Augusta County Economic Development & Tourism Annual Report CY2018/FY2019

AUGUSTA COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

Colliers International Recognizes the Shenandoah Valley /I-81 Corridor among “10 Emerging Industrial Markets to Watch” in 2019

VIRGINIA TOP STATE For Regulatory Environment (Forbes)

TOP STATE for Higher Education (SmartAsset)

TOP STATE

celebrates 10-year anniversary in 2019

in Prosperity Cup (Site Selection)

George Washington National Forest

The Office of Economic Development and Tourism exists to provide a diverse and vibrant economy that offers a broad range of job opportunities to the citizens of Augusta County and the Shenandoah Valley.

Mt Solon West Augusta

We focus on three main areas: business attraction, existing business retention, and business start-up support, in addition to marketing the community we are proud to call home, enhancing labor resources, and strengthening infrastructure/site readiness.

All of this is done while promoting a quality of life that embraces our heritage, preserves the environment, and effectively manages resources.

2

Mt Sidney

W C

11

Churchville

629

Deerfield

250

42

42 Buffalo Gap

254

81

Verona

250

262

Staunton

42

254

Fishersville

252

Craigsville Middlebrook

252

11 81

340

64

Stuarts Draft

250

Way

Greenville

11

Sherando George Washington National Forest

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

525

779

BUSINESS LICENSES ISSUED

BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED VALUE:

99,825,726

$

AS OF DECEMBER 2018

Weyers Cave Grottoes

4

Shenandoah National Park

340

ynesboro

EMPLOYMENT WITHIN 45 MINUTES

269,738 CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

3

INVESTMENT AND JOBS JANUARY 1, 2018 – MAY 30, 2019

141

$

million

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

234

JOBS CREATED & RETAINED

6

PROJECTS ANNOUNCED

PROVIDES US A N N O U N C E S E X PA NSI O N MAY 2018

897,000

$

20

NEW JOBS

INVESTMENT

Announcement increased Provides US workforce by

50%

4

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

MAY MAY 2018

$897,000 20 JOBS

2018

JUNE JUNE 2018

$615,000 34 JOBS JULY

COMSONICS, INC. CONTINUES LO N G -TI M E G ROW TH I N S H E N A N D OA H VA L L E Y

AUGUST 2018

$14,000,000 30 JOBS

AUG

AUGUST 2018

JUNE 2018

$6,000,000 34 JOBS RETAINED

SEPT

OCT

615,000

$

INVESTMENT

NOV

DEC

JAN

34

NEW JOBS

2019

FEB

MARCH

APRIL 2019

A long-time Shenandoah Valley success story, ComSonics is headquarted in Harrisonburg with expanding manufacturing operations in Augusta County.

$15,500,000 51 JOBS

APRIL

MAY MAY 2019

$104,000,000 65 JOBS

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

5

N I B C O E X PA N D S M E TA L M A N U FA C T U R I N G O P E R AT I O N AUGUST 2018

14,000,000

$

INVESTMENT

115+ years manufacturing history

30

NEW JOBS

6

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

SUMITOMO DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES OPENS GEARBOX CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AUGUST 2018

34

6,000,000

$

INVESTMENT

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

JOBS RETAINED Moved into new facility in Mill Place Commerce Park

7

F L O W A L K A L I N E S P R I N G WAT E R A N N O U N C E S F I R S T U . S . O P E R AT I O N APRIL 2019

15,500,000 million

$

51

NEW JOBS

INVESTMENT

Packaging Facility in Mill Place Commerce Park

8

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

T H E H E RS H E Y CO M PA N Y TO O P E N P E A N U T ROASTING CENTER OF EXCELLENCE MAY 2019

104,000,000 million

65

$

INVESTMENT

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

New line to manufacture Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups America’s #1 candy brand

NEW JOBS

9

MARKETING MISSIONS & OUTREACH

Launched theshenandoahvalley.com

S H E N A N D OA H VA L L E Y PA R T N E R S H I P

New Executive Director Jay Langston, Ph.D.

