News and Events

July/August 2004

Banking on a Strong Future: Welcome to Bill Couper, New GWI Chairman. William Couper, President of Bank of America, Greater Washington, is the new volunteer chairman of GWI. He succeeds John M. Derrick, Jr., who recently retired from Pepco Holdings, Inc. An active member of GWI’s Board of Trustees, Couper has been with Bank of America and its predecessors for more than 30 years and completed two terms as chairman of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as a Greater Washington Board of Trade director and is currently chairman of the United Way of the National Capital Area. Details

Business Leaders Forecast Bright Skies Ahead for Greater Washington’s Economy. According to the most recent Business Pulse survey, 93% of area execs surveyed are positive about the region’s economy as they prepare for the year’s third quarter. Also, 45% of these execs plan to add staff in the coming months (compared to 34% last quarter). Approximately 210 business leaders participated in the survey, conducted quarterly for the Washington Business Journal by Widmeyer Research & Polling in association with the Greater Washington Board of Trade. View Findings

On a related note, this fall GWI will roll out new ads promoting the region’s hot business climate. The ads direct readers to the latest business forecast, developed by George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, available at www.greaterwashington.org.

U.K. Conference Draws Crowd; Brings Opportunities in Space Down to Business. This week, GWI joined the U.K. Industrial Space Committee to co-host "U.S.-U.K. Space Business," a conference focused on opportunities for U.S. and U.K. companies in the space business. Held at the Farnborough International Air Show outside London, the event - which drew nearly 100 attendees - was featured in an extensive article in the New York Times that was facilitated by GWI. Keynote speaker Rear Admiral Craig Steidle, of NASA, discussed the agency’s increased focus on space exploration. In addition, the Hon. Ronald M. Sega, Director of Defense Research and Engineering and Chief Technical Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, spoke about business opportunities with the U.S. government. Other speakers included execs from Lockheed Martin, Maryland Space Roundtable and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Over the coming months, GWI staff will follow up with numerous prospects generated at the conference. Read Press Release More info

The Hits Just Keep Coming: 2004 Regional Report is Popular Download. The Initiative’s annual Regional Report, a handy resource detailing the region’s vibrant economy and impressive demographics, is GWI’s most popular online publication. In one month, more than 2,100 copies were downloaded from the website. In addition, the Report was recently mailed to 7,000 area business and community leaders, site selection consultants and U.S. and international companies. Download Regional Report Request a hard copy

Single?...No Worries. Area is Ranked Second-Best Place to Live, Work and Play. Forbes magazine named the Washington-Baltimore area as the second-best location for unattached adults. The annual listing of America's Best Cities for Singles ranks the 40 largest metropolitan areas in seven different categories including nightlife, culture, job growth and cost of living.

Alexandria, VA : The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. (AEDP) and Alexandria Mayor William Euille, who serves as AEDP Chairman, recently hosted a series of meetings to encourage businesses to form a West End Business Association. Meeting attendees were briefed on how to increase visibility for West End Alexandria firms and how to take advantage of business assistance services available. The meetings were timely, since several West End redevelopment projects are in the planning stages. Details

Arlington County, VA : The County approved plans to build the region’s tallest residential building, Eighteen 81 Condominiums, located in Rosslyn. The 25-story condo is one of the few residential projects in the area designated as LEED Certified for its use of environmentally friendly features. The project is an important step toward luring more residents to Rosslyn and enlivening the area’s nightlife with more street-level retailers and activities. For more info, visit www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com.

City of Fairfax, VA: The first visible step in the redevelopment of Old Town Fairfax began on July 3 with a ceremonial demolition of the Old Post Office building. Actual demolition begins later this month and continues through mid-October. The redevelopment of the Post Office site into 92,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, 43,000 square feet of office condos and 700+ space public parking garage will begin in early 2005; it will take approximately 18 months to complete. Several other sites in Old Town Fairfax are being evaluated for redevelopment. Contact Earl Berner at 703-925-7862.

District of Columbia : city living, dc style! , is the District’s one-stop housing expo, scheduled Friday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 19. The event is expected to draw an estimated 10,000 attendees and more than 100 exhibitors to the Washington Convention Center to learn about the city’s options for housing, shopping, dining, transportation, entertainment and culture. For more info, visit www.citylivingdc.com or call 202-638-7333.

Fairfax County, VA: The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (VAHCC) has opened a Fairfax County office co-located with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. The office will provide better access to the organization’s services offered to Hispanic/Latino businessmen and women in Northern Virginia. This is the first satellite location for the VAHCC which is based in Richmond. Details

Frederick County, MD: The Frederick County Office of Economic Development recently released a report that shows Frederick County had the largest increase in jobs created from 2001 to 2003 compared to all counties in Maryland. Average employment increased from 79,463 to 86,168. The top three Maryland counties with the largest number of jobs created were Frederick (6,705); Prince George’s (6,252) and Anne Arundel (5,197). Read more

Loudoun County, VA : The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development released its annual Growth Summary this month. The report is a synopsis of 2003 demographic and economic data. One fact included: during the past three years, the county led Northern Virginia in population growth and was recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as the fastest growing county in the nation. The 2003 Growth Summary is available as a free download from the department’s website. Printed versions are available for a fee; call 703-777-0426.

Prince William County, VA: The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is pleased to announce that Mediatech, Inc. has selected the county as the location for its new corporate headquarters and biotech manufacturing facility. Mediatech will construct a building on 10 acres of land at Innovation@Prince William Technology Business Park. The facility will be completed by the end of 2005 and fully operational by 2006. The project is valued at more than $10 million and will provide 200+ full-time jobs. Details

St. Mary’s County, MD: St. Mary’s College is completing a new 114,000 square foot, state-of-the-art athletic center. It will contain an aquatic center with a 50-meter and a 25-meter pool, a competition arena with seating for 1,200, a climbing wall, fitness center and training room. Designed to meet the needs of increased enrollment and visiting teams, the innovative recreation facility will be showcased during the College's Family Weekend in September. More info

Greater Washington Initiative Targets Silicon Valley - HireStrategy, July 1, 2004