Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., is the first U.S. facility certified to the ISO 50001 standards and the first Superior Energy Performance (SEP)-certified facility to use the ISO 50001 as its energy management standard.

The New River Valley plant achieved both certifications by participating in pilot programs supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and offered through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The Virginia plant was SEP certified at the highest level, platinum, due to its 15 percent improvement in energy performance over a three-year period.

These energy efficiency certifications not only take the Virginia plant closer to becoming carbon neutral, they also allow the company to be more competitive at a global level.

Company management credits its skilled Virginia workforce for coming up with many of the energy-saving ideas. “These certifications required a high degree of cooperation — a total plant effort. Employees at all levels have been actively engaged throughout our entire energy reduction journey,” said Lars Blomberg, Volvo Trucks vice president.

The 1.6 million-square-foot plant at New River Valley is a marquee establishment in Southwestern Virginia, employing more than 2,000 Virginians. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with New River Economic Development Alliance and Pulaski County in 1999 on the company’s $148 million expansion of the plant, which created 1,277 new jobs. 

Virginia is home to 170 automotive companies and Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley plant is a prime example of the innovation Virginia companies are bringing to the industry. With a pro-business operating environment, skilled workforce and R&D partnerships with universities, such as the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Tire Research Center, the Commonwealth has the infrastructure to support the future growth of this industry.

To learn more about what Virginia can offer automotive companies click here.

Water from the Three Springs Water Treatment Plant in McGaheysville, Va., was ranked Top 5 in the nation at the recent Great American Water Taste Test in Washington, D.C.

The contest was managed by the National Rural Water Association as part of its yearly Rural Water Rally. Participants had to win both state and national competitions to be represented at the final judging panel.

Clarity, bouquet and taste were the selection criteria, with judges focusing on water samples that had no taste, no smell and perfect clarity.

The Three Springs Water Treatment Plant is located in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley. The water quality is naturally pure as plant manager Luke Hornick stated, “We add fluorine and chlorine, but the water is of such purity that nothing else is needed.”

High water quality is important not just for individual consumption, but it also drives business decisions. Food processing and brewing companies require large amounts of high quality water, making Virginia a preferred location for those industries.

According to Rockingham County director of Community Development William Vaughn, “It’s one of the primary reasons that Coors — now MillerCoors — established East Coast operations here 25 years ago.”

Concerns over water quality and availability are receiving increased attention across the globe, making Virginia’s infrastructure resources a valuable asset for companies located in the Commonwealth. To learn more about Virginia’s world-class capabilities serving the food and beverage industry click here.

A view of Virginia's Shenandoah River

On Monday, GSI Commerce announced plans to expand its fulfillment capabilities in Henry County, bringing 60 new jobs and a $1.5 million investment to the Martinsville area of Southern Virginia.

This expansion will be used to handle the fulfillment, freight and warehouse management of the Company Kids and The Company Store brands of Hanover Direct — a new customer GSI Commerce just acquired.

Located in Martinsville, Va., since 2007, GSI Commerce has successfully grown its operations to include 1,000 full-time and seasonal workers. The expanded facility will be located near the company’s existing facilities at Bowles Industrial Park.

“GSI Commerce’s state-of-the-art fulfillment services will better facilitate the distribution of Hanover Direct’s brands and improve its clients’ customer experience. This new relationship will also ensure many jobs dedicated to Hanover Direct fulfillment services will remain within the state of Virginia,” according to the company’s press release.

The Commonwealth is a popular place for fulfillment centers with Amazon.com announcing two centers in Chesterfield and Dinwiddie counties, creating 1,350 new jobs. Backcountry.com also announced a fulfillment center in Montgomery County which is expected to create 200 new jobs.

To learn why Virginia’s strategic East Coast location, world-class logistics network and highly-skilled workforce make it a perfect location for logistics companies, click here.

Wytheville, Va., company Evatran is leading the way in developing an electronic vehicle (EV) wireless recharging system. Governor Bob McDonnell hosted the company’s launch event for its Apollo Program at the state capitol in Richmond, Va., last Thursday.

