Area Development Homepage >> Location USA >>

Greater Richmond, Virginia - A Convergence of Innovation and Competence

Foreign companies such as Japan's Wako Chemical USA, France's Alstom Power, and Taiwan's Eternal Technologies are just some that have selected Greater Richmond, Virginia.

Area Development Online Research Desk (Location USA 2010)

“From a business perspective, Greater Richmond and the state of Virginia may well offer the best business environment in the United States.” That’s the assessment of John A. Luke, Jr., chairman and CEO of global packaging leader MWV (MeadWestvaco Corp.), which moved its corporate headquarters and R&D to Greater Richmond from Stamford, Connecticut, over the last several years.

One of the reasons MWV chose Greater Richmond was that the area already is a proven corporate headquarters location, and it offers a diverse regional economy as well. Today, there are 10 Fortune 1000 companies based in Greater Richmond. In addition, there are dozens of international companies that have their North American headquarters in the community.

Targeted Initiatives
The Richmond region has actively and successfully recruited international companies since the early 1980s. This long history and commitment results in a community that offers a broad array of services, programs, and infrastructure, combined with a deep pool of knowledge that is focused on the unique requirements of international business. Targeted international initiatives include the Virginia Bioscience Commercialization Center based at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park. This 34-acre research complex is located in downtown Richmond and adjacent to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and hospitals. The Commercialization Center grew out of an Israeli-focused bioscience initiative that complemented the park’s successful Incubator program for U.S.-based start-ups.

Gregory H. Wingfield, President and CEO
L. Gene Winter, Sr. Vice President
Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.
901 E. Byrd Street, Suite 801
Richmond, Virginia 232319
Phone: 804-643-3227
E-mail: ghw@grpva.com or gwinter@grpva.com
www.grpva.com

An even newer business recruitment program is the Dominion Resources GreenTech Incubator. This facility also houses an International Commercialization Center. Located in Hanover County, the prime sponsor is Dominion, a Fortune 500 utility and natural resource company that is offering mentoring, beta testing on the “power grid,” and product assessment. This program is actively being marketed by the Greater Richmond Partnership to businesses in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Israel.

Location Resources
The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. is the regional economic development program that is funded 50-50 by the local business community and the four local governments it represents: the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico. Assistance to international companies looking to establish a subsidiary or facility in the United States is offered free-of-charge. The partnership has offices and representatives in Europe (Cologne, Germany), the United Kingdom (Kent, England), and Israel.
The region is a full-service community that offers modern office and technology parks, such as the nationally recognized 850-acre Innsbrook Office Park and the 2,400-acre White Oak Technology Park in Henrico County. Chesterfield County is home to international manufacturing facilities such as Wako Chemical USA (Japan), Alstom Power (France), Eternal Technologies (Taiwan), Filtrona Porous Technologies (UK), and ept inc. (Germany).
The partnership’s U.S.-based team of experts and its overseas representatives are available to convey the full story of Greater Richmond’s business advantages, introduce you to potential customers and professional services, and tailor a specific pathway to enter the U.S. market and establish a profitable business venture in our region.

Save/Share Article

About the Author

Area Development Online Research Desk

More articles by Area Development Online Research Desk

ASK AREA DEVELOPMENT

Have questions, comments or concerns about this article? Submit to Ask Area Development here and the author or an expert from our network of site selection and facility planning professionals will answer:

Privacy policy / GuidelinesArea Development will select a number of questions to answer each week. An Area Development representative will contact the submitting reader directly with feedback. Additionally, all submissions are eligible to appear online or in our print publication. If your question is selected for publication we will include and publish your first name, job title and industry only. The full identity of the submitting reader will not appear in published format.Area Development will not publish, share with any third parties, or use for marketing purposes any personal information submitted here without the express consent of the submitting reader.

News Items

Around The Web

Studies/Research

News Items

Around The Web

Studies/Research

Auto Supplier to Add 300 Jobs at Its Seguin, TX, Plant Thanks to $113 Million Investment

Deloitte

The Manufacturing Institute

2011 Top States For Doing Business Survey Results

Area Development Magazine Special Presentation

Half of American Private Firms Plan to Do Business Overseas Within Next 1 to 2 Years

PricewaterhouseCoopers

U.S. Falls to Fifth Place in New Report Identifying the World's Most Competitive Economies

Klaus Schwab, World Economic Forum

Grubb & Ellis: U.S. Logistics Market Experienced a Strong First Half of 2011

Grubb & Ellis

All Studies/Research/Papers

State Resource Map

State News and Insight
Corporate Taxes
Business Incentives
Credits
Grants
Click on any state below

State Resource Sponsor

United States Inward Investment Location Profiles

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Is a Growing Gateway to World Trade

Global recruitment and trade are key elements of Governor Mike Beebe's strategic plan for economic development. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) is committed to attracting and retaining the best companies and the most advanced industries from around the world.

Little Rock, Arkansas: A Globally Recognized Brand

For two years in a row, the Little Rock region has been named "America's Fourth Strongest Economy" by the Brookings Institution's MetroMonitor. The Wall Street Journal calls it the nation's "Sixth Best Real Estate Market," while Forbes says it is America's "Seventh Best Place for Jobs."

CALIFORNIA

Energy Innovation from SMUD LEEDS Businesses to Sacramento

With so many states trying to lure businesses to their cities, why have such pioneering companies as Intel, Siemens Mobility, Micron, and SynapSense chosen to call Sacramento, California, home?

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Is a Global Business Center

Kentucky remains a leading location for foreign direct investment. Since January 2010, approximately 30 percent of all announced new investment resulted from FDI activity. Today, nearly 400 foreign-owned companies from almost 30 nations employ more than 75,000 people in the state.

NEW YORK

Buffalo Niagara — "Where Business Works"

Buffalo Niagara, located in western New York with a population of 1.5 million (2010), is a region that's truly on the rise. In the past decade more than 50 American, Canadian, and international companies have set up shop in Buffalo Niagara, drawn to the many unique benefits the region provides.

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa — Where Business Grows

Home to more than 900,000, Tulsa, Oklahoma perfectly balances convenience and affordability with the advantages of a highly skilled work force, a central location, a pro-business atmosphere, and an excellent quality of life.

TENNESSEE

Chattanooga: The CAN DO Community

Why have companies like Volkswagen, Alstom, Sanofi-Aventis, and Amazon.com invested more than $3 billion in Chattanooga during the worst economic downturn in recent memory?

site selection tools