The Roanoke Valley named one of America's "Hottest" for the sixth time
February 2006
The Roanoke Valley has been named one of “America’s 50 Hottest Cities,” in the January/February issue of Expansion Management magazine. The region has received the honor six times from the national relocation and site selection publication, placing it in the top 15 percent of U.S. cities.
“We’ve presented this year’s 50 Hottest Cities list alphabetically because we felt simply making the list was significant,” said Bill King, chief editor of Expansion Management. “All of these cities are well-prepared to attract and retain businesses. They have logistical advantages, a high quality of life, an available work force, and favorable tax and political climates.”
The list is based on a survey of 80 prominent industry site location consultants, who asked their clients which cities (out of the nation’s 362 MSAs) they find most attractive when selecting an expansion or relocation site. The respondents selected their choices based on factors such as business climate, work force quality, operating costs, incentive programs, and the ease of working with local political and economic development officials.
Other Hottest Cities include Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; and San Diego, Calif. Hottest Cities closer to home are Richmond, Va.; and Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham and Winston-Salem, N.C. (For a complete list, visit www.expansionmanagement.com.) “We are quite honored to be named to this list again,” said Phillip F. Sparks, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership. “We’re also proud of the success we’ve had in the last year. New plant openings and expansions have brought 575 jobs and $177.9 million in new investment to the Valley.” Roanoke Valley named a “Hottest City” for fifth year
February 2005 For the fifth year in a row, the Roanoke Valley has been named one of “America’s 50 Hottest Cities,” tying with Chicago for 29th place. The annual ranking is published by Expansion Management, a national magazine whose readers include executives actively looking to expand or relocate their businesses. Just being included on the Hottest Cities list places the Roanoke Valley in the top 15 percent of U. S. metros. Other “Hottest Cities” include Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas and Phoenix. “Hottest Cities” closer to home are Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte and Greensboro. Nashville ranks at the top of the list. “Some cities are well-prepared to attract and retain businesses," said Ken Krizner, managing editor of Expansion Management. “They have logistical advantages, a high quality of life, available work force, and a favorable tax and political climate. These 50 Hottest Cities have a built-in advantage when companies look to site a new manufacturing or distribution facility or headquarters operation.” The ranking is based on the results of a survey of 80 of the industry’s most prominent site location consultants. The consultants were faxed a list of more than 360 of the country’s metropolitan statistical areas with a request to rank their top city choices for relocating and expanding manufacturing companies, taking into consideration such factors as the business climate, work force quality, operating costs, incentive programs and the ease of working with local political and economic development officials. “This top-of-mind awareness with such an important audience comes as a result of our actively and consistently marketing the Roanoke Valley,” said Phillip F. Sparks, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership. The Valley’s five year run on Hottest City ranking mirrors the organizations success since 2000. During that time, the Partnership – and its government allies – helped create $206.7 million in new investment and 2,657 new jobs. Total investment since 1983 is expected to reach $1 billion within the next year to eighteen months. “Our campaign, which uses the slogan ‘Location is Everything,’ is simple and to-the-point,” said Anne Piedmont, the Partnership’s communication and research director. The Partnership’s campaign promotes the Roanoke Valley’s prime Mid-Atlantic location. The advertising is part of a multi-faceted, year-round marketing program that also includes public relations, trade shows, marketing missions and Internet components, including an electronic newsletter e-mailed to 2,500 site selection consultants, Partnership investors and others.
Roanoke Valley Shines in Mayor's Challenge
September 2004
The Roanoke Valley was ranked 40th this summer in Expansion Management Magazine’s Second Annual Mayor’s Challenge. The top 50 metropolitan areas, out of 331, “consistently scored well” in the magazine’s six annual research studies, according to the article. The Valley was one of four Virginia metro areas to make the Top 50. Richmond ranked 11th, Charlottesville, 36th and the Norfolk area, 44th. The six major research studies – categories that site selectors consider when choosing a location for a relocation or expansion – that make up the Mayor’s Challenge are: Public Education; College-Educated Workforce: Health Care Costs and Availability: Quality of Life: Logistics Infrastructure, and Government Taxes and Spending. Expansion Management has ranked the Valley in its 50 Hottest Cities list for four years in a row. For more information, visit www.ExpansionManagement.com. Roanoke County Wins Digital Honors
July 2004
Roanoke County has been named at Top-10 Digital County Government in a national survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. Roanoke County won in the award in its population category, besting Yakima County, WA; Howard County, MD; Clermont County, OH; Hamilton County, IN; Racine County, WI; El Dorado County, CA; Merced County, CA; Frederick County, MD, and Jackson County, OR. The other top winners are Johnson County, KS and Prince William County, VA (tied) and Charles County, MD. Prince William and Charles counties were both winners last year. Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge said the county is committed to providing its citizens a high level of service, and technology is one of the methods used to achieve this goal. “Through technology, we have provided our citizens and businesses a tool to interact with Roanoke County at their convenience,” he said. “Our strategy is to build on the solid foundation we have established and to continue to work toward expanding and enhancing our citizen offereings.” The 2004 Digital Counties Survey examined how county governments are evolving in their use of information technology to deliver services to their citizens. Southern Business & Development Recognizes the Valley