Google, Duke Energy, Hertz, Clemson University and the Commonwealth of Virginia have already signed on for Phase I of the Apollo Program. These partners have agreed to test the company’s wireless charging technology over the next three months and provide feedback to the company.

Evatran has been on the fast-track since June 2010 when Governor McDonnell announced the company would invest $3.5 million to establish a new manufacturing operation in Wytheville, Va., bringing 84 new jobs to the area. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Wythe County, the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, Wytheville, Rural Retreat and Virginia’s aCorridor to successfully compete against North Carolina and Ohio for the project.

Evatran’s Plugless Power system is unique — as its name suggests it does not require the EV to be plugged in to recharge. Through inductive power transfer, the user simply has to park the vehicle over a specialized pad which uses magnetic fields to transfer energy from the pad’s coils to the receiving coils within the vehicle adapter. The energy is only converted to electricity once inside the vehicle, ensuring a safe transfer.

Evatran hopes the convenience of its technology will aid in the early adoption of EVs as a standard mode of transportation, helping to ease the global energy crisis.

As a green energy pioneer, the company illustrates the strength of Virginia’s entrepreneurs in both the technology and energy sectors. To learn more about the Commonwealth’s unique offering for technology and energy companies click here.

Insourcing, reshoring, even backshoring are all terms used to described the growing trend of previously-outsourced manufacturing jobs returning to the U.S.

What exactly is driving this trend since Asia, and specifically China, has been earmarked as the go to place for cheap labor over the last decade?  The answer is simple — when it comes to goods for the U.S. market, on a total cost basis, manufacturing in China is becoming less attractive while manufacturing in the U.S. is becoming all the more so.

With increased exposure to the West, Chinese workers are demanding higher wages.  According to The Boston Consulting Group’s report Made in America, Again, Chinese wages are growing 15-20 percent each year. 

Labor typically represents only 7-25 percent of the cost in manufacturing a product. Other factors also moving in the U.S.’ favor include a favorable exchange rate, increased U.S. worker productivity and rising energy and land costs in China. Longer supply chains necessitate higher inventory and shipping expenses as well as pose political, intellectual property and weather related risks — all of which have become less tolerable to global manufacturers.

The combination of these factors led The Boston Consulting Group to conclude that “By sometime around 2015 — for many goods destined for North American consumers — manufacturing in some parts of the U.S. will be just as economical as manufacturing in China.”

In addition, China’s manufacturing infrastructure will increasingly be put to use to serve the local market. Its rising middle class will demand more products, absorbing a larger percentage of the goods produced in China. Given the costs and risks mentioned above, global supply chains appear to be shortening, with companies returning to the U.S. to manufacture goods closer to the end user.

Virginia’s furniture industry is a great illustration of this trend, with a number of expansions announced over the last few months. In Galax, Va., Albany Industries’ first Virginia location will create 335 new jobs and Vaughn-Bassett’s expansion of an existing factory and acquisition of an additional factory will create more than 100 jobs.

In addition, Netherlands producer Axxor Group chose Pittsylvania County for its first U.S. operation to supply honeycomb to nearby IKEA subsidiary Swedwood North America. Most recently, Laminate Technologies selected Henry County for its new Mid-Atlantic manufacturing operation, creating 30 new jobs.

Virginia’s cost-effective operating climate combined with its highly-skilled manufacturing workforce puts the Commonwealth in a prime position to capitalize on this trend. From Galax, Va., Vaughn-Bassett CEO John Bassett explained, “We are winning the battle against our Asian competition because we have the finest workforce in the world and we have the best equipped factories in the world,” as quoted by WSLS 10 News.

With 2011 manufacturing job creation up 31% and investment up 75% over last year, Virginia has already distinguished itself as a manufacturing powerhouse. To learn why Virginia’s pro-business climate and educated workforce make it a great location for manufacturing companies, click here.

While micro-loans are often associated with aiding entrepreneurs across the globe, the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority has established a program to help Virginia entrepreneurs right here in the Commonwealth.

The program is targeted towards existing Virginia businesses that will use the financing to either create new jobs or retain existing jobs. Companies must have been in operation for at least three years, as well as meet additional criteria in order to take advantage of the program.

