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2012 A Guide to Selecting a Business Location In The Commonwealth Site Selection Guide

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2012

A Guide to Selecting a Business Location In The Commonwealth

Site Selection Guide

(703) 846.9000 • hitt-gc.com/virginia • @twHITTr

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• Virginia’s Largest General Contractor: Virginia Business, March 2012• Ten market sector focused teams that specialize in your industry: - Base Building: Commercial & Multi-family/Student Housing - Corporate Interiors - Government - Healthcare - Hospitality - Institutional - Law Firms - Major Projects - Paint & Service - Technology• Local roots, nationwide reach• Over 100 LEED® projects• Headquartered in Virginia for 75 years

For more about our projects in some of

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©2012

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S4 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S5

VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE

Photo courtesy Virginia Tourism Corp.

Transportation: Virginia’s transportation system gives you access to international and national markets through its seaports, airports, highways and railroads.

• 2 of the nation’s largest airports, 14 commercial airports

• 2 of the nation’s largest railroads: CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.

• 6 major interstates, 70,000 highway, primary and secondary road miles

• 14 railroads, 3,500 railway miles• 6 foreign trade zones

Virginia is for Business

Hot off the pressThe spotlight is shining on Virginia as it takes the lead in rankings around the nation demonstrating that the commonwealth is a great place to live, work and play. Here’s a sampling of what media outlets had to say:

• Virginia ranked No. 3 in the 2012 American Legislative Exchange Council’s economic outlook ranking. This study is published yearly in the council’s Rich States, Poor States guide. The economic outlook ranking looks at variables such as highest marginal personal and corporate income tax rates, workers’ compensation costs and a state’s right-to-work status.

• Forbes.com: “Best States for Business” Holding on strong for the sixth year in a row, Virginia once again made it on Forbes.com’s Best States for Business list taking the No.2 spot in 2011. Appealing factors included an

educated labor force and a pro-business regulatory environment. In 2012, Blacksburg also made it to the top five of Forbes.com’s Best Small Cities for Jobs list.

• Virginia received the Governor’s Cup for new and expanded facilities from Site Selection Magazine. In 2011, the commonwealth landed the No.5 spot on this list. That’s five spots higher than its ranking in 2010. Other areas in Virginia made the cut as well, including Staunton in the Top Micropolitan category and the Arlington/Alexandria area for Top Metros with populations over 1 million.

• U.S. News & World Report: Virginia’s higher education system received several mentions in U.S News and World Report’s 2012 College Rankings. The University of Virginia came in second place in the Top Public Schools list, tied with the University of California, Los Angeles. The College of William and Mary wasn’t far behind, snatching the No. 6 spot in the public schools category. George Mason University also received a mention as the second ranked up-and-coming school in the country.

W elcome to the 2012-2013 Virginia Site Selection Guide. This guide outlines Virginia’s business-friendly environment and highlights reasons why businesses should relocate or expand in Virginia. In fact, many businesses already have. In 2012, Capital One Financial Corp., a Fortune 500 company, announced plans to open a data center in Chesterfield County. Capital One is adding an estimated 50 new jobs with this

expansion and investing more than $150 million. “Hot Off the Press” (p.S5) takes a closer look at the many accolades Virginia’s business climate has received. For example, Virginia was voted as the No. 3 state for business by CNBC in 2012. The rest of the guide looks at transportation highlights (p.S10), economic development contacts at public universities and colleges (p.S7) and recent economic development announcements (pp.S8-S9). In addition to a broader view of why Virginia is great for business, the Virginia Site Selection Guide will also showcase the advantages of specific business locations in Virginia (pp. S11-S15).

Strong Economy: Virginia not only has a robust economy; it has a diverse one, too.

• 17,300+ high tech companies • 40+ firms with annual revenues of more than $1

billion • 24 Fortune 500 companies• 700+ internationally owned businesses from 45

countries around the world• $18.11 billion exported merchandise in 2011

Reasons to Pick Virginia for Business:

Business Friendly: Cost-saving incentives, among other factors, make Virginia an appealing state to operate your business.

• No. 3 state for business in CNBC’s 2012 “America’s Top States for Business” ranking

• AAA Bond Rate since 1938, longer than any other state

• 6 percent corporate income tax rate hasn’t been raised since 1972

• Governor’s Opportunity Fund helps localities land economic development deals

• Low building costs, 8 to 22 percent below national average

Innovative: College, universities and research and development facilities are leading research that ranges from medical, to automotive and technology fields.