•

Developed First-Ever SVP Strategic Plan

• Relaunched InDemand Job Series - first feature on The Hershey HOSTED 14 SITE Company (Industrial SELECTORS ON THREE Manufacturing FAMILIARIZATION Technician) TOURS

The Shenandoah Valley Partnership (SVP) works with public and private partners at the local, regional, and state level to develop an economic climate for business success throughout the Shenandoah Valley. As its second largest public investor, Augusta County enjoys a strong partnership with SVP. 10

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

g n i v i L a t s u Aug Completed Augusta Living Video

NUMBER OF NEWSLETTERS

18

PUBLISHED MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

AVERAGE OPEN RATE

44%

– THE CURRENT VIEW

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

11

M I L L P L AC E CO M M E R C E PA R K

Located ½ mile from interstate 81 at exit 227, Mill Place Commerce Park is owned by Augusta County and located in Verona, Virginia. The 371-acre Park enjoys interstate visibility with backgrounds of forested tracts and ponds. Approximately 190 acres remain available for development.

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AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

OPENING OF THE T R A I L S AT M I L L P L A C E SEPTEMBER 2018 • • •

2/3 mile paved trail Event pavilion Future trails possible

TIER 4 CERTIFIED SITE VIRGINIA BUSINESS READY SITES PROGRAM CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

13

T E MDI E LO P M&E N M A R K E T ISNI G SV SE IO NS OTU T R E A C H

Augusta County Economic Development continues to promote site development and encourage site readiness to better attract business and jobs. In today’s fast-paced, market-ready environment, being shovel-ready is more important than ever.

RECENT INITIATIVES: n Completed site characterizations for Virginia Business Ready Sites Program n Held Site Development Workshop for industrial land owners UPCOMING INITIATIVES:

n Augusta County Shovel Ready Grant Program n Virginia Economic Development Partnership to characterize all Virginia Scan properties over 25 acres 14

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

VIRG INIA CO M PLE TES DAIRY S TU DY

n 1.7 Billion lbs. of milk produced in VA in 2016 n $308.8 Million in Receipts to Dairy Farmers n VA’s dairy industry is able to support a new regionalscale, value-added dairy processing facility.

AUGUSTA COUNTY PARTNERED ON BOTH STUDIES

G R E AT E R A U G U S TA R E G I O N A L CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RELEASES WAG E A N D B E N E FI T S U RV E Y Sample Information includes:

HOURLY PAY BY OCCUPATION

MINIMUM

MEDIAN

MAXIMUM

First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

$19.48

$24.24

$38.46

Food preparation workers

$7.75

$10.70

$15.96

$10.00

$25.96

$78.13

General and operations managers

More information available at https://www.augustava.com/workforce-development.

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

15

S H E N A N D OA H VA L L E Y FA R M 2 F O R K A F FA I R MARCH 2019 Held the inaugural Shenandoah Valley Farm2Fork Affair, a biennial one-day event connecting Shenandoah Valley food producers with commercial buyers. Home to four of Virginia’s top five agricultural producing counties, Shenandoah Valley partners for this event included Augusta County, Clarke County, Frederick County, Page County, Rockbridge County, Rockingham County, Shenandoah County, Warren County and the Cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Front Royal, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro.

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AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

AGRITOURISM HOW-TO GUIDE Navigating Augusta County requirements for starting your business and planning your event

Talk to us (and our friends)



Augusta County Need-to-Know

Economic Development Staff Introduction and guide to Augusta County 540-245-5619 staff@augustavabusiness.com augustavabusiness.com

 

augusta-startup.com visitaugustacounty.com



Visit 18 Government Center Lane, Verona VA. Get to know: Register your business name; Check on zoning, building,

Services and the Central Shenandoah Health

planning and engineering; If an existing building is under consideration, ensure your use is permitted

Department (separate from the County and not located at the Government

540-245-5700 or comdev@co.augusta.va.us



Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Solidify business plans, marketing vision and financial projections





Center). Depending on your business model, you will need to

Commissioner of the Revenue

Register your business license; Farmers can be exempt

540-568-3227 krechjh@jmu.edu

from business licenses, but agritourism operators need to verify individual situations (i.e. bringing in

valleysbdc.org

outside product, holding events, on-farm lodging etc.); Event licensing depends on individual events, and it’s better to understand now!

Staunton Creative Community Fund (SCCF) Creative grant and loan funding

discuss regulations and inspections with one of the organizations.

540-786-4569 (VDACS) 540-332-7830 (CSHD)

540-245-5640

540-213-0333



kathy@stauntonfund.org stauntonfund.org



ATTENTION FOOD-BASED BUSINESSES! Talk to the VA Department of Ag and Consumer

Community Development

Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS) Technical and grant assistance

Treasurer’s Office

Learn due dates for all

taxes as well as business license fees

ATTENTION ALCOHOL-BASED BUSINESSES! Beverage Control (ABC) representative.



for rural agricultural areas to enable development 804-290-1158



Talk to a local Alcohol

540-245-5660

540-332-7800

Fun(d) Ideas

ccook@vafb.com vafairs.com

Augusta Small Business Loan Fund

ATTEND ANNUAL VIRGINIA AGRITOURISM CONFERENCE

Augusta County Tourism grants

JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS!



