Chesapeake

WE ARE: CHESAPEAKE

Announcements Dollar Tree, Inc., headquartered in Chesapeake, is ranked Fastest Growing Fortune 500 Company. The nation’s leading operator of single-price point stores moved up the Fortune list to No. 136 from No. 180, with a total revenue of $20.7B (up 33.7%). This news builds on the announcement made by Dollar Tree in late 2016 of an expansion that created 600 new jobs with 825 jobs retained. As a commonwealth, Virginia’s list of Fortune 500 companies continues to grow with 23 businesses on the annual ranking of the nation’s largest corporations, up from 21 in 2016. Init Innovations in Transportation, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new North American Headquarters in August 2017. The grand opening ceremony included a formal ribbon cutting and guided tours of the 67,000 SF facility, which was completed in June and cost approximately $12.5M to build. The building is constructed on eight acres of land at the Oakbrooke Business and Technology Center.

Small Business & Workforce The Phoenix Group completed the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program along with 11 other companies throughout Virginia. The graduating companies increased their international sales by an average of 78% during the two year program. 757 Accelerate, a Southeastern Virginia business incubator, was one of 27 applicants awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce i6 grant. The $500,000 grant aids entrepreneurs with a three month, mentordriven startup acceleration program, which connects local startups

Chesapeake ranked 18th for Fastest-Growing Income in the nation– the only city in Virginia in the Top 25

with mentors, investors, technical support, and educational seminars to enable business growth. 757 Accelerate will offer three different cohorts of local businesses to participate in the program. Chesapeake Economic Development was selected as one of 65 organizations representing two dozen states to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to shape a new employer-driven, workforce development strategy called Talent Pipeline Management.

Infrastructure Completed in November 2016, the Dominion Boulevard Improvement Project is the largest locally administered project in the state’s history. The project was one of the first to use the funds from the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (VTIB) Loan Program. It was completed approximately $20M under budget and five months before its contractual completion date. Dominion Boulevard is a portion of Route 17, which connects Virginia and North Carolina through I-64 and I-464. The boulevard had included the movable Steel Bridge, which traversed the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. Its lift times equated to it being closed 42 days per year. With 33,000 daily vehicles traveling on a two-lane road rife with heavy truck traffic, Dominion Boulevard was also heavily congested. The stretch’s unreliability as a hurricane escape route coupled with a high accident rate compounded concerns. I-64 Southside widening and High Rise Bridge improvements will increase capacity and mobility, and to improve safety and operational deficiencies along the I-64 corridor in Chesapeake, while minimizing the impact to the traveling public during construction. The proposed improvements include the addition of one proposed HOV lane in each direction in the median of the existing interstate, bringing the corridor to six lanes, and a new high-level High Rise Bridge with a fixed span that will be built to the south of the existing bridge. Existing interstate lanes will also be improved with an asphalt overlay. The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a $409M contract to complete the project, the largest design-build contract award in Virginia Department of Transportation history. Construction is underway at the 22nd Street Bridge in South Norfolk where a $18M project replaces the existing bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The new bridge and roadway includes a bike lane and sidewalk in both directions. The bridge will be aligned into Poindexter Street; providing a direct connection to Wilson Road.

Livability Chesapeake’s high quality of life and low cost of living offer residents the best of both worlds: big-city sophistication in a small-town environment. Many locally owned businesses call Chesapeake home, including:

Big Ugly Brewing Company: A microbrewery that offers a variety of craft beers in this garage-themed working brewery.

H.E. Williams Candy Company: An old-fashioned sweet store that has been operating in Chesapeake since 1919.

Hickory Ridge Farm: A family-owned and operated farm that offers a petting zoo, homegrown produce and fresh flowers. In September 2017, the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum and Visitor Center made history with a celebration of the project’s groundbreaking. The new museum and visitor center plans to welcome over 10,000 boaters each year and many more guests to learn about the historic Battle of Great Bridge and the natural waterways unique to Chesapeake.

One of three Virginia cities named as Hardest Working in the Nation, ranked 26th nationally – WalletHub, 2017

Population:

Prime-Age Population (Aged 25-54) Civilian Labor Force:

Prime-Age Labor Force Participation Rate

237,940 98,570 116,460 81%

Largest Employment by Industry

EMPLOYEES

Retail Trade Government Accommodation & Food Services Construction Professional, Scientific & Technical Administrative Support 15,960 15,330 9,850 8,310 8,190 7,450

% OF WORKFORCE

16.2% 15.5% 10.0% 8.4% 8.3% 7.5%

Key Employers

Chesapeake Regional Healthcare Dollar Tree, Inc. Cox Communications Capital One Bank USAA Oceaneering International, Inc. Sumitomo Drive Technologies

Contact

WWW.CHESAPEAKEVA.BIZ

Mr. Steven Wright, Director Chesapeake Economic Development (757) 382-8040 • scwright@chesapeakeva.biz