• 12 research parks that allow for collaboration between universities, private companies and federal labs

• 11 federally funded research and development centers, 19 federal laboratory consortiums

• The National Institute of Aerospace, a partner of NASA Langley Research Center, conducts research with multiple universities including Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia

Foreign Investments: More than 700 foreign companies have locations in Virginia, but just how much money are they investing in the Commonwealth? Look below to see a sampling of the largest foreign investments in Virginia from 1980-June 2011 (Figures are in millions).

• Japan: $2,047• Germany: $1,974• UK: $1,300 • Sweden: $746• France: $657

• Canada: $577• Denmark: $508• Israel: $286• Australia: $235 • Switzerland: $208

Quality work force: Virginia has an abundant, skilled work force.

• 6th lowest unionization rate in the country (5.6 percent)

• 500,000+ students attend Virginia institutes of higher learning

• 21,000 doctoral scientists and engineers, among the highest concentrations in the nation

Great place to live: The commonwealth’s an ideal place to work and live with a rich history and outdoor and cultural activities.

• Best State to Make a Living in 2012 (Moneyrates.com rating)

• $19 billion from tourism• 119 national historic landmarks, 31 national

parks, 35 state parks• Historical landmarks include Colonial

Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement and Monticello

Excellent education: Virginia’s education system helps shape its stellar work force, from the elementary and secondary school level to institutions of higher education.

• 6th most schools in the country offering the International Baccalaureate program

• 590,000+ middle and high school students are part of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and programs

• 15 public, four-year colleges/universities; 50+ private, four-year institutions; 23 community colleges

Source: Virginia Economic Development Partnership, CNN

S6 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S7

VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE

Universities are economic development partnersVirginia’s public universities have become key economic development partners in the state. These institutions are partnering with businesses on research projects, innova-tion and entrepreneurship. Many universities have built research parks that offer companies the opportunity to

partner with local colleges and universities on economic development projects. These relationships help Virginia land key investment opportunities. The following are ex-amples of some university research parks and collabora-tions between universities and businesses around Virginia.

COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARYP.O. Box 8795 Williamsburg, Va. 23187Leonard SledgeDirector, Office of Economic [email protected]/economicdevelopment

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY4031 University Drive, Suite 200Fairfax, Va. 22030Keith B. SegersonExecutive DirectorMason Enterprise Center [email protected]

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY701 Carrier Drive Harrisonburg, Va. 22807Kenneth F. Newbold Jr.Director of Research and [email protected]/research LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY515 Main St.Farmville, Va. 23909Ken Copeland Director of Economic Development434-395-2358copelandpk@longwood.eduwww.sbdc-longwood.com

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY700 Park Ave.Norfolk, Va. 23504Paula ShawDirector of theOffice of Sponsored Programs [email protected]/sponsoredprograms

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY4211 Monarch Way, Suite 102 Norfolk, Va. 23508Tom OshaPresident and CEOInnovation Research Park @ [email protected]

RADFORD UNIVERSITYP.O. Box 6891Radford, Va. 24142William KennanVice Provost, Academic Affairs540-831-6415 [email protected] www.radford.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON1125 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Suite 400Fredericksburg, Va. 22401Meta R. BraymerVice President for Economic Development and Regional Engagement [email protected]://economicdevelopment.umw.edu

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIAP.O. Box 400224Charlottesville, Va. 22904Pace LochteDirector, Regional Business [email protected]

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’SCOLLEGE AT WISE1 College Ave. Wise, Va. 24293Shannon BlevinsDirector, Office of Economic [email protected]/econdev

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTHUNIVERSITY800 E. Leigh St., Suite 113Richmond, Va. 23219Nicole M. ColombEnterprise and Economic Development Executive VCU Tech Transfer804-828-4200 [email protected]

VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM101 N. 14th St., 15th floorRichmond, Va. 23219Craig HerndonVice Chancellor for Workforce [email protected]/workforce

VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE111 Smith HallLexington, Va. 24450Col. Stewart MacInnisCommunications and Marketing [email protected]

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITYP.O. Box 9061Petersburg, Va. 23806Robert L. Turner Jr. Vice President of Development [email protected]

VIRGINIA TECH702 University City Blvd.Blacksburg, Va. 24061John ProvoDirector, Office of Economic [email protected]

Economic development contacts at Virginia’s public universities and colleges

Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) (Prince George County)Rolls-Royce, the University of Virginia, Vir-ginia Tech and Virginia State University are just a few of the partners in CCAM. The center’s goal is to accelerate technologies from developmental stage through proof of concept and on to commercialization. CCAM’s facility in Prince George’s county is expected to open September 2012.

