Spring 2012

Here is just a small sampling of seriously smart infrastructure supporting business and industry in ROVA (the rest of Virginia)

Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre - Martinsville-Henry County, Va.

This new business park in Martinsville-Henry County, Va., is set to open next year and its location is outstanding. The 726-acre site is located along the North Carolina-Virginia border, approximately 30 miles north of Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport and the new FedEx Mid-Atlantic Hub.

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center - South Boston-Halifax County, Va.

The SVHEC is home to a variety of programs, including the R & D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency, Digital Art & Design, Product Design & Development and the Center for Nursing Excellence. The SVHEC offers degrees from a GED to a Ph.D., with 75 degree options.

Riverstone Technology Park - South Boston-Halifax County, Va.

Also located in South Boston, this park, with plenty of land available, is home to the Riverstone Energy Center, the Modeling and Simulation Center of Excellence and the National Center for Coatings Application and Education.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - Danville-Pittsylvania County, Va.

This building is one of the most striking facilities you will ever see in the rural South. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) is engaged in research, education and conferencing. In April, Virdia, a California-based developer of cellulosic sugars and lignin for use in the renewable chemicals, bio-energy and nutrition industries, opened its U.S. Technology Center at IALR.

Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMaC megasite) - Emporia-Greensville County, Va.

The 1,545-acre MAMaC site is the only McCallum Sweeney certified megasite in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. The Development Team includes CSX, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Manufacturer’s Association, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and Southside Virginia Community College. The MAMaC site is a regional economic development initiative of Greensville County, the City of Emporia and Brunswick County with funding support from the Virginia Tobacco Commission.

New College Institute - Martinsville-Henry County, Va.

In 2004, the Harvest Foundation, a charitable foundation dedicated to supporting health, education and welfare initiatives that serve Martinsville and Henry County, Va., pledged $50 million toward the establishment of a state-supported, baccalaureate-level college in Martinsville-Henry County. NCI is under the new leadership of former Virginia Sen. William, who is very in tune with economic development and the role that higher education plays in training our industrial and R&D workforce.

Progress Park - Wytheville-Wythe County, Va.

This outstanding site has quick access to two Interstates, I-77 and I-81. There are several lots available and a large Gatorade plant sits in the middle of the park. Lot 24, a 232-acre site with a graded 166-acre pad, features high-capacity infrastructure and is Class I rail-served.

Center for Advanced Engineering and Research - Forest, Va.

Located in Virginia's Region 2000 that is anchored by Lynchburg, the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) opened about a year ago. The CAER develops an industry-focused R&D center that drives the development of innovative products and processes by providing local access to university and federal research and inventions.

Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) - Prince George County, Va.

CCAM's proposed 60,000-square-foot facility is being built on a site next to Rolls-Royce's new manufacturing plant in Prince George County, Va., just south of Richmond. CCAM is an applied research center that bridges the gap between fundamental research typically performed at universities and product development routinely performed by companies.

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute - Roanoke, Va.

Located in Roanoke, Va., this medical school opened in 2010. It complements the Roanoke region's thriving biotechnology sector and enables participants to fuse the basic science, life science, bioinformatics and engineering strengths of neighboring Virginia Tech with the clinical practice and medical education experience of Carilion Clinic.

Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC)

This high-tech research and development park adjacent to Virginia Tech was named "2010 Most Outstanding Research Park" by the Association of University Research Parks. Phase I of the Center saw 1,000,000 square feet built, housing 140 companies and 2,000 employees.