These short-term loans will have a maximum maturity of one year with rates based off the Wall Street Journal  Prime Rate. Funds can be used for financing working capital needs, fixed asset purchases, leasehold improvements or technology infrastructure.

Virginia is a great place to start and grow a business, offering entrepreneurs a variety of resources at all stages of expansion. Use these links to learn more about Virginia’s Micro-Loan Program and obtain an application.

To learn more about Virginia’s resources for early stage companies click here.

A rich tradition of cabinet and furniture makers in Southern Virginia attracted Laminate Technologies (LamTech) to the Martinsville Industrial Park in Henry County. Virginia competed successfully against North Carolina for the project, which will bring 30 new jobs and a $2 million investment to the already well-established wood product manufacturing industry in the Martinsville – Henry County region. 

The Henry County location is LamTech’s first operation in the Commonwealth, strategically positioning the company near many of its customers, already thriving in the region. Home to a number of successful furniture companies, the region has established itself as a hub of American furniture manufacturing. Some of these firms, such as Basset and Stanley, were founded in Martinsville and have had a manufacturing presence in Henry County for more than 80 years.  

Given the nature of wood product manufacturing, which demands the movement and storage of large pre-production and finished goods, Virginia’s world-class logistics and supply chain network provides a strategic advantage to furniture companies. With easy access to high quality lumber, the efficient East Coast transportation infrastructure and a workforce of skilled artisans, Henry County offers an ideal location for the manufacturing of hardwood and laminate furniture, cabinets and component products. 

To learn more about Virginia’s growing wood products industry and why LamTech is one of more than 1,100 wood products companies located in the Commonwealth click here. 

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently initiated a Call for Information and Nominations to determine industry interest in commercial wind energy leases in federal waters off Virginia’s coast. This announcement is a significant milestone advancing Virginia’s offshore wind industry and moving the Commonwealth closer to claiming the title, “Energy Capital of the East Coast.”

Industry participants will have 45 days to respond to the Call, after which BOEM will determine whether the leasing process will be competitive or not. The Call Area was determined by the Virginia Renewable Energy Task Force in an effort to balance offshore wind development with protection of the environment and shipping interests. BOEM recently completed an environmental assessment of the area and determined that there would be “no significant impacts” in issuing these leases.

Virginia has already made significant strides in developing its offshore wind energy assets. The Commonwealth’s ideal combination of strong Class 6 winds and shallow waters that allow for the easy installation of turbines has attracted a number of players in the global supply chain.

Last October, Virginia’s Northampton County was selected as the site for Poseidon Atlantic, the first comprehensive testing and certification facility for both offshore and land-based wind turbines in the U.S. Poseidon Atlantic recently installed its first Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) monitoring position in Northampton County. The LIDAR system is about the size of an air conditioner and uses laser technology to measure wind speed, direction, frequency and strength. This project will be uniquely able to test and certify the entire wind turbine (as opposed to testing component parts).

In addition, Gamesa Technology Corp. and Newport News Shipbuilding, a unit of Huntington Ingalls Industries, have launched the Gamesa Offshore Wind Technology Center in Chesapeake, Va. The center has made significant strides in developing an offshore testing facility in the Chesapeake Bay, off the Eastern Shore. The test site has been identified and submarine testing of the ocean floor has begun. The test site is expected to be complete in late 2012 to early 2013.

To learn more about Virginia’s energy assets and why more than 380 energy companies have established operations in the Commonwealth, click here.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Economic Development Mary Rae Carter joined state and local officials to celebrate the opening of the Noblis Center for Applied High Performance Computing (CAHPC) in Danville, Va., last Friday. CAHPC is home to the Cray XMT2, the latest generation XMT and the only XMT supercomputer in the U.S. outside of a federal or academic setting.

Taking the power of High Performance Computing (HPC) out of the lab, CAHPC will allow companies convenient access to a supercomputer to solve advanced, real-world problems involving large amounts of data. This access to a supercomputer is unprecedented outside of federal or academic setting and removes the cost barrier to entry for smaller Virginia businesses.