Innovation Research Park @ ODU (Norfolk)Innovation Research Park is part of a 75-acre, mixed-used development on Old Dominion University’s campus. The park’s strategic location provides access to ODU’s research resources, students and faculty as well as other important downtown facili-ties.

Innovation Technology Park (Prince William County)The business and technology park targets companies ranging from the biotechnology and information technology fields to gov-ernment contractors. George Mason Uni-versity’s life-science campus is the anchor of the park.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (Danville)The institute’s goal is to boost Southern Vir-ginia’s economy through advanced-learning programs, strategic research, advanced net-working and technology and community outreach. The academic partners include Vir-ginia Tech, Averett University and Danville Community College.

University of Virginia Research Park (Charlottesville)The 562-acre research park is a mixed-use commercial development property. The park is zoned for office, light industry, hotel/conference center, retail and labora-tory commercial uses. The business park is designed to be a corporate village setting among natural beauty.

Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center (Newport News)The VASCIC is a partnership involving elec-tronic systems suppliers, software suppliers, Navy laboratories and Virginia universities to develop new technologies for aircraft carriers and advanced shipbuilding.

Virginia BioTechnology Research Park (Richmond)The park has two bioscience business cen-ters designed to support early-stage and startup life science companies. More than 60 life science companies, research insti-tutes and state/federal labs are located in the park. Health Diagnostic Laboratory is expected to finish a new 6-story-building in the park in early 2014, which will make it the park’s largest employer.

Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (Suffolk)Old Dominion University’s multidisciplinary research center emphasizes computer modeling, simulation and visualization re-search, development and education. The center’s mission is to conduct collaborative research and development to work with government and private industry.

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute (Roanoke)The public-private partnership formed in 2007 conducts research regarding the molecular basis for health and disease, as well as the development of diagnostic tools, treatments and therapies for existing and emerging issues in medicine. The medical school opened in 2010.

Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (Blacksburg)With plans to double in size over the next decade, the park’s mission is to create a space for high-technology research com-panies that can potentially form research partnerships with Virginia Tech. The park is located right by the university’s campus.

Wallops Research Park (Accomack County)Most suited for aerospace and aviation op-erations, the park has sites available ranging in size from two to 25 acres. Its overall goal is to provide a space for science, technolo-gy and education endeavors to supplement the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, as well as other WFF partners.

Source: Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Individual research parks

S8 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S9

VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE

Norfolk: Katoen Natie will create 225 new jobs in a $12 million investment.

Virginia Beach: GEICO Corp.’s $1 million expansion is creating 285 jobs.

NORTHERN VIRGINIAArlington County: Applied Predictive Tech-nologies Inc. will create 215 new jobs in a $1 million expansion.

Fairfax County: Bechtel Corp. is creating 625 new jobs, an $18 mil-lion investment.

Fairfax County: TASC Inc., which provides advanced systems engineering and integra-tion and decision-support services, created 825 new jobs in a $23.8 million expansion.

Loudoun County: Metron Aviation, which provides products and services for the global aviation industry, will create 350 jobs, a $2 million expansion.

A sampling of Virginia’s recent economic development announcements (2011-2012)

SOUTHWESTGalax: Albany Industries, a furniture manufacturer, is creating 335 new jobs in a $2.5 million investment.

Montgomery County: Backcountry.com’s distribution center is bringing 216 new jobs with the creation of an East Coast distribution center. The online retailer of outdoor gear is investing $20.5 million in the project.

Roanoke: FreightCar America Inc., a manufacturer of railroad freight cars, is creating 200 jobs.

Wise County: Lonesome Pine Compo-nents Inc.’s manufacturing facility is creat-ing 150 new jobs.

