Virginia named “State of the Year” by national publication

Business Facilities magazine has named Virginia its “State of the Year.” 

The national magazine is read by corporate site selectors and economic development professionals.

“Virginia snared more than $5.5 billion in capital investment for its top two projects, and its top five job-creation efforts netted nearly 28,000 new jobs in a diverse and well-executed growth strategy that has made VA a high-tech force to be reckoned with,” Business Facilities’ Editor-in-Chief Jack Rogers wrote.

The magazine cited Amazon’s decision to locate part of its second headquarters in Northern Virginia and the commonwealth’s investment in fiber-optic networks, which has helped the area become the largest concentration of data centers.

“The 21st-century infrastructure that Virginia has meticulously installed will serve as a fertile root system that will nurture a lush forest of high-tech enterprises in the commonwealth for years to come,” Rogers said. “Virginia not only is ready to compete in the emerging high-tech battleground—it shows every intention of dominating the field.”

The magazine also mentioned Micron’s August announcement that it would complete a $3 billion semi-conductor expansion.

Virginia also ranked high on Business Facilities’ 2018 State Rankings Report released this summer. In those rankings, Virginia was No. 2 on its list for Cybersecurity Jobs Leaders, No. 5 on its Best Business Climate and No. 7 on its Economic Growth Potential lists.