Initially announced in June 2011, one of the goals of this project is to build on the success of Danville’s burgeoning River District by attracting additional high-tech companies. Located on the Dan River, the area’s historic buildings are being renovated and quickly becoming a hub for technology companies. Luna Nanoworks, Lifebatt, Infinity Global Packaging and Horizontech have already invested in the area.

While Northern Virginia is certainly an impressive IT hub, Danville’s location in Southside Virginia illustrates the expansiveness of Virginia’s high-tech capabilities throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia has the highest concentration of high-tech companies as well as the highest concentration of high-tech workers according to Enterprising States 2011: Recovery and Renewal for the 21st Century prepared by Praxis Strategy Group and Cyberstates 2011, respectively.

To learn more about Virginia’s world-class technology capabilities and why high-tech companies have invested more than $9 billion in Virginia over the last ten years, click here.

Pictured below is the Cray XMT2, the latest generation XMT supercomputer.

If you receive a bouquet this Valentine’s Day, it may contain flowers flown in from Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines delivered its first shipment, nearly two tons of Hypericum flowers, to Washington Dulles International Airport in January, and continues to deliver this amount on a weekly basis.

Arriving in perfect condition from Addis Ababa, this shipment of the Hypericum Coco variety was grown by Sun Kissed Flowers on the highlands of Ethiopia in East Africa. Ethiopia’s elevation, soil quality and weather conditions are perfect for slow-growing flowers, making some of the highest quality Hypericums in the world. A popular filler flower used to complement bouquets, the Hypericum’s signature berries resemble the coffee bean, one of Ethiopia’s better known exports.

While flowers may not be top of mind when Westerners think about Ethiopia, the country’s horticulture industry is on the rise. Also a global leader in producing a wide variety of roses and carnations, EthiopianFlowerExport.com reported the country exported 450 million cut flowers in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, with expectations to generate $530 million in revenues by 2014.

This milestone is part of the transformation taking place among commercial air carriers. Faced with rising operating costs, carriers are trying to squeeze every possible dollar to hold margins steady — hence the air cargo industry has taken off. (For additional information on the air cargo industry see our November blog.)

When it comes to delivering perishable cargo, such as flowers, Virginia’s logistics network is world-class. Dulles’ central East Coast location is within a day’s reach of more than 50 percent of the U.S. market. With a catchment area that covers 25 states and parts of Canada, as well as a dedicated access road to I-95, Dulles’ ability to save valuable time and spoilage costs has made it a sought-after import/export location.

More than 240 companies have set up distribution centers in the Commonwealth and companies shipping perishable goods, such as flowers, food and pharmaceuticals, are discovering the benefits of Virginia’s premier air cargo industry. To learn more Virginia’s world-class logistics capabilities click here.

While it’s always exciting when a new company opens its first operation in the Commonwealth, VEDP is just as enthusiastic when a long-standing Virginia company chooses to expand its operations here. That’s just what happened when Honeywell announced its plans to expand its Advanced Fibers and Composites (AF&C) operation in Chesterfield County through an investment of $27.5 million, which will create 50 new jobs.

Honeywell began operating in Virginia back in 1928 and this 80-plus year history has resulted in 17 facilities across the Commonwealth that employ 1,800 Virginians. Continued expansion and investment in Virginia confirms the company’s positive experience in the Commonwealth, allowing Virginia to beat out North Carolina and South Carolina for this project.

Honeywell’s AF&C business manufactures the lightest and strongest polyethylene fiber in the world. Its life-saving technology is used in applications to protect military and police officers where lightweight strength is critical. Bullet-resistant vests, breast plates, helmets, combat vehicles and military aircraft are just a few applications for AF&C’s world-class polyethylene fiber.

Virginia’s appeal to the plastics and advanced materials industry spans numerous subsectors including fiber and film manufacturing, blow molding, injection molding, pipe manufacturing, thermoforming and equipment manufacturing. With recent announcements from the likes of DuPont, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Tessy Plastics, O’Sullivan Films and Phoenix Packaging, Virginia has made its mark as an ideal location for plastics and advanced materials companies. To learn more click here.

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.