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA Charlotte County: Genesis Products, Inc., manufacturer of doors, cabinet parts, moldings and wood panels, is creating 150 new jobs in a $2.5 million expansion.

Danville: Web Parts LLC, an information technology company, is creating 260 new jobs.

Halifax County: Faneuil Inc.’s customer care center for Dominion Virginia Power will create 150 new jobs, a $1.5 million expansion.

Henry County: ICF International’s business process management center is creating 539 new jobs in a $15 million investment.

CENTRAL VIRGINIA Charlottesville: HemoShear LLC, a bio-technology research and development company, is creating 83 new jobs in a $1 million investment.

Amazon.com’s new fulfillment center is creating 1,060 jobs in Chesterfield County and 390 jobs in Dinwiddie County, a total investment of $135 million.

Chesterfield: Cuore, a telemarketing com-pany, is creating 772 new jobs.

Henrico County: GE is creating 200 new jobs in a $2.5 million investment.

Lynchburg: J. Crew Group Inc.’s expansion is creating 177 jobs, a $20.3 million invest-ment.

Prince George County: Standard Motor Products Inc. will create 95 new jobs, a $1 million expansion.

Richmond: Health Diagnostic Laboratory’s expansion will create 706 new jobs, a $68.5 million investment.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY Botetourt County: TREAD Corp.’s $5 mil-lion expansion is creating 100 jobs.

Buena Vista: Munters Corp., a manufac-turer of heating, ventilation, and air con-ditioning systems, is creating 90 jobs in a $1 million investment.

Clarke County: Berryville Graphics will maintain 81 jobs while creating 84 in a $10.6 million consolidation.

Harrisonburg: George’s Inc. will create 125 jobs, a $5.4 million expansion.

HAMPTON ROADS Chesapeake: In a $13.25 million expansion, Sumitomo Machinery Corp. of America is creating 96 jobs.

Isle of Wight County: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.’s new manufacturing plant will create 800 jobs, an investment of $180 million.

SHENANDOAHVALLEY

SOUTHERNVIRGINIA

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

NORTHERNVIRGINIA

HAMPTONROADS

Norfolk

Harrisonburg

Source: The Virginia Economic Development Partnership

SOUTHWESTVIRGINIA

CENTRAL VIRGINIAGreater Richmond .......... S11 Partnership

SHENANDOAH VALLEYHarrisonburg ...................S12

HAMPTON ROADSNorfolk ............................S13Innovation Research ......S14 Park @ ODUVirginia Beach ................S15 Economic Development

INDEX

Richmond

GReateR RicHmoNd

paRtNeRsHip

ViRGiNia BeacH ecoNomic

deVeLopmeNt

S10 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING

VIRGINIA SITE SELECTION GUIDE

Photo by Tom Saunders, VDOT

transportation & infrastructure

Virginia has a wealth of transportation resources that make it an ideal location for businesses. Six major highways, two of the largest airports in the country and one of the largest ports on the East Coast are some of the assets that make it stand out. Transportation projects include the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which is fo-cused on extending the Washington, D.C., Metrorail to Tysons Corner and Washing-ton Dulles International Airport. Norfolk’s new light-rail system, The Tide, celebrated 1 million rides in 2012, less than a year after it opened.

ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S11

Greater Richmond Partnership | CENTRAL VIRGINIA

Businesses are drawn to Greater Richmond and the world is taking note. More than half of the firms looking to expand in the region are international businesses.

Global companies like GE and Ama-zon, who also recently chose Greater Richmond to locate, appreciate the friendly business environment. Year after year Forbes and CNBC.com rank Vir-ginia as a top state for business. Rich-mond was recently listed as one of the top “Best Cities for Business” by the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch.com.

Site Selection Magazine also ranked Virginia first among the Top 10 Competi-tive States of 2011.

Sabra Dipping Co., the country’s leading hummus manufacturer, recently announced its plan to expand its manu-facturing operation and establish a Cen-ter of Excellence research and develop-ment facility in Greater Richmond.

Ronen Zohar, CEO of Sabra, said, “The fact that we are building it [the R&D facility] in Virginia is a testament to our belief in the people, the community and the resources available here.”

Businesses are in good company with a strong community of corporate headquarters in the region. Six Fortune 500 companies and 10 on the Fortune 1000 list call Greater Richmond home, including Altria Group, Dominion Re-sources, Genworth Financial, Owens & Minor, CarMax and MWV (MeadWest-vaco).

