The region and the entire Richmond metropolitan area are home to a diverse group of employers, from a major Army training center to advanced materials producers, food producers, national distributors, and leading energy firms. As part of the Richmond-Petersburg MSA, the region has access to a vast workforce pool and the capital of Virginia, Richmond, just 25 miles north, which houses the state government, world-class lifestyle amenities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The metro area is home to the headquarters of eleven Fortune 1000 companies with major presences of additional Fortune 500 companies.

Top Employers, Gateway Region Communities

Source: Virginia’s Gateway Region, 2023.

Military Expertise

The region is home to Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly Fort Lee) and Fort Barfoot (formerly Fort Pickett), major training facilities for branches of the military and commercial security; the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, the Department of Defense’s primary contracting and logistics organization for aviation; and numerous defense sector consultants that take advantage of the strategic location central to federal and naval resources. The combination of unique local training and proximity to top-level U.S. military activity and decision-making adds tremendous value to local employers in terms of skills, experience and discipline in the workforce. Most veterans who finish their service in the area choose to start a business or second career locally to enjoy the affordable cost of living, great schools and excellent housing that they and their families became accustomed to during their stay. Fort Gregg-Adams: The center of military activity in Central Virginia, Fort Gregg-Adams has consistently been a Department of Defense priority in recent budget and resource realignments, enabling it to grow its economic and expertise contributions to the region. Each military base specializes in particular training, with Fort Gregg-Adams preparing its personnel for careers in logistics, machinery operation and repair, and food manufacturing and preparation. The Army Logistics University: Establishes Fort Gregg-Adamsas the army’s logistics capital of the world through its training of military and civilian leaders at three colleges and an academy, including a new state-of-the-art learning center Quartermaster School: Trains soldiers and develops doctrine for quartermaster skills and functions including general supply, mortuary, subsistence, water, energy, field services and distribution management Ordnance School: Trains soldiers and civilians in technical skills and leadership to provide effective support for maintenance, munitions and explosive ordnance functions for the Army Transportation School: Provides the capability to rapidly distribute and deploy forces, equipment and materials Joint Culinary School: Trains soldiers to manage all aspects of food systems including: food planning, menus, nutrition, rations, regulations, procedures, safety and dining facility design. The school has even gained notoriety among the Food Network fan base by holding the largest annual American culinary competition Garrisons: The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps maintain detachments at the post

Top Military-Trained Occupations in the Region

Top Military-Trained Occupations in the Region

1. Stock Clerks & Order Fillers
2. Cooks, Institution & Cafeteria
3. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
4. Logisticians
5. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
6. Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
7. Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
8. Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
9. Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other
10. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
11. Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, Blasters
12. Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
13. Aircraft Mechanics & Service Technicians
14. Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
15. Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Fort Gregg-Adams Statistics 

• 29,910 total supported on-post population (23,268 military + 7,974 civilian/contractor personnel + 6,642 dependents)
• 10,924 average daily military students and trainees (on-post)
• 67,816 off-post population

Fort Barfoot

Located just west of the region, the Virginia Army National Guard Installation contains over 42,000 acres of training grounds for maneuvers. Non-military organizations using the installation include the U.S. Marshals, the FBI and Virginia State Police.  Blackstone Army Airfield is also open for public use as Allen C. Perkinson Airport.

Defense Logistics Agency: Aviation

Also known as the Defense Supply Center Richmond, the Defense Logistics Agency supports and supplies over 1,300 major weapon systems, 1.3 million repair parts and other supply items for the U.S. armed forces’ aviation equipment. The installation is 600 acres, with 120 buildings and more than 7 million square feet of storage space. In addition to its primary distribution depot activities, other tenant activities at the installation include:

• Research & Resource Analysis: Analytical research capacity for decision making in supply, distribution, procurement and other disciplines
• Distribution Mapping: Physical distribution of all maps, charts and geodetic material for the Department of Defense and military customers
• Disposition: Disposing of excess military property by transfer to entities, surplus sales or other means
• Document Services: Printing, duplication, conversion and distribution of digital documents

Military Proximity

Besides training a large percentage of the U.S. Army at Fort Gregg-Adams, the region is centrally located between the second largest military employment region in the U.S. in Hampton Roads and the home of the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. This allows the region to benefit from the advantages of proximity and sea access, contractors, major national infrastructure and government contacts and experienced and knowledgeable veterans looking for work, while escaping the population and traffic congestion disadvantages of both.