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September 2021 Newsletter
CEO Update
Friends of the Gateway Region, September was a partnership month for our team. One important aspect of the work that VGR can do for the region is to be in strong partnerships with regional leaders, and in September, we doubled down on our efforts to collaborate and strengthen the existing partnerships we already maintain with leaders in our community.

The VGR Team met with the leadership team at Crater Region Planning District Commission, one of our significant regional partners. We attended meetings with some of our academic partners in the Gateway Region — Richard Bland College, the Virginia State University College of Agriculture and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing. We also met with other regional economic development partners in Virginia, such as the Greater Richmond PartnershipChamberRVA in addition to Chris Lloyd, who is the senior vice present and director of infrastructure and economic development at McGuireWoods Consulting and newly appointed board chair of the Site Selectors Guild. 

Lastly, congratulations to Tabitha Taylor, who was recently hired as the new executive director for the Crater Workforce Development Board. We are looking forward to meeting and working with her to unite the region for economic prosperity. 

As always, I’m interested in hearing from you. Should you have any questions, please contact me at: (804) 732-8971 or kboswell@gatewayregion.com

Or, you may also contact Amy Everett, at: (804) 704-0268 or aeverett@gatewayregion.com
VGR Capital Campaign: Transformative Growth 2025
VGR kicked off its new Capital Campaign in September. As leaders of Virginia’s Gateway Region representing business, industry, higher educationgovernment, and economic development, we are honored to present our investment strategy for our new five-year strategic plan: Transformative Growth 2025.

To view the Transformative Growth 2025 Capital Campaign booklet, click HERE: Global Campaign Booklet V9.indd (gatewayregion.com)
To learn more about VGR partnerships, contact Amy Everett at: (804) 704-0268 or aeverett@gatewayregion.com.
VGR Meets with VSU College of Agriculture to Learn More About Food Safety & Microbiology Program 
The mission for the VSU College of Agriculture's program endeavors to improve the safety and quality of our region’s food supply through research, teaching and extension outreach.  

Thank you, VSU and the College of Agriculture, for hosting us during this informative session. We enjoyed learning about the Food Safety and Microbiology program as well as how we can connect prospective companies to this important work being done in our region.
Service Center Metals to Invest $101.7 Million in Prince George County, Creating 94 New Jobs 
Congratulations to Prince George County and Service Center Metals for their recent expansion. The company will invest $101.7 million and create 94 new jobs in the Gateway Region! 
This undated photo shows the existing Service Center Metals facility in Prince George County’s Southpoint Industrial Park. SCM is investing almost $102 million to construct two brand new plants at the county’s Crosspointe Center. (Photo Credit: Sam Wang/SCM) 
“This is the largest individual expansion that we’ve ever done in terms of additional capacity as well as the capital invested,” said Scott Kelley, Co-Founder, President & CEO of Service Center Metals. 

Steel Day 2021 at S.W. Funk 
VGR had a great time at Steel Day 2021 with our partners over at S.W. Funk Industrial Contractors, who also treated everyone to lunch from Slideways Mobile Bistro and Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen — it was delicious! 
VGR Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Campaign 
VGR is entering the second month of its advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing campaign, and the great news just keeps coming! 

Richmond-area pharmaceuticals industry could benefit from national strategic reserve legislation 

The Gateway Region and the pharma cluster in Petersburg could benefit from national strategic reserve legislation co-sponsored by United States Rep. Abigail Spanberger. The bill, called the “Promoting Readiness and Ensuring Proper API Reserves of Essential Medicines Act” — known as the PREPARE Act — is definitely a step in the right direction to ensure and maintain a domestic supply of essential medicines.  

“The legislation does not have a specific funding amount tied to it yet, but it could have a major impact on one pharmaceutical development and production project in the Richmond area.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch 


How the Vision Started
There are many pieces to this revolutionary story, and VGR realizes that. So, we’re producing a series of blog articles to help our regional partners and all of our Gateway Region friends gain a better understanding for how everything came into place to make the pharma cluster in Petersburg a reality.  

To read the first article in the pharma campaign series on the VGR Blog, click HERE: Bringing Pharma Home: How the Vision Started - Virginia's Gateway Region
Construction Progress Continues on Spec Site at
Southpoint Business Park
VGR is excited about the rapid construction progress of the 650,000 square-foot spec building with 142 dock doors and over 40-foot ceilings at Southpoint Business Park in Prince George County. Our drone footage shows the roof assembly well on track for the building to be completed by December 2021.  

Virginia's Gateway Region — Access is Everything.”
Video Credit: Josh Vaughan/VGR
More News from September
Show us Love on Social Media
Please follow VGR on LinkedIn (@Virginia’s Gateway Region Economic Development Organization), Facebook (@VAGatewayRegion) & Twitter (@VAGatewayRegion) to keep up with all the latest VGR happenings. 
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