In This Issue
Readying the Region for Fort Lee's Explosive Growth - If It's Goya, It Has To Be Good
- Rehrig Penn Logistics Creates 40 Jobs in Dinwiddie
- CCWA Welcomes New VP of Workforce Development
- Boehringer Ingelheim Launches $142 Million Expansion
Events Calendar
We've added an events calendar to keep you updated on happenings in Virginia's Gateway Region.
October 28, 2006
Dear Reader,
Fall is flying by, and at Virginia's Gateway Region Economic Development Organization, we've been busy with an exciting array of groundbreakings, trade shows, marketing missions, and prospect visits. We packed this edition of "Access is Everything," our quarterly e-Newsletter, with the latest on the region's activities. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions as to how we can make this publication more valuable to you, our reader.
Readying the Region for Fort Lee's Explosive Growth
Over the next nine years, Fort Lee will expand from its current 7.5 million square feet to an excess of 15 million square feet in facilities. The new additions will house and support the influx of soldiers, civilians and contractors. Current estimates project these additions will shift the instillation’s annual population from 36,914 to 81,447 by 2011. This unprecedented expansion demands a coordinated community effort to ensure positive growth, and accordingly, Virginia’s Gateway Region has been proactively working to support the expansion. From providing demographic data for community expos to hosting informational luncheons, VGR is committed to facilitating the expansion process and is in the process of planning several initiatives and activities to further support the expansion.
If It's Goya, It Has To Be Good
Goya foods, the country's largest distributor of Latin American cuisine, opened its new distribution facility in Prince George County with a ribbon cutting October 11, 2006. Goya invested $5.1 million in the 109,000 square foot warehouse. The facility runs on two shifts with 30 employees and is expected to grow to a staff of 60 to 70. The area's growing Hispanic population, coupled with its logistical advantages, influenced Goya's decision to locate in Prince George County's SouthPoint Business Park.
Follow the links below for local media coverage of the event.
The Progress-Index: "Goya Foods open in PG Distribution center will bring about $35 million a year to county"
Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Goya, guests celebrate warehouse's opening"
Rehrig Penn Logistics Creates 40 Jobs in Dinwiddie
Rehrig Penn Logistics LLC (RPL), which provides asset tracking, recovery, storage, repair/washing, and/or disposal of returnable packaging items, recently opened an operations facility in Dinwiddie County. The project marks a $750,000 investment and will create 40 jobs with the company.
Rehrig Penn, founded in the summer of 2005, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rehrig Pacific Company. The company provides pallet management services, managing complex retail and general supply chain networks.
Community College Workforce Alliance Welcomes New Vice President of Workforce Development
The Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) welcomed “Mac” McGinty as it’s new Vice President in late August. McGinty served six years as the Associate Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Training for Thomas Nelson Community College in the Virginia Community College System. Prior to that, he spent six years as Director of the Center for Business and Workforce Development with Southside Virginia Community College. McGinty was Virginia’s Workforce Development Professional of the Year for 2003. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he holds a masters degree in human resources and has done post-graduate work in adult education. He served in the Navy for 23 years, retiring as a Commander.
Fact Facts: Did you know?
The Gateway Region's website was named the best overall website for populations over 200,000
at this year's International Economic Development Council's Annual Conference.
Boehringer Ingelheim Launches $142 Million Expansion
Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc. hosted a groundbreaking event October 20th at their Petersburg facility. The event celebrated the construction of new state-of-the-art production and laboratory facilities, which will increase BI Chemicals' manufacturing capacity by 50 percent and lead to the creation of more than 100 new jobs. Construction of the S-5 Production facility is scheduled to be completed by early 2009.
Click here for The Progress-Index's coverage of the event.
