| March 2, 2012 |
Montgomery County, Virginia - For the second consecutive year, Site Selection Magazine has named the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) a “Top Metro by Number of Projects.” Within the population category of 200,000 or less, the metro tied 4th nationally for the most new or expanding corporate facility announcements in 2011.
According to the March issue of Site Selection Magazine, in 2011 the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA (a.k.a. New River Valley) had nine projects meeting the criteria for inclusion in the rankings. Tying for fourth is a personal best for the metro. In previous years it has ranked 5th (2006), 8th (2008) and 10th (2010).
To take advantage of the notoriety, the Montgomery County Economic Development Department placed an advertisement in the March issue of Site Selection Magazine. The advertisement appears in the “Top Metropolitans” section which features the 2011 “Top Metros by Number of Projects” rankings.
In addition to the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA, two other Virginia MSAs were ranked within the same category. The Charlottesville and Danville MSAs both tied for 8th on the list with 8 projects.
The March issues also included the 2011 Governor’s Cup – a perennial ranking of the top states by the number of projects. With 273 new or expanding corporate facilities, Virginia ranked 5th in the nation.
Last year was an exciting year in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA. According to data contained in the Virginia Announcement Database, the metro had 13 new or expanding companies announce projects in 2011. In all, these companies plan to invest $68.3 million and create 773 new jobs in the metro.
In 2011,Montgomery County led the MSA in announced projects and tied for 8th in the state among other Virginia counties/cities. The county – which is home to Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg – had seven new or expanding companies announce plans to invest $43.5 million and create 572 new jobs in the community.
The "Top Metro" accolade adds to the growing list of national recognitions received by the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA. The metro has been named a “Best Place for Business and Careers” by Forbes, a “Best Place to Live and Launch” by CNNMoney.com and a “5-star Quality of Life Metro” by Expansion Management Magazine (see full list).
About Site Selection Magazine: Conway Data publishes Site Selection, the oldest publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field, and the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC, at www.iamc.org). Site Selection’s yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.” The magazine’s circulation base consists of 44,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.
The Montgomery County Department of Economic Development (MCDED) offers a number of free and confidential services and resources to help companies large and small. We welcome the opportunity to provide direct assistance to companies interested in starting, expanding or relocating a business in Montgomery County, Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Contact us today!
