A great place for business

Published in the Culpeper Star Exponent 8/15/2011

It is good to be in Virginia! According to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Virginia has been named with several top accolades recently.

CNBC named Virginia the 2011 “Top State for Business”. The reasons and degree by which Virginia was recognized are equally impressive. VEDP stated in a recent release that “CNBC took an in-depth look at why Virginia again came out on top. Using publicly available data, each state was scored on 43 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into 10 broad categories: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Economy, Infrastructure & Transportation, Technology & Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Access to Capital and Cost of Living.”

“Not only did the Commonwealth win the highest ranking—Virginia received the highest point total in the history of the rankings, finishing in the top-half of every category ranked.”

The VEDP also reported recently that Virginia was ranked #1 for Economic Growth Potential. The ranking was issued by Business Facilities Magazine. According to VEDP - “The study took a hard look at factors like job creation, project development, incentives and workforce. It also took into account the state’s growth strategy; including the depth and breadth of incentives, as well as partnerships among state and local governments, educational institutions and businesses.”

In addition, The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) blog at Virginia.org – reported  recently that Virginia was named 1 of 5 prettiest states in the nation by Bob Ecker of the San Francisco Examiner.  Mr. Ecker’s comments are worth repeating – “What stunning scenery, backwoods horse country, dense woods and green, green green pasture land as far as the eye can see. Chock  a block with lovely little towns, countless rivers and bays, deep story lines – some good, some somber – but for the most part this  state is inhabited by smart, very friendly, genuine people. Plus the Commonwealth of Virginia is so rich with American history.  Worthy sites include Mount Vernon, Monticello and Montpelier and hundreds of others offering glimpses into the beginnings of our  country. Virginia is a beauty – and wine too.”

Wow!  Great to do business in Virginia! Great growth potential in Virginia! Great to visit Virginia!  AND we live here. It is easy to take things for granted. Having our environment recognized in such ways is a confirmation of our hard work. In Culpeper, we have a great business environment fully prepared with infrastructure, workforce, and Germanna Community College to meet the needs of business. Our small town charm and depth of history are noteworthy. I especially like the comment by Mr. Ecker that Virginians are “Smart, very friendly, and genuine people,” a welcome accolade. Thanks!!!