WE ARE: FRANKLIN & SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY

New to Market Business Birdsong Peanuts and Community Solar Energy are two companies that highlight Franklin/Southampton’s 2017 new-to-market business strategies. The entrance of both continues the build-up of renewed vitality, and accents the global connectivity of our region. For over 100 years and through five generations, Birdsong Peanuts has delivered naturally grown peanuts to manufacturers all around the world, from popular peanut butters to peanut M&M’s. Birdsong says, “If you eat products made from American peanuts, chances are you’ve consumed peanuts from Birdsong.” Birdsong Peanuts operates 85 buying points where they buy and store farmers’ stock, and has recently chosen the former Money Mailer building to lease through 2019 for peanut storage to service both grower and manufacturing customers in the region. Keeping pace with the rapid growth in solar development across the nation, Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc. (FSEDI) is proud to announce a new 100-megawatt solar farm is being developed in Southampton County. This solar farm, constructed by Community Energy Solar, will provide direct support to Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services will purchase power from the farm as part of the company’s effort to achieve carbon neutrality. According to Governor Terry McAuliffe, the project is expected to avoid the release of 134,377 tons of carbon dioxide, 631 tons of sulfur dioxide, 315 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 12 tons of particulate matter annually.

Sites & Facilities The Camp Parkway Commerce Center is a warehouse and distribution intermodal park on 438 acres in Southampton County. In 2017, the land was rezoned to M-1 Light Industrial. The project site is located within one mile of Route 58, a critical roadway connecting to I-95 at Emporia and I-85 at South Hill, and is bordered by a Norfolk Southern rail line within city limits of Franklin. When fully developed, the project is expected to deliver more than 3,000,000 SF of Class A, state of the art warehouse and distribution facilities that will attract major corporate employers to the area. Located within an enterprise, foreign trade, and technology zone, Pretlow Industrial Park is a publicly owned industrial park in the City of Franklin. With 150 total acres, it offers direct access to Route 58, 40 miles from I-95 and is currently zoned M-2 Heavy Industrial. Southampton County also has two publicly owned industrial parks, both located in an Enterprise Zone. The Southampton Commerce and Logistics Center has 60 developable acres available for purchase. It is zoned M-2 Heavy Industrial and has access to CSX rail. The Southampton Business Park is currently zoned M-1 Light Industrial and has 25 acres available for purchase. Both offer direct access to Route 58 and are within 40 miles of I-95.

Business Development & Innovation The City of Franklin successfully renovated 40,000 SF at what’s now known as the Franklin Business Center. Whether you are an existing small business looking to grow or want to provide a new service, the Franklin Business Center will provide you with the environment, resources and support staff to get your business growing. Cost effective space, administrative services, professional equipment, conference rooms and mentors are all provided within the Franklin Business Center incubator program.

Education In October 2017, Southampton County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Gwendolyn Shannon was honored by Governor Terry McAuliffe with the Inaugural Governor’s Award for Excellence and Innovation in Education. Out of more than 120 nominations, Dr. Shannon was one of just 13 who were selected for recognition. As superintendent, she has implemented a number of innovative initiatives, including Code to the Future programming for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. FSEDI was awarded Gold and Silver Awards from the International Economic Development Council for marketing efforts for the Franklin Southampton community.

Livability The Franklin Southampton community is home to many unique features and attractions. The Virginia Main Street Community of Downtown Franklin is not only home to chic boutiques and homestyle restaurants, but throughout the year there are events held for all to enjoy such as:

We Be Jammin’: A free summer concert series every Thursday.

Franklin Cruise In: A free family event that attracts over 100 classic and custom cars every Wednesday.

Franklin Fall Festival: Two days of family fun and entertainment. Franklin’s Market on Main: A weekly farmers’ market filled with local fresh food, gifts and live entertainment, held every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning from May to October. For those looking to spend a little more time outdoors, residents and visitors can enjoy one of our scenic rivers. Franklin is home to the Blackwater River and Southampton County has multiple access points to the Nottoway River. Both rivers are ideal for a great day of fishing or a relaxing day floating in your kayak or canoe. Unique events that can be experienced in Southampton County include the annual Heritage Day held at the Southampton Heritage Village, Native American Powwows hosted by two local tribes, and the Franklin Southampton County Fair that takes place in August. One of the most unique elements of the Franklin Southampton community is its love for peanuts. Not only are they grown here, but also one of our communities, Newsoms, is the home of the jumbo peanut. Additionally, there are eight local businesses that cook and flavor our peanuts to perfection for a real treat for both local residents and customers around the world.

Population:

Prime-Age Population (Aged 25-54) Civilian Labor Force:

Prime-Age Labor Force Participation Rate

Largest Employment by Industry

Government Healthcare & Social Assistance Retail Trade Accommodation & Food Services Manufacturing Administrative Services

EMPLOYEES

2,430 1,400 1,180 590 480 310 26,360 9,780 12,590 78%

% OF WORKFORCE

30.1% 17.4% 14.7% 7.4% 5.9% 3.9% Key Employers

Southampton Memorial Hospital Paul D. Camp Community College Birdsong Peanuts Enviva Hampton Farms Dominion Energy Solenis

Contact

WWW.FSEDIVA.COM

Ms. Amanda Jarratt, President & CEO Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc. (757) 562-1958 • ajarratt@franklinsouthamptonva.com