- "Virginia is the unquestionable brightest star on the American flag when it comes to being pro-business."
- "The political leaders responsible for Virginia's success should move from the capital in Richmond to the capital in Washington."
- "Clearly a national leader, Virginia ranked number one in our list of Pro-Business states for 2011. Virginia has held the number one position five of the last eight years (Figure 4). In the three years it did not take first place, it ranked second in 2005 and 2006 and third in 2008. Consistency counts a lot in corporate site selection decision making where companies often live with decisions for years or decades. Just look at Virginia's Report Card (See Appendix B), and you can see why any company would be proud to call Virginia their home.
- "Not only has Virginia maintained control over the top spot, but it did so with a commanding lead over the number two state with an astounding 44 point margin of victory, which is even higher than last year's record of 36 points. This is the highest margin of victory since starting this analysis eight years ago. The difference in points between the #2 ranked Utah and #10 Indiana is only 35 points. Virginia is truly in a class by itself. With their fifth championship as the #1 Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business State, Virginia is well on its way to becoming the Michael Jordan of economic development.
- "In today's business world with all its uncertainties, a state's reputation as a consistent pro–business winner is very valuable. The key to Virginia's success this year is that not only did they finish #2 under the Stage I, Labor, Taxes, and Other Factors but also they placed #1 under the Stage II, Incentives and Economic Development Agency Factors. This strong showing in taxes, education, and infrastructure combined with excellent incentive programs and an efficient and effective economic development department resulted in Virginia's extraordinary showing"
- "Virginia maintained its rank for Stage II, Incentives and Economic Development Agency Factors through the leadership of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, which is recognized as one of the finest economic development organizations in the nation. A close examination of Virginia's programs reveals a very well-balanced understanding of economic development."
Finding Success in Halifax County
June 10, 2019
The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center was awarded a $500,000 tobacco grant on Thursday to expand its IT Academy, with the expectation of nearly tripling the pool of graduates who come out of the program ready to fill information technology positions in the area.
The grant by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission will pay for new instructors, four new courses, and a physical expansion to double the size of the IT Academy training area.
“We hope to begin hiring instructors in the fall and start class in the spring,” said Brenda Terry, chief financial and operations officer of the SVHEC.
The expansion aims to meet the increased demand for skilled workers by local businesses, particularly Microsoft, which operates a massive cloud computing complex in Mecklenburg County. Microsoft has committed about $200,000 to the project, and has made other, prior contributions — donating old equipment, providing scholarships for students, and even setting up a program whereby its data center employees can volunteer at the IT Academy.
“We appreciate the continued support of the Tobacco Commission and Microsoft,” said Kelly Shotwell, who serves as the program coordinator and as a trainer at the IT Academy.
The bulk of the Tobacco Commission funding will go towards hiring and paying for three full-time staff positions, easing the burden from Shotwell, who is the only full-time employee tasked to the program. She hopes to hire two instructors and a lab technician to help set up the hands-on labs that the students must complete to earn their certifications.
Contact Us
1100 Confroy Drive, Suite 1
South Boston, Virginia 24592
Phone: 434-572-1734
Fax: 434-572-1762
Email: info@halifaxvirginia.com