Vet your location Working with zoning is imperative. Verify by-right uses prior to beginning work. Zoning code specifies what is allowed, and some uses require a special use permit from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Fields of Gold, the Shenandoah Valley agritourism trail, is a great marketing and networking organization. spencer@cspdc.org or 540-885-5174

Completed Agritourism & Event How-To Guide

100+ Buyers

RECEIVED AN AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT (AFID) GRANT

50+ Producers

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

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– Reader’s Digest

All Augusta, All Outside

endless on mode with unwind into vacati ground Augusta County, trail rides and under When you visit summit hikes to on. Our valley views. From outdoors vacati mountain and as needed for your rd trails, as well got everything brewery and vineya caverns, we’ve farm, with t -owned restaurants, iences deligh authentic exper small towns, family ing charm museums, historic sites and tion. recrea or and plentiful outdo

Pictured: Natural Chimneys

G o B iG&:Outdoor Recreation Nature

G Rape To G Rain :

Breweries Vineyards & Craft ful

for perfect base camp Augusta is your Ridge al Park, the Blue Shenandoah Nation Jefferson Washington and Parkway, George Natural Grand Caverns, National Forest, do Lake, and more.

Sheran eys, Chimn

: R oad T Rippi&nGMotor cycle Tours Scenic Drives

the drives are among Our mountain in the USA, most famous the historic but don’t miss

(an old Wilderness Road it runs wagon road) as al through the nation ts of Mount Sidney historic distric For motorcycle and Middlebrook. te for the ultima enthusiasts, plan at our Shenandoah window-shopping Showroom.

Harley-Davidson

i T : Treasures S o W oRTh& Vintag e Antiques

COMPLETED MEDIA PROFILE SHEET

S ampL e i Tine RaRy al Pebble Hall g picking season

Adventurous • Authentic • Aff ordable

e Mall is the largest The Factory Antiqu the country, and antique mall in ers & Antiques off Rocky’s Gold Silver and ion of gold, silver a huge collect out into our small jewelry. Branch of antique where dozens communities, ered. discov be shops wait to

at beauti Bask on the deck rds, or Barren Ridge Vineya flavors at tap into the fresh

Brewing and Seven Arrows g, two Stable Craft Brewin ies on the of 14 area brewer rks Shenandoah Beerwe award-winning Tasting Ox-Eye Vineyards Trail. Nearby are Vineyards.

Room and Veritas

: Markets L ocaL F LavoR Farms & Farm Eateries,

Natural Chim neys “Virginia’s Hidd named en Gem”

by Reader’s Diges t

ade White’s Take a bite of homem based on Wayside’s bread recipe or the original 1929 iss’ wiener sample Edelwe dose of schnitzel for a heritage.

Valley German mileComfort food (and of pie) are the stuff high coconut cream our farmers Rowe’s. Explore legend at Mrs. trail.

Fields of Gold farm markets and the “beyond epicenter of the Polyface Farms, to one of home is ent, organic” movem s, Joel famous farmer America’s most a stop are My Peeps Salatin. Also worth , es!), Wenger Grapes Farm (goat snuggl Nursery, and more.

Andre Viette Farm

Spend your mornin to America’s oldest s then head over s.

Wildflowers’ bloom Grand Cavern ing show cave, continually operat Market, housed at Valley Pike Farm Refuel with lunch e stores and art antiqu our Visit barn. in a century-old reservations o-table dining farm-t make by galleries and, Shack (headed Ian Boden’s The a at Zynodoa or chef End the day with award nominee.) replica the James Beard – an authentic riars Playhouse at show at Blackf theatre. Fall asleep peare’s indoor Farm t of William Shakes wCrof like the Inn at Meado with a signature spot, Skyline Drive out your trip on or Iris Inn. Round ndoah Valley from Shena the over endless views back al Park.