This week, VEDP announced the release of its Cybersecurity Export Market Report. The report was prepared by George Mason University as part of VEDP’s Going Global Defense Initiative to help Virginia defense companies mitigate the impact of sequestration by growing their sales internationally.

The Cybersecurity Export Market Report identifies the top 10 foreign markets that provide the best opportunities for exporting cybersecurity technologies. In-depth analysis of each market includes information on political and legal issues, market size and growth, market entry strategies, competition, trade agreements, and government programs and policies.

The top 10 markets for U.S. Cybersecurity exports are:

1. Saudi Arabia
2. United Arab Emirates
3. Qatar
4. Kuwait
5. South Korea
6. Brazil
7. Japan
8. United Kingdom
9. Australia
10. Indonesia

George Mason University is renowned for its expertise in information systems security. GMU 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. GMU is also home to the International Cyber Center.

With the highest concentration of high-tech workers in the nation, Virginia is a leader in technology and its companies are at the forefront of developments in cybersecurity, including cryptography, forensics, intrusion detection and firewall devices.

In addition to an established industry base, Virginia is home to a number of federal agencies that focus on cybersecurity, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communication Integration Center, and DARPA.

To download the Cybersecurity Export Market Report click here, and to learn more about Virginia’s leadership in technology, click here.

Access to broadband and faster internet speeds has increasingly become a catalyst for economic growth. This is especially important in high-tech sectors, such as Healthcare IT, as we move further into the knowledge economy.

The Virginia Center for Innovative Technology recently released its annual 2013 Healthcare IT Assessment, which again points to Virginia’s position as a technology leader.

First, access to broadband has increased. Since 2010, the percentage of the Virginia population with access to broadband has grown from 33 percent to 97 percent.

Second, Virginia is a national leader in broadband speed. In 2013, the Commonwealth was able to increase its average download speed by 33 percent to 11.1 Mbps (megabits per second), moving Virginia up to a No. 3 national ranking. Virginia remains well ahead of the national average, which is 8.7 Mbps.

Third, Virginia also improved its average peak connection speed. In 2013, the Commonwealth increased its peak connection speed to 44 Mbps, vs. the national average of 36.3 Mbps. This puts the Commonwealth at a No. 6 ranking and reflects a year-over-year improvement of 29 percent.

These increases in broadband access and speed are helping to grow sectors, such as Healthcare IT, that require the transmission of large amounts of data. In 2013, Virginia ranked No. 3 in hospital-based adoption of Electronic Medical Records. Over the last four years, Virginia hospitals have consistently shown greater than 90 percent adoption rate of EMR. Other medical providers across the Commonwealth are also closing the gap in early adoption of EMR, with 86.5 percent of Virginia physicians participating in 2013.

To continue improving care and offer a higher quality of service to patients, the next step for healthcare providers is participation in initiatives, such as Healthcare Information Exchanges and Telehealth Services. According to the study, 50 percent of Virginia hospitals participated in HIE and 58.6 percent offered Telehealth Services in 2013.

The CIT study illustrates how Virginia’s leadership in building a robust broadband network has laid the groundwork for growth in high-tech sectors like Healthcare IT. To learn more about Virginia’s innovative, technology-driven environment and how the Commonwealth can help your business, click here.

Virginia Values Veterans, also known as V3, is an initiative to help Virginia companies better reach out to veterans as part of their talent acquisition strategy and make Virginia the most veteran-friendly state in the country.

More than 18,000 people exit Virginia military bases each year and enter the civilian workforce. While most programs are geared towards helping veterans navigate this change, V3 is unique because it trains the employers on how to attract and retain these valuable workers.

V3 is managed by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Since the program was first announced in June 2012, 161 certified organizations have pledged 5,218 jobs to veterans and made 3,099 hires to date.

The program offers employers access to training, coaching and networks for best-practices sharing on how to build their veteran-employment pipeline. V3 is targeting companies with less than 1,000 employees because this group represents the majority of total hiring decisions.

Interested employers begin by taking a free online assessment test to determine their current level of vet friendliness and readiness for the V3 Certification Process. By completing milestones at each stage, employers earn V3 Certification from Bronze to Gold level.