From corporate headquarters to an ever-expanding biotechnology park and growing life sciences industry, finance and insurance cluster, advanced manufactur-ing, food processing, information tech-nologies, creative and knowledge-based services, and logistics, Greater Richmond isn’t dependent on one industry to pro-vide economic stability.

Located at the junction of I-95 and I-64, Greater Richmond has access to more than 55 percent of the U.S. popu-lation within 750 miles, offering a distinct advantage from a logistics perspective. The region’s solid infrastructure includes the Richmond International Airport, which is served by major airlines and

low-cost carriers. There is also easy ac-cess to rail and port services.

Promoting the region’s economic opportunities is the mission of the Great-er Richmond Partnership, Inc., which represents the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover

and Henrico. The group works with do-mestic and foreign companies looking to relocate or expand, or to establish U.S. subsidiaries. A tremendous amount of information is available on www.grpva.com, making it easy to compile initial site-evaluation analysis.

Greater Richmond draws top-notch businesses

10 Fortune 1000 companies call Greater Richmond home Both small business and Fortune giants � nd the Greater Richmond region an ideal location. GE’s Information Security Technology Center, MWV (MeadWestvaco), Amazon and Bass Pro Shops are just some of the businesses who have chosen Greater Richmond for growth and success.

Businesses are drawnBusinesses are drawnBusinesses are drawnto Greater Richmondto Greater Richmondto Greater Richmond

City of Richmond | Chesterfi eld | Hanover | Henrico

Learn more at our website

Air travelVirginia houses two of the nation’s larg-est airports: Washington Dulles In-ternational Airport in Dulles and Ronald Reagan Washington Na-tional Airport in Arlington. Overall there are 14 commercial airports in Vir-ginia, which provide access to 200 desti-nations around the world.

TrainsThere are more than 3,500 railway miles in Virginia. CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp., two of the largest railroads in the country, operate in Vir-ginia. In 2012, Norfolk Southern’s Heart-land Corridor was extended to Cincin-nati. The corridor cuts travel time for double-stack container trains traveling from the Port of Virginia to the Midwest. Amtrak allows passengers to travel to more than 20 locations throughout Vir-ginia. Amtrak Virginia also has six long-distance trains, which go to multiple cities including New York, Chicago and Miami. Access from Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C., is provided by the Virginia Railway Express and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. A new light-rail system in Norfolk, The Tide, stretches seven city miles, hitting local hot spots. HighwaysThe major highways in Virginia are I-95, I-85, I-81, I-77, I-66 and I-64. Sev-enty thousand miles of interstate, pri-mary and secondary roads also stretch through the commonwealth.

Port of VirginiaThe Port of Virginia is one of the largest ports on the East Coast and schedules approximately 2,500 sailings a year to more than 250 ports in foreign coun-tries. It’s the only location on the East Coast that currently can handle post-Panamax vessels as the first port of call.

Sources: Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Amtrak, The Tide, Norfolk Southern Corp., Port of Virginia

Opening this Fall!

ECO-INDUSTRIAL PARKO i thi F ll!

new energy. new vision. NORTH CAROLINA

For additional information on investing in Camden County and in the Eco-Industrial Park, please contactour Economic Development offi ce at: 252-338-6363 ext. 103 www.camdencountync.gov

S12 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S13

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NorDevVABiz1-2pg2012.indd 1 7/10/12 10:02 AM

Norfolk’s newest initiatives CitySites is Ripe for DevelopmentNorfolk is aggressively seeking new busi-nesses looking to invest and hire in our city.  We know site selection is on the top of your list. CitySites, a new real estate program, features user-friendly access to Norfolk’s city-owned proper-ties for sale, or lease along with the de-sired type of development, directly from our website.  In addition, surplus Nor-folk Public school listings can be found on the CitySites website, large tracts of property for redevelopment in a city that is 98 percent built-out.  One click online and users can find marketing fly-ers on all properties owned by the City of Norfolk, the Norfolk Redevelopment & Housing Authority and the Economic Development Authority. Also online are “City For Lease” opportunities in our commercial spaces downtown.

