News and Events
Taking the Initiative Newsletter
"Taking the Initiative: A news digest from the Greater Washington Initiative" is published monthly. Add me to the distribution list.
September 2006 |
| Latest News from the Greater Washington Initiative |
New Ad Campaign Features Knowledge Workforce – Last week, GWI kicked off a fall advertising campaign highlighting the region's highly educated workforce. Creative new ads designed by local firm Hrabal Creative, will run in print and online in The Washington Post, The Washington Times and Washington Flyer. When GWI ran a similar campaign in June, traffic to www.greaterwashington.org nearly doubled from the previous month. See the ads>> More info>> CBRE Executives Tour Region – Seven consultants from CB Richard Ellis toured Greater Washington Sept. 14-16 on a visit sponsored by GWI. The consultants, who assist companies with relocation and expansion decisions, met with executives at MacroGenomics in Rockville, MD and XM Satellite Radio headquarters in DC. They also participated in a discussion with GWI's Board of Trustees about current economic trends in Northern Virginia. Learn more>> GWI Builds Partnerships Down Under– GWI's International Business Development Director, April DuBois, spoke at the Focus on Business conference last week in Canberra, Australia. In addition to addressing a crowd of 1,000 business leaders about doing business in Greater Washington, she met with more than 40 companies identified by the Australian government as interested in expanding operations in the U.S. Of the 25+ Australian firms that have recently relocated to the region, more than half are from the Greater Canberra region. Details>> |
| About the Region |
Local Counties are Richest in the Nation – Five of the top ten wealthiest counties in the U.S. are located in Greater Washington. Loudoun County, VA, Fairfax County, VA and Howard County, MD rank first, second and third respectively. Montgomery County, MD and Prince William County, VA rank sixth and seventh. As a whole the region ranks second only to San Jose, CA. Local economists attribute the wealth to the large portion of federal contracts awarded to area firms. See full county list>> See full regional list>> Region Receives Multiple Accolades – Over the past few months, several national magazines, including Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur, have lauded the region for its talented workforce and entrepreneurial spirit. Recently released U.S. Census data confirming the area's highly educated and wealthy status inspired many of these stories. See the “Greater Washington in the News” section below for links to the articles. |
| Featured Companies |
Noetic Group – This Australian-based strategic consulting firm recently established its North American headquarters in Washington, DC, as one of the latest Australian companies to establish an office here since the Australian-U.S. Free Trade Agreement went into effect last year. Recently, government officials in the Australian Capital Territory renewed efforts to maintain a "touchdown office" in DC to assist Australian firms locating to the region. More info>> |
| Economic Development News from Across the Region |
Anne Arundel County, MD – The Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC), America's first business accelerator for homeland and national security, issued a call for companies with innovative technology as it kicks off the first "Defend America" challenge. The competition is open to companies with a product or service specializing in the homeland or national security field. The grand prize is $25,000. The competition will utilize TechBridge, the innovative CIC program that matches emerging technology with market needs. Details>> Competition information>> Arlington County, VA – The Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment approved Arlington’s request for more than $875,000 to help the county respond to last year’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendations. The grant will be used to help plan the redevelopment that the County's BRAC Transition Task Force recommended in June for Crystal City. The County Board recently established the Crystal City Planning Task Force to fashion a new vision and redevelopment plan for Arlington’s largest “urban village” and business district. More info>> City of Bowie, MD – The City of Bowie has contracted with ANGLE Technology Group to conduct a feasibility study for a business incubator facility. The study, underway now, will first assess the demand, if any, for such a facility and then provide a business plan for the city to use in determining future courses of action. Funding for the study comes from a MD Technology Development Corporation grant combined with general funds. The study is expected to be completed in January 2007. District of Columbia – The Washington, DC Economic Partnership will hold its Annual Meeting Luncheon and DC Development Showcase on Oct. 17. The Development Showcase will feature approximately 65 exhibitors displaying projects currently under construction, planned and proposed throughout the District. Other meeting highlights will be the release the 2006/2007 Development Activity Guide and keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Florida. Event details>> Fairfax County, Virginia – Fairfax County is ranked second among large counties for entrepreneurs for starting businesses, according to 2006 rankings compiled by the National Policy Research Council (NPRC) and Entrepreneur magazine. Fairfax County finished number one for rapid growth of companies, number three for “young company” rankings and was second in the overall rankings. Also, 22 companies based in Fairfax County are on Inc. magazine's latest rankings of the 500 fastest-growing businesses in the U.S. Frederick County, MD – Rockville-based MedImmune broke ground on their new Frederick, MD facility last week. The project's first phase, expected to add 250 or more jobs to the area, will be completed in late 2009. The company recently won a five-year, $170 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop cell culture-based flu vaccines, for which the Frederick facility will be the future production site Read more>>Loudoun County, VA – After six years of intense planning, construction, and recruiting, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute opened its doors this month to the new Janelia Farms Research Center. When the campus is at full capacity in 2009, the permanent research staff is expected to reach 250 people and the facility will host up to 100 visiting scientists. Details>> City of Manassas, VA – Tosoh America, Inc. will invest $4 million to establish a facility in the City of Manassas. The investment relates to Tosoh’s Electronic Materials Division, a provider of high purity materials and services to the semiconductor industry. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Tosoh’s Electronic Materials Division is part of the Tosoh Group. The Tosoh Group manufactures and provides industrial and specialty chemicals used by leading manufacturers around the world. More info>> Maryland Airport Authority – The Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC) has partnered with BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in the opening of the "BWI One-Stop Career Center." The Career Center is the first site of its kind in the nation to be operated by the public workforce system. A partnership between local, state and federal governments, the center will provide innovative workforce solutions for the airport business region and the state of Maryland. Details>> Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) – In an effort to facilitate Asian business relations, an alliance of metro area organizations (including GWI and the Board of Trade) has joined forces to support MWAA and United Airlines in an effort to secure the first and only nonstop air route between DC and Beijing. The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to decide which U.S. metro region will win the coveted service by the year’s end. More info>> Montgomery County, MD – The Dept. of Economic Development is hosting the World Trade Center Institute's Embassy Day Conference on Sept. 28. This annual event aimed at fostering new opportunities for local businesses to expand into the international market, is the largest gathering of diplomats outside New York and Washington. It offers a chance to network and meet ambassadors and trade officials from countries around the globe. This year's featured keynote speaker is Marriott Chairman and CEO, Bill Marriott. More information>> Prince George’s County, MD – Two Prince George’s County businesses recently signed trade agreements to conduct import and export operations with countries in the Asian-Pacific rim. One of the firms, Global Systems and Technologies Corp. of Ft. Washington, partnered with TK International of Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province of China for the development of electromechanical parts production; the deal is worth more than $10 million. Details>> Prince William County, VA – Eli Lilly and Company recently secured 10,000 sq ft of "wet-lab" space in the county. Lilly will develop a model quality assurance and quality control lab in preparation for the opening of its 300,000 sq ft insulin manufacturing facility, scheduled to open in 2009 in the Innovation@Prince William Technology Park. More info>>
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| "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. |
