Hampton Roads

Area Development Site and Facility Planning, May 2003 by Daddino, Marie

With an ideal location on the East Coast, an excellent intermodal transportation system, and diverse industrial mix, Hampton Roads has much to offer an expanding or relocating business.

LOCATED ON the southern Virginia coastline, Hampton Roads is a preferred location for business and industry. With a population of more than 1.5 million (2000 Census), the region is the largest metropolitan area between Atlanta and Washington, D.C., and includes the ports of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.

Convenient Transportation Access

At the heart of Hampton Roads' economic success is an excellent intermodal transportation network that connects the region to the world. The area is easily accessible by sea, land, rail, and air. The Port of Hampton Roads is one of the most successful commercial shipping ports in the United States. Served by more than 75 steamship lines offering sailings to more than 250 ports in 100 countries, the port boasts four marine terminals, 50-foot-deep channels (the deepest on the East Coast), and a year-round ice-free harbor.

An average of 55.1 million tons of cargo pass through the Port of Hampton Roads annually, including 1.3 million containers. This makes the Port of Hampton Roads the second-largest-volume port on the East Coast in terms of general cargo (break-bulk and containerized), and the leading U.S. port in total tonnage. Over the past 20 years, general cargo has quadrupled and stevedore productivity has tripled. To meet future demand, the port is currently involved in a $400 million expansion that will effectively double its capacity. As part of its expansion, the port has ordered the eight largest and fastest container cranes in the world.

Hampton Roads also enjoys fine land and rail connections. Seventy-five percent of the U.S. population and markets is within a two-day drive. The area is linked to these markets via Interstates 64, 85, and 95. Extensive rail service is provided by Norfolk Southern, which is headquartered in Hampton Roads, and CSX Corp., which is also headquartered in Virginia. Together, these two rail systems offer 39,600 miles of track connecting 22 states, including the entire eastern United States and the province of Ontario, Canada.

Air service is located within a 30-minute commute of most businesses and residences. Norfolk International Airport provides more than 200 nonstop and direct daily flights to 25 airports, 19 of which are major hubs and international gateways. Each year, more than three million passengers move in and out of Norfolk International. In addition, the facility moves nearly 65 million pounds of air cargo annually, and there are 88,000 square feet of ultramodern air cargo terminal space.

Ready Work Force

Also adding to the fertile business climate is a labor force ready to meet the needs of modern business. The Hampton Roads labor force totals nearly 776,000, with a 3.9 percent unemployment rate (October 2002 data). Each year, the work force is replenished by more than 16,000 qualified military personnel.

In addition to an annual infusion of former military staff, the labor pool is bolstered by an educational infrastructure that supports industry. More than 75,000 students are enrolled in the region's colleges and universities, which include Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, The College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, and ECPI College of Technology.

Partnerships between industry and education are strong. For example, Old Dominion University's Enterprise Centers were created to bring the university's engineering and technology expertise directly to the doors of private industry. Old Dominion's College of Engineering and Technology runs eight Enterprise Centers that provide assistance in areas such as work force development, modeling and simulation, manufacturing, experimental aerodynamics, productivity improvement, information technology, project management, testing and evaluation, and lasers and materials. The centers operate on a "four-by-four" model that combines four years of traditional classroom and laboratory instruction with four years of industry-project experience.

Tidewater Community College is also dedicated to sustaining partnerships with business, providing custom-designed programs at the college or at a business facility. And ECPI College of Technology, with locations in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, strives to meet the needs of an increasingly technical society. ECPI offers academic programs in IT areas including network security, computer programming, networking, web development, business systems administration, accounting systems administration, and medical systems administration.

Another program that works to strengthen the ties between work force development and economic development is Opportunity, Inc. (OppInc.). Serving as an umbrella organization for the Hampton Roads Workforce Development System, OppInc. is a local governmental agency offering a multitude of services to employers, employees, and training providers.