October 2019 Newsletter

CEO Update

Happy Fall! Activities at VGR are in full swing, and I’m delighted to announce that we will now regularly send monthly newsletters to keep you informed. I’m pleased to share that we now have some new professionals in our ranks. Amy Everett is our new Director of Customer Experience. She will be leading our investor relations efforts and working on special projects as needed. Amy is a local resident of Dinwiddie County and spent much of her career at the Bank of Southside Virginia. Jill Vaughan of JLV Communications has joined us on a contract basis to direct our marketing and public relations. Jill spent eight years at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership before assuming a director role at the Virginia Lottery. She is a leader in the regional PR community. Martina Arel is assisting with external research and project support. Please join me in welcoming these new folks!

VGR Outbound Marketing The team has promoted the region at the following trade shows and conferences since August. These events align with our target industry sector focus. Logistics Development Forum, Vail, CO Natural Products Expo East, Baltimore, MD Industrial Fabrics Association International, Orlando, FL

Site Selectors Came to Town This month, we hosted four site selection consultants visiting from Atlanta on a VEDP-sponsored visit. We showcased the Port of Virginia, CCAM, a local manufacturer and initiated discussions around workforce readiness.

Focus on Fort Lee Read about our familiarization tour of Fort Lee as reported in the Progress-Index . Full Article

Partnering With the State We hosted a Lunch & Learn at VEDP’s headquarters in September featuring the communities of Prince George County and Hopewell. More than 20 VEDP employees attended and participated in the interactive session. Thanks to Yoti Jabri, ED Specialist of Prince George County and Charlie Dane, Assistant City Manager of Hopewell for presenting! Our next Lunch & Learn is scheduled for December 11 th . Petersburg and Dinwiddie will be the focus.

Show us Love on Social Media  Please follow VGR on LinkedIn and Twitter (@VAGatewayRegion) to keep up with all the latest VGR happenings!

In The News Hopewell's Recreation & Parks Recognized: Full Article Prince George will be home to a Dixie Softball World Series in 2021: Full Article Amazon is donating new technology to Petersburg public schools: Full Article New restaurants coming to Chesterfield: Full Article Amtrak celebrates 10 years in Virginia with $10 tickets: Full Article

Partner Spotlight

AdvanSix’s Hopewell facility is one of the world’s largest single-site producers of caprolactam, the primary feedstock in the production of nylon polymer used in carpet fibers, plastics and films. Hopewell is a global leader in the development and production of ammonium sulfate fertilizers, which AdvanSix sells for both crop and turf applications under the Sulf-N® brand. The plant also produces a wide range of chemical intermediates, including Nadone® cyclohexanone, Naxol® cyclohexanol, sulfuric acid, specialty oximes, ammonia and carbon dioxide. The Hopewell facility employs more than 750 highly skilled workers and is one of Virginia’s largest exporters.