New River Valley, VA – The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area, known locally as the New River Valley, has been named a “Top Metro” for 2018 by Site Selection magazine. The 2018 rankings were split into three Top 10 lists based on population, including less than 200,000, 200,000 to 1 million, and over 1 million. Among metropolitan areas with populations less than 200,000, the NRV ranked No. 10 (tie) nationally with six new or expanding corporate facility announcements in 2018. The NRV has consistently held the 10th spot for the past two years.
This past year in the New River Valley, six companies have announced projects that are investing a total of $405,702,500 million and creating 1,490 jobs.
- Ozmo – 40 jobs, $202,500 investment
- Torc – 55 jobs, $2 MM investment
- 1901 Group – 580 jobs, $3 MM investment
- Inorganic Ventures – 10 jobs, $500,000 investment
- Volvo Trucks – 777 jobs, $400 MM investment
- Thomas Industrial Fabrication – 28, investment not disclosed
Published by Conway Inc., Site Selection delivers expansion planning information to over 48,700 readers including corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate professionals. The annual “Top Metros” rankings appeared in the March 2019 issue. In order to be considered in Conway Project Database, projects have to meet specific requirements.
New construction must meet one or more of the following qualifying criteria:
- 20 or more new jobs created
- 20,000 sq. ft. or more
- $1,000,000 or more investment
Office and/or industrial leases must have an investment of at least $1 million plus add 20 jobs or at least 20,000 sq. ft. of new space.
Project also must fall into one of the following categories:
- Manufacturing
- Call Center
- Headquarters
- Data Center
- Distribution Warehouse
- Office
- Research and Development
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