Training Military for Civilian Employment Our military is a highly skilled and disci-plined source for companies’ workforce needs.  We are committed to supporting our transitioning military, and facilitating their reintegration to the civilian work-force.  As a proud military community, we have the assets and experience to assist companies with leveraging retrain-ing, and we have skill set enhancement programs to give your company a com-petitive advantage. 

Employ NorfolkThis new program is about putting our Norfolk residents to work. Employ Nor-folk, in collaboration with universities and the Virginia Community College System, networks companies with job seekers in the areas of apprenticeship, technical training, tech accelerators and mentor-ing.  We will be an aggressive and active

partner for identifying your workforce needs and providing programming as-sistance for your company’s workforce requirements.

New Incentives Norfolk has recently been re-approved for portions of the city to be designat-ed as Enterprise Zones (EZ)—which carries with it federal, state, and lo-cal incentives for companies choosing to locate in these areas, including the land where the former Ford Plant was located (now called the Renaissance Center).  Ask about our new tax cred-its available for bio R&D, port barge and rail use, port volume increase and in-ternational trade facilities.

City of Norfolk | HAMPTON ROADSSHENANDOAH VALLEY | City of Harrisonburg

Stop Searching, Start Finding.

Everything your business needs to grow and thrive is in Harrisonburg, VA – access to major markets, a growing technology base, an educated workforce, business and university partnerships, and a 5-star rated quality of life.

Visit HarrisonburgDevelopment.com today to find your perfect Harrisonburg location with our new property locator.

Harrisonburg Department of Economic Development • 540-432-7736 • [email protected]

Innovation at work Harrisonburg is an innovative city that

fosters new business. Its planned growth model and strong infrastructure are ideal for building both a company and a career. Harri-sonburg’s pro-business government actively seeks and supports technology firms and start-up companies, attracting quality busi-nesses to grow and thrive.

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham MSA has received tremendous investments from both new and existing employers. SRI Inter-national, one of the founders of Silicon Val-ley, has established its Center for Advanced Drug Research (CADRE) here. Rosetta Stone, the world’s premier language learn-ing software producer, employs over 450 as-sociates in downtown Harrisonburg. Serco operates a classification center within the Harrisonburg Technology Park as a contrac-tor for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, employing 115 classifiers trained in science and engineering.

The city is proud to be the home of

James Madison University (JMU), which now has a student population of almost 19,000. JMU is clearly an economic engine for the city and entire Shenandoah Valley. Recent capital projects, including the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, expansion of Bridgeforth Stadium, and the Port Republic Road ath-letic fields, total approximately $200 million of new investment. JMU perennially ranks as one of the top regional universities in the South, and also as one of the best values in higher education. As a result, James Madison University is one of the top Virginia schools of choice for high school graduates.

Downtown Harrisonburg has experi-enced dramatic growth over the past several years. Urban Exchange, a five-story, mixed-use development with underground parking, includes 194 apartments and 20,000 square feet of office/retail space. The Colonnades at Rocktown is a four-story, mixed-use proj-ect downtown that includes 66 residen-tial units and 20,000 square feet of first

floor retail/office space. Explore More Dis-covery Museum, voted best museum in the Shenandoah Valley, has emerged as a major attraction for downtown Harrisonburg. This hands-on museum is filled with interactive exhibits that entertained nearly 60,000 visi-tors during the past 12 months.

Employers are quickly discovering the tremendous assets available in the Har-risonburg area. Ideally situated two hours from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, the Shenandoah Valley offers a great quality of life, a highly skilled workforce and a robust technology infrastructure. Come explore what Harrisonburg has to offer you and your business.

S14 AUGUST 2012 ADVERTISING ADVERTISING VIRGINIA BUSINESS S15

Innovation Research Park @ ODU: your gateway to university assets Innovation Research Park

@ ODU has been carefully planned as the platform for le-veraging the intellectual capital, innovation, and infrastructure of Old Dominion University into an economic development driver for the City of Norfolk, the Hampton Roads region, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. While it currently includes two, 100,000-square foot Class A wet lab/office buildings; IRP is far more than real estate.

Innovation Research Park @ ODU was intentionally located within a 75-acre, $350 million mixed-use economic development project known as University Village that is home to shops, restaurants, a hotel, bookstore, and a major entertainment complex; creating a knowledge community that blends live, work, play and learn.

