Spring 2008

Dear Reader:

We want to take a moment to update you on just a few of the great things underway in the Gateway Region. Thank you for taking the time to read our Spring 2008 newsletter.

Virginia's Gateway Region named in Site Selection's
Top Deals in North America and Abroad
In its hotly contested list of top deals, Site Selection has chosen the Rolls-Royce announcement in Prince George County as one of the premier deals for 2007, both domestic and abroad.

Criteria for the selection included the company named in the deal, the impact the proposed project will have on the community and the level of competition. With a marquee brand such as Rolls-Royce, an investment of $500 million and the creation of 500 new jobs, competition for the project was incredibly strong. Virginia’s Gateway Region successfully competed against Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas in addition to several world-class foreign locations.

Site Selection recognized that with the average Rolls-Royce job anticipated to pay almost double the regional average and numerous Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers expected to congregate in the region, the impact on the surrounding communities will be significant. Referencing the original project announcement, Renee Wyatt-Chapline, Executive Director of Virginia’s Gateway Region said, “This project has been a long time coming and we are all very excited. The impact of this project will positively affect the entire region and the Commonwealth as a whole.” Recognition from Site Selection further validates the anticipated impact the Rolls-Royce project will have in the Gateway Region.

VGR Board Members Examine Best Practices as they
Plan for the Future
The Virginia’s Gateway Region Board of Directors gathered at the Pamplin Historical Park Educational Center on Friday, April 18th for a day of learning and exploring opportunities for the region. With the rapid growth and significant activity, the board convened for a day long retreat to discuss national trends in regional economic development. In addition to the board, six of VGR's supporters and partners were on hand during the day to discuss their experiences with the organization and hopes for the future. Mac Holliday with Market Street Partners facilitated the retreat that examined the broader economic outlook. Participants including the board members, staff, and partners left the retreat invigorated and inspired about the opportunities that lay ahead for the organization and the region as a whole.

Vintage Automobile Parts Supplier Lands in
Virginia's Gateway Region
Governor Kaine announced Friday May 2nd that the West-Coast based company Moss Motors Ltd. plans to invest $5.15 million in a new distribution facility in Dinwiddie County creating 90 new jobs. The company is a supplier of specialized automotive parts in the British restoration market. Click here to read the full press release.

VCU Tour Excites the Region
With the recent inauguration of the newly collocated Schools of Business and Engineering at VCU, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) organized a day-long event on April 30th for the Gateway Region and Greater Richmond Region to understand the resources and opportunities available at VCU. More than twenty economic development professionals from VEDP, VGR, and GRP attended the event. The day was filled with mini seminars from faculty with the VCU Engineering and Business Schools. The collocation of these two schools was designed to facilitate synergy and collaboration and the cornerstone of this facility is the DaVinci Center. This Center teams engineering students, business school students and art school students to solve real industry problems in terms of product design and development identified by industrial partners in the region. In addition to showcasing this program, attendees learned about various exciting faculty research initiatives in: analytics, biofuel, genomics, nanotechnology spintronics, microturbines, and biomedical engineering in tissue regeneration to name just a few. The knowledge gained from this tour will not only assist VGR in marketing the region and its higher education institutions, but also to align these resources with prospective or existing industries in similar fields. Participants walked away from the event blown away by the enthusiasm the faculty have for the region’s quality of life.

Goodwill Provides Local Employment Solutions
The Petersburg Community Employment Center is partnering with local area businesses to provide Career Management Skills training, such as work ethic, interpersonal skills, and effective communication skills. Their staff provides resume services, job seeking skills classes, computer skills classes and a variety of workshops aimed at helping the unemployed or underemployed to gain access to employment and advancement. The centers are an excellent source of qualified candidates for local businesses. A group of 15 local business leaders, city government, education and human resource professionals have gathered to form the Tri-Cities Business Advisory Council to assist Goodwill in keeping their training programs updated and in line with local workforce development needs. Please contact Janine Snader, Manger of Business Solutions at 804-521-4926 for more information.

Fort Lee Training for Spouses
Governor Timothy Kaine, Senior Workforce Advisor to the Governor, Mr. Daniel LeBlanc, and the Virginia Workforce Council awarded a $200,000 grant to support military spouse training at Fort Lee Virginia. This two-week program began in July 2007 and serves active duty military spouses. It begins with orientation sessions at Army Community Services (ACS) and various Family Readiness Groups (FRGs). It includes case management / registration counseling by the ACS and Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) staff co-located at ACS. The military spouses are provided on post daycare services while in training. The ten-day training program is presented at John Tyler Community College (Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 2:30 pm). Contracted van pool services are provided by VPSI in Richmond. Military spouses are picked up at 8:30 am from the on-post daycare facility parking area and taken to the college to begin classes at 9:00 am. They have a 30-minute lunch break. The spouses are transported back to Fort Lee and arrive by 3:00 pm. This schedule permits military spouses to place their children on school buses in the morning, attend training and be there to meet the school buses in the afternoon, thereby keeping childcare costs down.

Virginia Legislative Session Highlights for 2008
Click here for the 2008 session highlights of the Virginia General Assembly.

On May 13th, 2008 Williams Mullen will host Challenges for Employers in a Slowing Economy at the Omni Richmond Hotel starting at 8:30 am. This half-day program is designed for HR professionals, office managers and business owners and will highlight labor and employment issues your company may face, especially in light of our changing economy. Click here to view the brochure including registration information.

In This Issue

Why VGR?

Dear Reader:

Customer Service Seminar

Williams Mullen Hosts Human Resources Workshop