GWI Launches New Operating Cycle and New Trustees as Fundraising Continues. This month, the Greater Washington Initiative kicks off its third operating cycle that runs from 2004-2008. More than $1.8 million (per year on a five-year basis) has been raised from existing GWI Investors to support the organization. A fundraising campaign is now being expanded to secure new Investors to build the budget for business attraction efforts; original, customized research projects; advertising and marketing during the next five years. List of new GWI Board of Trustees Support GWI’s Fundraising Campaign
The Phones are Ringing… In a significant sign of economic recovery, GWI’s business development staff is busy serving 30% more “prospects” - firms considering an expansion into the Greater Washington market - than just one year ago. Staff provides interested firms with complimentary customized research, facilitates tours and arranges meetings with partner economic development offices and area business execs.
And the Web Stats are Soaring…with eLearning Directory as Top Download. Nearly 2 million hits were recorded at www.greaterwashington.org in 2003, representing a 20% increase over 2002. Of this total, 43,800+ unique website visitors explored the site. Our most downloaded publication, Greater Washington’s eLearning Directory, was recently updated and now includes 90 firms. View eLearning Directory
Marketing Missions Deliver the Message Beyond the Beltway. During GWI’s marketing missions each year, business development staff – often accompanied by reps from partner jurisdictions - meet with targeted companies to promote the benefits of operating a business in the Washington area. This year, marketing missions are planned to Atlanta, California, Canada, Boston and New York. In addition, GWI reps will participate in business conferences in Chicago, Orlando, Germany and the UK. More Info
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Greater Washington K-12 School Systems Make the Grade. Greater Washington leads the nation in the number of K-12 students (468,094) in “Gold-Rated” public school systems, according to Expansion Management magazine. When the entire region is compared to other major metro regions nationally, it ranks first with 43% of Greater Washington’s school-age children in “Gold-Rated” school systems. Factors such as average SAT score, graduation rate, student-teacher ratio and other community economic indicators were considered when conducting the study Gold is the highest rating level given by Expansion Management’s annual Education QuotientTM survey. View National Comparison Read Expansion Management magazine article
Five Area Companies Listed in Fortune’s Top 100. In Fortune’s magazine annual roster of the top 100 best places to work, five area companies made the list. Companies were selected based on employees’ opinions as well as the firm’s practices and policies. Local firms listed are: Mitre Company (McLean, VA); SRA International (Fairfax, VA); Arnold & Porter (DC); Fannie Mae (DC) and Marriott International (Bethesda, MD).
Red Herring Examines the Region’s Venture Capital Landscape. According to a recent article in Red Herring magazine, the Mid-Atlantic venture capital community, including firms based throughout Maryland, Virginia and the District, has invested more than $663 million in the first nine months of 2003 alone. Popular sectors for investment are telecommunications, the Internet, computer security, enterprise software and biotech. More than 30 VC firms in the region are prepared to devote funds to promising startups. Read more
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Anne Arundel County, MD: The County is off to a great start in 2004 with announcements of three relocation/expansions: Under Armour, a multi-million dollar athletic apparel company, will relocate its distribution and assembly operations to Pasadena; The American Urological Association opened its new headquarters facility within the BWI Business District; Advanced Technology Group (ADTECH), which performs work for customers with special requirements in underwater and space, is moving its operations to Hanover. These moves will generate 426 jobs in the county. www.aaedc.org
Arlington County, VA: Recent findings of a study conducted by Arlington Economic Development (AED) indicate tremendous opportunity - $3.8 billion in contracts for Arlington's businesses alone - for businesses engaged in federal contracting in Arlington, and those interested in entering this market. In addition, the study found strong cluster effects between agencies and contractors. Contact Terry Holzheimer at 703-228-0808 or view the complete study.
City of Alexandria, VA: The Alexandria Technology Achievement Award recognizes companies that exemplify the exceptional development or use of innovative products, services or ideas. All Alexandria-based businesses — including tech companies, associations, engineers, architects, consultants, retailers, and non-profits — are eligible for nomination. The award will be presented during Alexandria Technology Achievement Week. www.alexecon.org/aedptechachidx.html
District of Columbia: Mayor Anthony Williams recently opened D.C. Builds: The Anacostia Waterfront, a new National Building Museum exhibition with a scale-model of the revitalized Anacostia Waterfront. The opening coincides with an Urban Land Institute international symposium on how to best implement the city's vision and plan for the Anacostia Waterfront. The scale-model allows museum visitors to see proposed development of neighborhoods and completed new parks and bridges along the river. www.nbm.org
Fairfax County, VA: Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG of Munich, which is involved in the development of drugs to fight infectious diseases, won a German competition to expand into the U.S. market through the Fairfax County BioAccelerator, a bioscience business incubator. Axxima won a free year of space and business development services – a $55,000 package - in the BioAccelerator. The competition was organized by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. www.fceda.org
Howard County, MD: Tennessee-based American Healthways Inc., the nation’s largest disease and care management firm, plans to locate a health and management care center in Howard County. Expected to open next month, the call center will be located in 33,000 square feet of leased space in Columbia. The firm plans to bring more than 200 jobs to the region within a two-year period. www.hceda.org
Loudoun County, VA: Last month, the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development kicked off a “way-finding” initiative, aimed at creating a cohesive network of directional signs to help Loudoun residents and visitors find key cultural, recreational, civic and commercial destinations within the county. The effort is designed to enhance the county’s image as an accessible, attractive and active tourist destination. www.loudoun.gov/business/progress/December2003.pdf
Montgomery County, MD: Throughout January, the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development is helping connect small and minority businesses with the resources they need to grow. Earlier this month, reps from the Small Business Administration’s Washington District Office met with local business people to answer questions. Upcoming events include partnering with the Women in Business Conference in the “Business Plan Competition for DC Area Women in Business;” sponsoring the Women in Bio Annual Dinner and the Women in Commercial Real Estate conference. www.theideallocation.com
St. Mary’s County, MD: Economic growth in St. Mary's County has led to the development of a state-of-the-art Executive Office Suites complex. Pax River Executive Office Suites provides fully furnished offices ranging from 100 to 6,000 square feet. Located across from the Patuxent River Naval Complex, these full-service, wired suites offer a variety of leasing plans. For more info, call 1-800-690-2991. Karen Everett www.stmarysmd.com
"Taking the Initiative - A News Digest" is a monthly communication from GWI - a regional economic development marketing organization that promotes the area encompassing the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland as a premier business location. GWI is financially supported by local public jurisdictions and leading area companies. For more information on GWI or to be added to the "Digest" distribution list, email greaterwashingtoninitiative@bot.org. To opt-out of this list, please reply to this message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. For regional data and statistics, visit our website at www.greaterwashington.org. GWI is an affiliate of the Greater Washington Board of Trade.
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