VIRGINIA

A Leading Gateway to Successful Business in North America
Rated the Best State for Business.

In 2007, the Commonwealth of Virginia led the United States for a second year in a row in the Forbes.com “Best State for Business” ranking. Simultaneously, CNBC—the leading financial news cable channel that reaches influential business and financial leaders around the world—designated Virginia its “Top State for Business.” CNBC evaluated each state in the United States on 40 different measures of competitiveness in 10 broad categories.

“According to our study, there are very few weak spots for business in Virginia,” said CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn during the live announcement at Northrop Grumman shipyard in Newport News, Virginia. “More than any state, Virginia offers a more complete package for business. It finished in the top 15 in all but two of our categories,” said Cohn.

Virginia is strategically located on the U.S. East Coast, adjacent to Washington, D.C.

• Two-thirds of all U.S. consumers live within 1,200 kilometers of Virginia.
• Virginia’s Washington Dulles International Airport serves 80+ U.S. cities and 40 non-stop destinations worldwide—and is the 6th busiest U.S. airport for international travel.

14 railroads operate on more than 5,470.6 kilometers of railway in Virginia.

14 commercial airports serve Virginia, including two of the nation’s busiest: Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National.

The Port of Virginia, among the United States’ busiest, offers world-class shipping facilities and a schedule of approximately 3,000 sailings annually to 250 ports in 100 foreign countries. It is the only East Coast port able to handle the world’s largest container ships.

Virginia’s highway system features more than 112,630 kilometers of interstate, primary and secondary roads.

Virginia’s strong infrastructure of highways, ports, railways and airports provide fast, convenient access to the entire U.S. population—and beyond.

Virginia is a leading gateway to successful business in North America.

More than 800 companies from around the world call Virginia home. Our exceptional infrastructure, strong education system, dynamic workforce, strategic location, and pro-business climate provide a solid foundation for growth and make the Commonwealth a great place for global enterprise.

Virginia is a leading technology hub in the United States.

• Ranked as the 5th highest state in the U.S. for technology job growth.
• 34% of all new jobs created are in technology.
• Ranked as national

leader for concentration of high-tech workers by AeA, the largest trade association of the high-tech industry.

Virginia is home to leading Research & Development (R&D) entities.

• 29 federal R&D functions
• 7 university research parks
• 4 nationally prominent private, non-profit research institutes

Virginia’s nationally recognized education system produces one of the nation’s brightest and most talented workforces.

• Nearly 25,000 doctoral scientists and engineers reside in Virginia—one of the highest concentrations in the U.S.
• The University of Virginia is ranked 2nd and The College of William and Mary ranked 6th in U.S. News and World Report’s 2008 Top Public National Universities list.
• More than 500,000 students are enrolled in more than 80 in-state institutions of higher education, including 23 community colleges located on 40 campuses statewide.
• Virginia’s public colleges and universities awarded 43,000 bachelor, master, doctorate and law degrees, and the community colleges awarded more than 15,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates in the 2006-07 academic year
• Virginia Tech’s engineering program is ranked 14th in the nation in the 2008 U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Engineering Institutions” list.
• Virginia ranks third nationally of schools with International Baccalaureate programs.
• Ten Virginia high schools were cited by Newsweek as among the 100 best public schools in the country, placing Virginia fourth in the nation in May 2007.
• Virginia’s high-tech workforce is among the best-trained in the United States through its excellent research parks and acclaimed universities

. More than 6,400 manufacturing companies operate in Virginia.

• Lower operating costs, a skilled labor force and excellent transportation assets make Virginia cost-competitive.
• Manufacturing firms have invested more than $8.8 billion in Virginia from 2002-2006.
• Nearly 43,900 new manufacturing jobs have been created during that same time period.
• Electric rates are among the lowest in the U.S. In the summer of 2007, the average cost per unit of electricity for the industrial sector was 4.48 cents, compared to 6.08 cents for the U.S.

Virginia consistently has one of the United States’ lowest workers’ compensation costs.

• The average cost is more than 40% lower than the U.S. average (January 2007) at $2.47 per $100 of payroll.
• Unemployment insurance tax burden is 40% lower than the U.S. national average.

 Virginia ranks among the top 10 states in labor productivity.

• The prime working population (ages 16-64) ranks 7th in the nation (nearly 5.2 million).
• The Community College System provides occupational and technical training programs to meet businesses’ needs.
• Virginia offers customized recruiting and training services.

Living in Virginia means a low crime rate and access to one of the nation’s highest concentrations of historic resources.

Beautiful mountains, rivers and beaches offer abundant outdoor opportunities, including 34 state parks, 40 natural areas and 32 national parks.
Virginia also has some of the nation’s best golf courses, many of which are nationally ranked by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest.

Services Provided by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership are FREE:

• Professional and confidential site selection assistance
• Tailored research of suitable land and buildings and labor availability
• Assistance with private sector business partners to ensure your requirements are met
• Coordination with other government agencies in such matters as permitting or workforce training programs
• Arrange incentive packages for international investors

To learn more about how Virginia can help you be successful in North America, please contact the Virginia Economic Development Partnership here:

Matthias Duys
Director, International Investment
State of Virginia, European Office
Avenue Louise 479, Box 55
B1050 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: 32-2-647-7433
Fax: 32-2-647-1463
Email: MDuys@YesVirginia.org