Shenandoah Nation

66 81 SHD

81

77

a TTRa cTio nS & F eSTi vaLS

Staunton name d “One Mountain Town of America’s Favorite s” by Travel+Leis ure

Let us help plan

L OUTS ALL AUGUSTA, AL

IDE

Augusta County

your perfe

• Grand Caverns / Fount • Shenandoah Nation ain Cave • Blue Ridge Parkw al Park/Skyline Drive ay • Sherando Lake • Natural Chimn eys Park & Camp • ground Joel Salatin’s Polyfa ce • Barren Ridge Viney Farm ards • Shenandoah Beerw erks Trail • American Shake speare Center • Woodrow Wilson Presidential Librar • Shenandoah Valley y Blues and Brews • Fields of Gold Festival Farm Trail • Frontier Cultur e Museum • Waynesboro Fall Foliage Festival • & Art Show Jousting Tourn ament • P. Buckley Moss Gallery • Sweet Dreams Festiv • Shenandoah Harley al -Davidson Show • Stonewall Brigad room e Museum • Virginia Food Truck Battle • Augusta Count y Railroad Museu • m Shenandoah Fall Foliag e Bike Festival • Red Wing Roots Music Festival

ct trip!

Rebekah Castle , Marketing Coord inator, Augusta rcastle@co.augu County sta.va.us | 540-2 45-5619

VisitAugustaCo

64

95

85

G eTTi nG h eRe

Augusta Count y is located in centra l Virginia, between Charlo ttesville and Harrisonbur g. Driving here is easy via I-64 and/ or I-81. Fly direct ly into Shenandoah Valley Regional Airpo rt (SHD) via United Airline s, or can travel by Amtra you k into Staunton (STA).

W heRe To S Tay

Choose an inn, the perfect cabin, or follow the call of the wild at a camp ground.

From romantic to relaxed, Augusta accom modates every style and price point.

All Augusta, All Outside

unty.com f

TOURISM HIGHLIGHTS n n n n

Launched VA Agritourism Conference Scholarship Program Participated in Group Tours Partnership with City of Staunton $3,000 awarded in Augusta County Tourism Marketing Grant Program Upcoming initiative: Revamped Marketing & Facilities Grant Program

18

AUGUSTA COUNT Y OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM

PHOTO BY RUBY SKY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RED WING ROOTS

Natural Chimneys named Virginia’s “Hidden Gem”

SHENANDOAH BEERWERKS TR AIL n Over 3,000 passports redeemed (Participants from 46 states and 4 foreign countries) n Launched new t-shirt color for 2019 n Launched three digital marketing campaigns n Received two Virginia Tourism Corporation grants for a total of $60,000

S H E N A N D OA H VA L L E Y T O U R I S M PA R T N E R S H I P n Hosted 13 travel journalists on first-ever SVTP media tour n Completed video series focused on farm-to-table scene, outdoor recreation, family fun and small towns & cities n Received $25,000 Virginia Tourism Corporation Marketing Leverage Program grant

CY2018/FY2019 REPORT

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AUGUSTA COUNTY VIRGINIA Mid-Atlantic location in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley where I-81 and I-64 converge MONTREAL

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

TORONTO

25,000 annual graduates from 19 regional colleges and universities

MILWAUKEE

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION I-81 and I-64 CSX Railroad Norfolk Southern Railroad Shenandoah Valley Railroad Buckingham Branch Railroad Amtrak Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Eagle’s Nest Airport

BOSTON

DETROIT

NEW YORK PITTSBURGH

CHICAGO

WASHINGTON, D.C.

CINCINNATI ST. LOUIS

AUGUSTA COUNTY

NASHVILLE

RICHMOND

CHARLOTTE

MEMPHIS ATLANTA

TARGET SECTORS Advanced Manufacturing Food Processing Life Sciences Value-added Agriculture and Forestry

PHILADELPHIA

500 miles 800 kilometers NEW ORLEANS

JACKSONVILLE 750miles 1200 kilometers

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Gerald W. Garber, Chair Carolyn S. Bragg, Vice-Chair Pam L. Carter Wendell L. Coleman Marshall W. Pattie Michael L. Shull G.L. “Butch” Wells

B. Randolph Roller, Chair Richard K. Halterman II, Vice-Chair Michael Godfrey Robert J. Kirchman Leah R. Thomas

STAFF Amanda Glover, Director of Economic Development & Tourism Rebekah Castle, Economic Development & Tourism Marketing Coordinator Tim Fitzgerald, County Administrator Jennifer Whetzel, Deputy County Administrator

18 Government Center Lane P.O. Box 590 Verona, VA 24482 540-245-5619 staff@augustaVAbusiness.com www.augustaVAbusiness.com www.visitaugustacounty.com www.augusta-startup.com