The program is expected to be a win-win, reducing veteran unemployment and helping companies gain access to a skilled pipeline of workers they might otherwise miss out on.

V3 is hosting its 2014 Kick-Off Conference in Richmond on February 11. To sign up and learn more, visit http://virginiavaluesvets.com/.

The Launch Place is bringing businesses to Southern Virginia. As the leading entity to recruit and support entrepreneurs in the Dan River Region, the organization announced its first seed fund investment in KSI Data Sciences.

KSI will receive an initial investment of $150,000, and another $100,000 after successfully testing its prototype for video and data management solutions used in remote sensing platforms on unmanned aircrafts, vehicles and mobile devices. The KSI team plans to relocate to the Dan River District later this month.

Formerly called the Southside Business Technology Center, the Launch Place has assisted start-ups and early stage companies since 2005. After receiving a $10 million grant from the Danville Region Foundation in 2012, the organization was able to add seed funding to its capabilities as a business incubator and rebranded itself as the Launch Place.

What makes the Launch Place unique is its strategy of recruiting entrepreneurs, and then providing the support to allow their businesses to organically grow in the Dan River Region. Through a partnership with VT KnowledgeWorks, entrepreneurs in the program receive free mentoring through the planning, launch and growth stages of starting a business. The Launch Place team also provides a variety of business consulting services, including business plan development, market research, financial modeling and competitor analysis.

The Launch Place helps entrepreneurs reduce start-up costs by offering residential housing and office space subsidies to entrepreneurs that commit to stay in Danville for three years. The Dan River District provides a great place to live, work and play through its historic downtown area, riverfront walking and biking trails, plentiful water sports, concerts, festivals and other recreational activities.

The Launch Place is another example of the innovative support that Virginia offers to entrepreneurs and small business owners. To learn more, click here. 

A view of the Launch Place headquarters in the historic downtown area of the Dan River District.

At 1:07 p.m. today, Orbital Sciences successfully launched its first resupply mission to the International Space Station from Pad-OA of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket launched the Cygnus spacecraft into Earth’s orbit, where it is currently traveling towards the ISS at approximately 17,500 mph. The spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with the ISS early Sunday morning.

Cygnus is carrying 2,780 pounds of supplies to the Expedition 38 crew, including science experiments, provisions for the crew, spare parts and experiment hardware. The payload includes 23 science experiments that will involve more than 8,600 students across the U.S. and Canada.

Known as the Orb-1 Mission, this is the first actual resupply mission to the ISS following a successful demonstration mission to the ISS in September.

As part of its $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA, the Orb-1 Mission is the first of eight resupply missions to the ISS, expected to deliver approximately 20,000 kilograms of cargo through 2016.

The Orb-1 Mission comes right on the heels of a positive announcement from the Obama Administration — the president approved an extension of the ISS through 2024, allowing for the possibility of more resupply missions past 2016.

The success of today’s launch is another illustration of Virginia’s leadership in the space industry. Through MARS, Virginia offers one of only four commercial sites authorized for orbital space launches.

To learn more about Virginia’s thriving aerospace industry, click here.

A view of the Antares rocket ready for launch from Pad-OA of MARS at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo courtesy of NASA/Bill Ingalls.

The FAA recently announced that Virginia Tech was selected as one of six test sites across the country to conduct research on unmanned aircraft systems.

This initiative will help the FAA establish safety standards that will allow UAS, such as drones, to share airspace and integrate with commercial airlines. Test sites were selected for their geographic and climate diversity, as well as existing infrastructure and aviation experience.

The test site at Virginia Tech will focus on UAS failure mode testing, and identify and evaluate operational and technical risk areas.

Virginia Tech led the submission of a joint proposal for Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland called the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. In order to enhance the region’s competitiveness, the governors of each state agreed to support the initiative, and Virginia Tech will partner with Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Virginia has already shown its support for UAS and securing the Commonwealth’s position as an aerospace leader. In December, Governor McDonnell announced Virginia Tech would receive more than $2.6 million in Federal Action Contingency Trust funds to operate the UAS test site.

