November 2019 Newsletter

CEO Update

In this season of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things-- our communities, investors, staff and Board of Directors. We could not market VGR without you. It has been an exciting month, and we look forward to wrapping up the calendar year with a strategic planning session, Board Meeting, operations meeting and holiday luncheon with our communities. If you have any questions or input, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at kboswell@gatewayregion.com or 804-732-8971.

VGR Outbound Marketing Mario Camardella traveled on a marketing mission to the Northeast U.S. in late October. He met with six prospects in the manufacturing sector and returned with one business lead. Mario also traveled to Norfolk and attended the 2019 Virginia Conference on World Trade where Governor Ralph Northam announced a new strategic plan for state exports.

Site Selectors Came to Town We received the following quotes from three of the Atlanta-based consultants who toured our region in October as part of the VEDP-sponsored familiarization tour. “At Pegasus Partners, we deliberately picked to visit the Gateway Region to get a better understanding of the overall assets. We work with German industrial SMEs and after the visit we are convinced that more German FDI needs to be directed into the Gateway Region. The most important assets for that are the vocational training possibilities and the logistics.” Benedikt Ibing, Managing Partner Pegasus Partners “Virginia’s Gateway Region offers many of the things that manufacturing companies are looking for: available existing manufacturing/warehousing facilities or build-to-suit sites; nearby port location; available workforce; affordable housing for workforce; and economic incentives to ease the financial responsibilities of the companies the region is looking to draw.” Betsi Barrett, Partner Bennett Thrasher “I recently had the pleasure of touring the state of Virginia’s Gateway Region and was impressed by the pro-business climate that exists in the area. With easy access to Interstate 85, 95 and 64, the Port of Virginia and an abundant rail network, it’s understandable why businesses such as Amazon and Walmart choose the area for their warehouse and distribution centers. Complimenting the various and diverse businesses, from advanced manufacturing to Supply Chain Solutions, are the numerous educational institutions that provide a high-quality educated workforce. During the tour I also was impressed by the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM). It is a center for academic, government and industry professionals that is creating an educational ecosystem to provide the area’s prospective employers with another quality layer of workforce talent. The Gateway region has all the factors that industry looks for when selecting a site – transportation Infrastructure, skilled workforce, business support and a quality of life.” Frank Clementi, Managing Director, Global Corporate Services Newmark Knight Frank

Communities Attend Retail Academy VGR and Retail Strategies hosted a successful Retail Academy for six VGR city and county members on October 30th and 31st in Colonial Heights. Retail Strategies helps communities learn to attract retail through teaching how data provides options and real estate drives decisions.

Participants of the VGR Retail Academy included the Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Surry County, Prince George County, and Dinwiddie County. Thanks to VGR Board Member Sandy Graham for hosting a wonderful reception for the group at the historic McIlwaine House in Old Towne Petersburg. Read more in the news release here and the Progress-Index here.

VEDP Lunch & Learn We hosted a Lunch & Learn at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in November featuring the communities of Petersburg and Sussex County. More than 20 VEDP employees attended and participated in the interactive session. Thanks to Reginald Tabor of Petersburg and Vandy Jones of Sussex County for presenting! We will resume these sessions in the new year to make certain VGR maintains collaborative relationships and is at the forefront of any project activity at the state level.

Company Announcements

Cartograf , a leading provider of packaging solutions across a wide range of industrial sectors, will invest $65.3 million to establish its first folding and micro-corrugated package printing facility in the United States. The 100-acre site will be in the Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County. Read more here. Campofrio Food Group has leased the 143,790 square-foot refrigerated facility in Prince George County’s SouthPoint Business Park from The Hollingsworth Companies. Campofrio, one of the largest companies in the processed meats sector, is well known for its European style meat products sold across Europe .  More details here.

More News Happening in VGR "Blue skies seen for aero program" Full article " Coastal Plain League team to be called 'Tri-City Chili Peppers'" Full article " How 'Harriet' filmmakers turned Virginia into 19th-century Philadelphia, Maryland and New York" Full article "Best of the Best Show Takes Place Oct. 24" Full article "VSU, RBC reach new admissions accord" Full article "Virginia schools agree to boost tech talent pipeline" Full article "This 22-mile biking and walking trail could improve health south of Richmond" Full article "Award of Merit Manufacturing: ALDI Inc. East Coast Regional Headquarters and Distribution Center" Full article

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

Partner Spotlight

Virginia Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative owned by its members and headquartered in Richmond. The credit union offers its members a variety of affordable banking services including savings and checking accounts, loans, credit cards and mortgages. As a cooperative, Virginia Credit Union operates solely for the benefit of its members, not outside stockholders. Earnings of the cooperative are returned to the membership through lower fees, attractive rates, better services and financial education. Members receive personal attention through a full-service call center, branches, shared facilities and online services. Internet banking, ATM networks and debit cards provide 24-hour worldwide access.