Governor Bob McDonnell recently referenced the grand opening of MeadWestvaco’s downtown Richmond headquarters as a source of encouragement.
A state-of-the-art executive office that is open for business and the hustle and bustle of 650 employees is certainly a refreshing change from the doom and gloom of business closures and job losses we’ve been inundated with recently.
MWV’s grand opening comes just days after Charlotte County celebrated the expansion of local, family-owned Morgan Lumber Company, which invested $4.2 million and created 25 new jobs at its Red Oak facility.
And Frederick County is breathing a sigh of relief that Kraft has chosen its local facility to invest $40 million to increase production of its Capri Sun product, creating 100 new jobs.
The corporate world is awakening. Inquiries from consultants working on behalf of companies, and from company decision-makers, are on the rise in Virginia, especially in the manufacturing, data center and energy sectors. The quality of the prospects VEDP is hearing from has also improved.
While we still have a ways to go, economic indicators in Virginia are pointing in the right direction—and that’s encouraging news.