In addition, the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership successfully completed its first flight in October with a team from the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems, a research partnership between Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science and the College of Engineering. The team attached sensory equipment provided by American Aerospace Advisors to an unmanned 250-pound helicopter. Using ultraviolet and infrared cameras, the group was able to gather data on the health of five acres of tobacco crops.

This type of research could help farmers quickly survey their land to gain a better understanding of crop health, reduce pesticide use and improve yield. Agriculture is expected to be a prime growth market for UAS technology.

This win for Virginia Tech illustrates the Commonwealth’s premier higher education system, as well as its leadership in the aerospace industry. To learn more click here.

A team from Virginia Tech prepares to launch an unmanned 250-pound helicopter for a research mission to determine if UAS can gather meaningful data for crop management.  Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech.

Companies, employees and economic development professionals in the Dan River Region have been participating in a workforce readiness pilot program in Virginia since June.

This program would allow the region to be recognized by ACT as a Certified Work Ready Community by helping individuals obtain a National Career Readiness Certificate. ACT is a not-for-profit public trust dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success.

ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate includes four levels — platinum, gold, silver and bronze — that measure cognitive and behavioral abilities critical for on-the-job success. Specific skills that are measured include math, reading comprehension, problem-solving, discipline, teamwork, customer service and managerial potential.

The individual certificate can help job-seekers distinguish themselves, as well as help companies identify training needs for their employees. The community certification assists regions in quantifying the quality of their workforce and promoting this asset to attract additional companies and investment.

The Dan River region is located in Southern Virginia and includes the cities of Danville and Martinsville and the counties of Henry, Pittsylvania, Patrick and Halifax. The region has a strong legacy in furniture and textile manufacturing, and through workforce training programs at its numerous community colleges, offers a deep advanced manufacturing labor pool that has attracted investment from plastics, automotive, and food processing companies.

“This initiative represents an opportunity to change our workforce story from focusing on census data around educational attainment to a story that focuses on the skills of our workforce and how those align with industry needs,” said Dr. Julie Brown, project director at DRRC.

According to the Dan River Region Collaborative, if 2,300 residents earn certificates during the next two years, the region will be recognized as a Certified Work Ready Community. The region is well on its way with more than 1,200 certificates earned to date. The region is also actively recruiting corporate partners to join the program — almost 50 companies have signed up to date.

To learn how to participate in the ACT program as an individual or corporation, visit http://www.danriverrc.org/work-ready-community.

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.

At approximately 11:27 p.m. on Friday, September 6, NASA, Orbital Sciences and the Virginia Space Flight Authority launched the LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) Mission from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad OB at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The LADEE Mission accomplishes a number of firsts—it is the first deep space mission to launch from the Wallops Flight Facility, as well as the first payload to launch on the U.S. Air Force’s Minotaur V rocket. The Minotaur V launch vehicle was built by Virginia company Orbital Sciences. 

The LADEE spacecraft was constructed using Modular Common Spacecraft Bus Architecture, representing a departure from custom design towards assembly production and multi-use design in order to reduce costs.

Upon completing three phasing orbits around the earth, the LADEE spacecraft will enter the moon’s orbit through a three-minute Lunar Orbit Insertion maneuver that involves firing the spacecraft’s onboard propellant for approximately three minutes.

After being captured by the moon’s gravitational field, LADEE will orbit around the moon for a 100-day science phase to collect data and study the lunar atmosphere. The moon’s atmosphere is classified as a surface boundary exosphere, a thin layer that is theorized to be the most common type of atmosphere in the universe.

Scientists hope to determine the density, composition and variability of the moon’s atmosphere, as well as learn more about the lunar dust environment. Knowledge gained through this mission can be extrapolated to the atmosphere of other planets, including Earth.

With another Antares mission expected to launch in mid-September from the MARS facility, Virginia remains at the forefront of U.S. space exploration. MARS is one of only four commercial sites authorized by the FAA for orbital space launches, and offers an ideal trajectory for earth orbit insertion.

To learn more about Virginia’s burgeoning aerospace industry, click here.

The LADEE Mission launches from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on September 6. Photo courtesy of NASA/Carla Cioffi.