YesVirginia Business Blog

If you haven’t seen it yet, take a few minutes to read Virginia Business’ Dec. 29 Web posting headlined: POLITICAL ROUNDTABLE: Transportation still a chief concern. The publication invited five prominent Virginia observers of state politics to comment on the recent Governor’s election and the upcoming legislative session. A summary of their comments is provided in this posting.

Some of the roundtable discussion concentrated on economic development, which makes sense given the current state of the economy and Governor-elect McDonnell’s campaign focus on the creation of jobs. More importantly, the state of VEDP’s marketing budget was discussed, which until now has gotten lost in the weeds of state incentives and other economic development details.

Don’t misunderstand—state incentives are an important tool for the Commonwealth to utilize in winning economic development deals—and jobs—for Virginia. But if we can’t market Virginia to corporate decision-makers and bring attention to the fact that Virginia is the “Best State for Business,” state incentives will never see the light of day. Simply put, resources for media advertising and outreach for prospect events and meetings need to be deployed to adequately tell Virginia’s compelling story.

Hugh Keogh gets it. The President and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce—and VEDP board member—conveyed the message during the Virginia Business roundtable.

Another topic of discussion was Virginia’s ability to maintain the Forbes.com “Best State for Business” ranking, a title the Commonwealth has held for the last four years. To echo what roundtable participants Whitt Clement (former state transportation secretary and partner in state government relations, Hunton & Williams) and Ben Dendy (former senior staff member to two Virginia governors and president of Richmond-based lobbying firm Vectre Corp) so eloquently stated, it ain’t likely under current conditions. While we’ve got a strategic location, global access and world-class higher education on our side, these factors are a result of lawmakers’ willingness to make big-picture investments in Virginia.

To maintain our leadership position and get even better by attracting more quality jobs that Virginia needs and deserves, the big-picture investments need to continue. With a strong focus on transportation, education and economic development, Virginia might just turn its economy around and snag that “Best State for Business” title once again.

We advance our opportunities by reaching out in the power of partnership.

This statement is taken directly from a column written by Jim Charapich, President and CEO of the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, and recently printed in the Culpeper Star-Exponent. Charapich discusses the successful arrival of the North East Regional train that provides a new mode of transportation to and from the Culpeper region. The train’s arrival is thanks to collaboration by local, state and federal agencies, as well as public and private sectors.

 Now that Culpeper has one success under its belt, the community is tackling a new challenge—achieving the delicate balance between economic growth and residential harmony. Charapich talks about Culpeper’s need to provide the infrastructure necessary to support inevitable growth. As the state’s economic development marketing arm, VEDP encourages Virginia’s communities to be prepared and to conduct a self-examination to determine its strengths and market to businesses that match those strengths. Culpeper is doing all the right things. The local economic developer, Carl Sachs, has focused on the priorities of both business retention and marketing Culpeper. He is working to diversify its economic base into the technology sector by touting Culpeper’s ideal location on 29 between Northern Virginia and Charlottesville, home of The University of Virginia and a cluster of technology-based businesses. The region’s 15 fiber carriers provide connections to every major commercial center around the world, making Culpeper a global crossroads.

Terremark is benefitting from its Culpeper site. The Library of Congress’ Packard Campus for Audiovisual Conservation is taking advantage of the community’s assets. Germanna Community College’s Technical Center is able to offer area residents distance learning opportunities thanks to Culpeper’s connectivity.

With greater optimization of Culpeper’s infrastructure, the community can continue to thrive and still maintain the serene environment to which its residents have become accustomed. A strong infrastructure is important to technology companies, and technology companies make great corporate neighbors. They rarely emit sound or noise pollution. They create very little traffic. Yet, they offer quality jobs and educational opportunities that will, in turn, bring an even greater quality of life to the Culpeper community.

Teamwork is the secret to Virginia’s economic development success. From the Commonwealth’s local and regional economic development agencies to state agencies and university partners, it takes a team approach to winning quality projects for Virginia.