Companies locate at IRP to collaborate with ODU re-search centers, such as the Frank Reidy Center for Bioelectrics Research, the National Centers for Systems of Systems Engi-neering, and the nearby Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simula-tion Center, as well as to engage the university in everything

from hiring its graduates, to conducting research, business mentoring and new product development.

Central to these efforts is the ODU Business Gateway, an anchor tenant in IRP. The Business Gateway is a com-prehensive suite of business consulting and entrepreneur-ial services, manufacturing and technology solutions, training and professional development, and veterans business outreach and procurement assistance

that provide companies and organizations a single entry point to engage the intellectual capital, innovative technologies, and world-class infrastructure of Old Dominion University to solve business problems, create new offerings, and unlock operational efficiencies.

From small offices to flexible, ready-now wet lab space, to larger build-to-suit footprints, Innovation Research Park @ ODU can meet the needs of companies from start-up through matu-rity and is becoming an important job and economic develop-ment driver for the Hampton Roads region.

Innovation Research Park @ ODU currently consists of two 100,000 sq. ft. Class A office/wet/dry lab buildings located within the 75-acre, mixed-use University Village on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. IRP was designed to leverage the access, proximity, and infrastructure of ODU, the surrounding federal labs, and military centers to aid companies at every point in their life cycle.To balance work and life, IRP also has programs that allow tenants to use university health club, tennis, golf, sailing, recreational and other amenities, in addition to the shopping, dining and entertainment offerings found in the University Village.

WWW.IRPODU.COM

For Leasing Opportunities Contact Don Crigger p: 757.228.1847 e: [email protected]

There may beno beTTer place

To sTarT or relocaTea business.

(Technically speaking.)

Virginia Beach businesses love to push the

high-tech envelope. Mix that mindset with a

diverse economy, low taxes, strong workforce

and beach lifestyle in one of the top ten best cities

in the U.S. (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2011)

and you have some pretty powerful forces at

work. Why not plan a trip and see for yourself?

YesVirginiaBeach.com • 800.989.4567

Virginia Beach: business leader Virginia Beach, the commonwealth’s

largest city, is known around the world for its outstanding beaches and incredible qual-ity of life. Now, as Virginia is moving into a new era of entrepreneurship and business growth, Virginia Beach is leading the way with an innovative economy that is attract-ing attention from home and abroad.

Led by LifeNet Health’s new Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Virginia Beach is rapidly becoming a bio and health science center for Virginia. This $21 million facility will bring some of the world’s leading minds in regenerative research to a corridor that also includes the global headquarters for Operation Smile, a new regional health professions training center, and the new $130 million Sentara medical complex.

Research of another sort is also taking place, as Old Dominion University is es-tablishing their new Center for Innovative Transportation Solutions in Virginia Beach. This new center will examine a wide array of transportation, land use and policy issues for both public and private sectors, with an emphasis on utilizing advanced computer

modeling and simulation technologies.Major international brands continue

to choose Virginia Beach as their preferred location for serving the North American marketplace, as well. This past year, over $60 million of new investments were made by global companies such as STIHL Inc, IMS:GEAR, KRISS-USA and Hermes Abrasives in expanding their U.S. manu-facturing capacities and integrating next-generation technologies into their pro-cesses to enhance their competitiveness around the world.

Virginia Beach is also a strong office location. Such major corporate names as GEICO, Avis Budget Group, Liberty Tax Services and AvalonBay not only provide

the highest levels of professional services to their customers here, but also afford-ably manage a wide variety of corporate administrative support operations in what is recognized as one of America’s best cities to live and work.

Virginia Beach is built on innovation and partnerships. It has the largest con-centration of military installations in the country and is a magnet for defense-related industries, including ADS Inc., AMSEC, VT Milcom, Lockheed Martin, Valkyrie Enterprises and Boeing.

Virginia Beach is also one of the best places in America to live and raise a fam-ily, with an extensive public parks system, a beach boardwalk recognized as one of America’s top 10 public spaces, and one of the nation’s best public education sys-tems. Combined with being ranked as one of the safest cities in America, Virginia Beach can provide businesses, visitors and residents the lifestyle of their choice, for a lifetime. To learn more, visit us at www.yesvirginiabeach.com or call 757-385-6464.

City of Virginia Beach | HAMPTON ROADSHAMPTON ROADS | Old Dominion University

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