Consultants Contact:
Brent Sheffler
Team Leader. Advanced Manufacturing. Business Development
804-545-5742
BSheffler@YesVirginia.org

Our Experts Are Yours
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership understands the complicated demands of the site selection process and uses the years of experience of its staff to help make your client’s site selection project run smoothly. The Partnership consists of people whose combined expertise and experience provide the resources and information you need to make the most informed location decision with the least amount of your time and effort.

Your partnership with Virginia begins with the assignment of a Manager for your project. The Partnership divides its business development efforts into two markets — domestic and international. A dedicated team of International Investment Managers actively works with global companies. The International Investment Managers are the Partnership’s resident experts on the needs of international businesses. The Business Development Managers have industry or business expertise and provide a variety of services to help you with the site selection process. For either domestic or international companies, you can be assured that the most informed and experienced member of our team is on your team.

After discussions to better understand your client’s needs, your Manager will begin to provide you with the information you need to make a decision. They will supply individually tailored research of suitable land and buildings, labor availability, and other factors important to making a location assessment. Then they can coordinate site visits to help you decide which of these locations is best suited to your client’s business needs. Your Manager also will work with local utility companies and other business development partners to ensure your client’s requirements will be met there too. As your primary liaison with Virginia, your Manager can coordinate with other government agencies to help you with such matters as environmental regulations or workforce training programs. Plus, the Partnership employs experts in Business Development Finance, Technical Services, and Research to streamline the selection process.  Our services are provided at no cost to you or your client, and on a confidential basis.

Virginia is Pro-Business
Every state talks about its positive business climate. In Virginia, we’ve let others do the talking.

• Virginia has ranked in the top two in the Best State for Business by Forbes.com for the last six years.

• Pollina Corporate Real Estate ranked Virginia as the Top Pro-Business State. This marks the fifth time the Commonwealth has held the top spot since 2003.

• CNBC identified Virginia as the Top State for Business, achieving the highest point total in the history of the study.  Since the rankings began, Virginia has remained a top state, ranking in the top two every year since 2007

In each analysis, cost of doing business, quality of workforce, and regulatory environment all drove Virginia to the top. A Virginia business location will positively impact your bottom line.

Virginia has a Cost-Effective Operating Climate
Believe it or not, companies have improved their bottom lines just by locating in Virginia. From soft costs like healthier, more productive workers, to hard costs like cheaper, available and reliable electricity, companies have benefited from the combination of resources that only a Virginia location can offer.

Virginia Provides a Highly-Skilled, Educated and Talented Workforce
Time and again, new businesses in Virginia comment about how pleased they are with their hardworking labor force of Virginians. In fact, Virginia facilities consistently earn productivity awards within their organizations. Growing at a faster rate than the national average, our workforce stands ready to fulfill present and future industry needs. Virginia offers customized recruiting and training services through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. As a result of advanced training and education, combined with a vast diversity of skill sets, Virginia's workforce is one of our greatest assets, and one of business's greatest advantages.

Excellence in Education
Virginia’s extraordinary education system provides a vast pool of well-educated Virginians that support industry needs. Our workforce is repeatedly cited as a key factor for companies expanding or relocating to the Commonwealth. Virginia’s schools exhibit excellence at all levels, from elementary and secondary schools to community colleges, universities, and graduate schools..

A Great Quality of Life in Virginia
Once you live in Virginia, you'll know why visitors spend billions of dollars each year to enjoy our beautiful state. Boundless outdoor and cultural activities, combined with one of the nation's highest concentrations of historic resources, provide limitless opportunities for recreation and relaxation. Add Virginia's variety of amusement parks and countless local attractions, and you and your family will discover just how rewarding living in Virginia year-round can be.

Available Sites & Buildings

Virginia has one of the country’s most technically advanced, on-line site selection search tool—VirginiaScan. VirginiaScan allows you to search our database of more than 2,100 qualified sites and buildings across the Commonwealth. In addition to site and building specifications, VirginiaScan enables you to search for your ideal business location using Virginia workforce statistics, existing business data and a host of other information that is driving today’s business site-selection process.

To access VirginiaScan and begin your search for the perfect site or building, click here.

Customized Training and Recruiting Programs
Workforce training assistance in Virginia is provided through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP). VJIP provides customized recruiting and training services to companies that are creating new jobs or experiencing technological change. The Department of Business Assistance assigns one state point-of-contact to coordinate all the resources available to your company. Among your partners will be Virginia’s educational and vocational institutions, Workforce Development Centers, Employment Service Providers and more.

To learn more about the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, please visit the Virginia Department of Business Assistance.

Business Incentives
The Partnership actively works with new and expanding Virginia employers to create a higher standard of living for Virginians, enhance the local and state economies, and increase revenues to state and local governments. Incentives are Virginia's investment in its economic future and a business decision for both the Commonwealth and the company. As a result, the incentives must make good fiscal sense for all parties.

Designed to target the needs of the company and the development plans of localities and the state, Virginia offers a variety of performance-based incentives. From tax credits to tax exemptions, Virginia continues to demonstrate its willingness to invest in those who invest and reinvest in the Commonwealth.