Leading the biotechnology revolution

Virginia's Roanoke Valley offers low cost of living and doing business, excellent market access, a skilled work force and abundant natural beauty. As the largest metro area in western Virginia, the Valley is a regional service center for employment, transportation, medicine and retail.

When you think about the advances in biotechnology being made today, you think of scientists in lab coats filling and comparing test tubes, scratching petri dishes, and decoding DNA strands. But where are they doing all this? Boston? Seattle? Try the Roanoke Valley of Virginia.

The Roanoke Valley, in southwestern Virginia (www.roanoke.org), is proving that a clean splicing of high-tech research universities and abundant, biosecure farmland is all you need to attract, develop, and advance biotechnology companies from all over the world.

With such proximity to Virginia Tech, one of the nation's top research universities, and land that's neither developed nor contaminated by overpopulation, the Valley is capitalizing on their situation. The community has made biotechnology and biomedicine the focus of future development. Currently, two separate business parks are being developed with the industry in mind. Also recently established in Roanoke is The Carilion Biomedical Institute, a world-class biomedical research and technology organization devoted to development, clinical evaluation, and application of healthcare-related products and processes. This entity is a unique cooperation among Carilion Healthcare System (among the nation's top healthcare organization), Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia (both world-renowned research universities).

Already, the world's top biotechnology companies have discovered the area, including Novozymes, a world leader in enzyme production, which just purchased a local company; PPL Therapeutics, a branch of the Scottish-based company which cloned "Dolly" the sheep, and CropTech, which is working to produce human proteins in tobacco leaves.

Location is everything

Not only is the Roanoke Valley in a great location for biotechnology research and development, it's a great location for many types of business expansion.

Companies like Koyo Steering Systems of USA, Dynax America, Maple Leaf Bakery, and Johnson & Johnson have already located business operations there and these companies recognize the advantages. They've discovered the low costs of living and doing business, the excellent market access, the superior quality of life, the skilled workforce that's available, and the innovative training programs offered in the region.

The area offers a central mid-Atlantic location that's only a day's shipping distance from two-thirds of the U.S. population, and Virginia's fastest growing cargo airport. In addition, the entire region is within the boundaries of an inland port, offering cost and time advantages to companies needing customs clearance.

A ready work force

No company can succeed without a skilled workforce. Three new initiatives-the Education & Training Center at Greenfield, the Roanoke Higher Education Center, and the Blue Ridge Technical Academy-are making sure workers are available for jobs now and in the future by developing innovative technical training programs and continuing education options.

A nationally-recognized business climate

The Roanoke Valley's business climate and quality of life have been recognized by Expansion Management, Kiplinger's Personal Health, Parenting Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management, and Money. To discover why, visit their website at www.roanoke.org, or call the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership at 1-800-LOCATE2.