooting ink in the form of an advertisement it a) would not have had the credibility of a third-party validator such as IndustryWeek behind it and b) would have cost upward of $10,000. Instead, these companies in June gave an hour of their time, some refreshments and a few chotchkies bearing their brand. In return, they received positive coverage in one of the most powerful business-to-business media venues out there thanks to their participation in the Virginia Advanced Manufacturing Media Tour, hosted by VEDP. 

VEDP coordinates two media tours annually to bring awareness to industries that are experiencing success across Virginia.  While the chief objective of the tour is to promote Virginia as an ideal business location, we also manage to snag a positive headline here and there for participating companies.

Media tours are just one of many ways VEDP works to nurture Virginia’s relationship with its corporate community. A company’s partnership with the Commonwealth doesn’t end when the shovel pierces the Earth. It’s only just beginning. To learn more about partnering with Virginia, visit www.YesVirginia.org.

Last week, VEDP attended the Plastics News Executive Forum in Tampa, Florida. We had the opportunity to hear from Bill Wood, Founder of Mountaintop Economics & Research, and learn why he thinks the North American plastics industry is on the rise.

First, the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers' Index has been growing for the past few years. The PMI is an economic indicator derived from monthly surveys of private sector companies. Since the PMI has been on the rise for several years, Bill predicts it should continue to increase for years to come, which is good news for Virginia’s already thriving plastics industry.

Second, U.S. durable goods orders are on the upward trend with five percent growth in 2014. Durable goods are items from toasters to aircraft meant to last three years or more. This increase shows hopeful signs for factory activity which have slowed in recent years.

Finally, U.S. plastic parts production has increased six percent in the past year. Low U.S. natural gas prices have helped increase domestic plastic production after a decline from the 2008 recession.

These three factors are strong indicators that the U.S. plastics industry will continue to grow in 2014. Since 2003, Virginia plastics firms have invested more than $1 billion and created more than 4,900 jobs. To learn more about Virginia’s plastics industry, click here.

Bill Wood, Founder of Mountaintop Economics & Research, presents at the Plastics News Executive Forum 2014.

Governor McAuliffe recently announced the launch of Cyber Virginia, a plan to establish the Virginia Cybersecurity Commission and augment Virginia’s leadership in cybersecurity.

The Commonwealth has a strong legacy in cybersecurity, and is well-positioned with the infrastructure to grow this sector. Virginia has the highest concentration of high-tech workers, according to Cyberstates 2013, and up to 70 percent of the world’s Internet traffic flows through Northern Virginia every day. Growth in the Commonwealth’s data center industry remains robust — investment topped $1 billion in 2012 — positioning Virginia as the place to be for companies moving towards cloud computing.

Virginia’s close proximity to the federal government’s cybersecurity operations also played a role in establishing its leadership position. The Commonwealth is home to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communication Integration Center, and DARPA.

Virginia’s premier institutions of higher education are poised to maintain the Commonwealth’s leadership in technology through a healthy pipeline of skilled technology workers. Twenty-two of Virginia’s 23 community colleges offer training programs in cybersecurity.

In addition, the NSA and U.S. Department of Homeland Security named five Virginia schools as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education: George Mason University, Hampton University, James Madison University, Marymount University, and Norfolk State University. Virginia Tech was named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research.

To highlight a couple of these programs, Virginia Tech offers the Hume Center for National Security and Technology, which researches intelligence applications of cyberattacks and defense. The university also provides students with real world experience through its IT Security Lab. In partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School and L-3 Communications, Virginia Tech hosts the Cybersecurity Innovations Laboratory at its Arlington campus.

In one of our recent blogs, we mentioned George Mason University’s expertise as the author of the VEDP Cybersecurity Export Market Report. GMU is home to the International Cyber Center and founded the Center for Secure Information Systems in 1990, which was the first academic center in security in the U.S. and one of the NSA’s original Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.

To learn more about Virginia’s leadership in cybersecurity and the overall technology industry, click here.

A view of the Virginia Tech Research Center — Arlington, which houses the Northern Virginia location of the Hume Center for National Security and Technology.

With the craft brewery movement quickly gaining speed over the last two years, Legend Brewing Co.’s 20-year history makes it Virginia’s oldest craft brewery still in operation. It is also the largest independently-owned craft brewing company in the Commonwealth.

In January 1994, founder Tom Martin opened a small tasting room and pub off West 7th Street, then a gravel road in Richmond’s historic Old Manchester district. He started with four beers — the quickly popular Brown Ale, Lager, Pilsner and Porter.

What began as a 10-barrel brewhouse with four fermenters and four finishing tanks has grown into a 30-barrel brewhouse with 37 fermenters and 10 finishing tanks. In addition, the small tasting room has blossomed into a full restaurant with seating for 180 inside and 200 on the deck. Its location right on the James River with unobstructed views of the city skyline quickly made this a Richmond hot spot.

The rise of the farm-to-table and locally-grown movements have made the experience of visiting a craft brewery increasingly popular. Legend beers are unpasteurized and made with simple, natural ingredients — barley malt, hops, water and yeast. In addition, beer-lovers can enjoy a tour of the brewery followed by a tasting and meal, all enjoyed within an historic setting.

Legend has become a mainstay in Virginia’s ever-growing food and beverage industry because of its focus on delivering high-quality, fresh products. It is also one of the few craft breweries that produce both lagers and ales, which require a different process and ingredients.

Virginia’s beer industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. According to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, there were 46 breweries in 2011. That number increased to 63 in 2012 and 75 in 2013, with most of the growth coming from the craft brewery niche. Part of that growth is attributable to Senate Bill 604, signed in May 2012, which allows beer manufacturers to sell and sample beer on their premises without obtaining a second restaurant license.

With the Brewer’s Association reporting 70 more breweries in the planning stages in Virginia, the Commonwealth’s craft brewery industry is poised to continue its positive momentum. Virginia has proven to be a successful location for entrepreneurs and food and beverage companies alike, making it an ideal choice for the craft brewery market. To learn more, click here.

The U.S. Green Building Council recently named Virginia No. 3 for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications as part of its annual ranking.

LEED is one of the most well-recognized and respected green building certification programs in the world, incorporating design, construction, maintenance and operational aspects into its environmentally-friendly analysis.

More than 57,000 commercial and institutional projects currently participate in LEED, comprised of 10.5 billion square feet of construction space in 147 countries. Each day more than 1.5 million square feet of space is LEED-certified.

In 2013, Virginia had 160 projects LEED-certified, which encompassed 16.8 million square feet of space and 2.11 square feet per capita. The ranking is based on per capita numbers to allow for a fair comparison among different population levels.

The office and retail space at 1776 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Va., received recognition as a notable project. It is the first commercial building in Arlington to earn LEED Platinum certification.

“As the economy recovers, green buildings continue to provide for jobs at every professional level and skill set from carpenters to architects,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC.

Investment in green-building infrastructure creates real economic value in the form of lower energy costs up front, and the reduction in greenhouse gases ensures a sustainable future for the environment and future generations.

Virginia’s leadership in this area is yet another example of the innovative environment the Commonwealth offers to business owners. To learn more about Virginia’s unique resources that have allowed companies to prosper here for more than 400 years, click here.