April 2004
Southern Business & Development has recognized the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership as one of the “Top 10 Markets that Deliver Data Fast.” Naming the organization “Most Connected,” the magazine states: “Even when they are on the road, this snappy staff of three is highly responsive.” In the same issue, the Valley was lauded as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Mid-Sized Markets in the South, citing our natural beauty, abundant cultural and arts opportunities, festivals and proximity to Virginia Tech. Valley Again Named a "Hottest City"
January 2004
For the fourth year in a row, the Roanoke Valley has been named one of “America’s 50 Hottest Cities,” placing it among the top 15 percent of U.S. cities. The annual ranking is published by Expansion Management, a national magazine whose readers include executives actively looking to expand or relocate their businesses. The Hottest Cities list, which appears in the magazine’s January issue, places the Roanoke Valley 37th. Other “Hottest Cities” include Nashville, Memphis, Chicago and Dallas. “Hottest Cities” closer to home are Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte and Greensboro. Atlanta ranks at the top of the list. “Making the list validates the work the Roanoke community has done in creating a good business environment and effectively marketing it,” said Bill King, chief editor of Expansion Management, a monthly business magazine with a circulation of more than 45,000. The ranking is based on the results of a survey of 70 of the industry’s most prominent site location consultants. The consultants were faxed a list of the country’s 370 metropolitan statistical areas with a request to rank their top city choices for relocating and expanding manufacturing companies, taking into consideration such factors as the business climate, work force quality, operating costs, incentive programs and the ease of working with local political and economic development officials. While the Roanoke Valley’s position on the Hottest Cities ranking has varied from 29th last year to 43rd in 2002, King points out that “the important thing is that you make the list year in and year out, demonstrating that you are top-of-mind with this important audience.” According to King, up to 30 percent of site selection decisions are made with the assistance of consultants. “By actively and consistently marketing the Roanoke Valley -- even during an economic downturn – we have built awareness of our area among site selection consultants as a good business location,” said Phillip F. Sparks, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership. | |
Three Economic Development Organizations Accredited
July 2004
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) announced this month that the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership, Roanoke County Economic Development Department and the City of Roanoke Department of Economic Development have each been recognized as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). The three organizations are three of 26 organizations throughout North America to have received the AEDO honor. This is the first time that three organizations from the same community have received this distinguished accreditation. “The Roanoke economic development community displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO, Jeffrey Finkle. The AEDO program is a comprehensive peer review process that measures economic development organizations against commonly held standards in the profession. The program consists of two phases: documentation review and an onsite visit. Each phase is designed to evaluate information about the structure, organization, funding, program, and staff of the candidate economic development organization. All three Roanoke organizations prepared comprehensive applications and hosted site team visits over the past several months. “This certification serves to reinforce what we all know: that economic development is being done on a superior level in the Roanoke region,” said G. Michael Pace, Jr., president of the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership board of directors. The entire region should take pride in the fact that the Partnership, as well as the City of Roanoke and Roanoke County are among the first in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States to achieve this status.” Roanoke Valley is a Five-Star Community
May 2004
The Roanoke Valley has been named a Five-Star Community in Expansion Management’s 2004 Quality of Life Quotient. The magazine, a national publication whose readers include executives actively looking to expand or relocate their businesses, has been ranking communities in the study for six years. Criteria include housing affordability, quality of public schools, standard of living, safety, transportation, continuing education and adult employability. Charlottesville also was listed as a Five-Star Community. New Books Ranks Valley 11th Nationwide
March 2004
The Roanoke Valley ranks 11th out of more than 400 metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada evaluated in a new book, Cities Ranked & Rated. The authors of the book, Bert Sperling and Peter Sander, used both facts and subjective assessment of image, character and quality of life to compare 376 metro areas in the United States and 27 in Canada. The areas are contrasted in 10 categories: economy & jobs, cost of living, climate, education, health & healthcare, crime, transportation, leisure, arts & culture, and quality of life. The top 10 metro areas are: Charlottesville, Santa Fe, NM, San Luis Obispo, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Honolulu, HI, Ann Arbor, MI, Atlanta, GA, Asheville, NC, Reno, NV, and Corvalis, OR. A few of the Top 50 areas ranking behind the Roanoke Valley include Raleigh-Durham, NC (13), Colorado Springs, CO (18), Austin, TX (22), Pittsburgh, PA (28) and Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL (48). City of Roanoke Tops in Digital
December 2003
The City of Roanoke, along with Tampa, FL and Fort Wayne, IN, are the most digital-savvy, cutting-edge cities in the nation, according to the 2003 Digital Cities Survey, an annual study conducted by the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology (IT) in government and education. Launched in June, the Digital Cities Survey examined and assessed how city governments are progressing in utilizing information technology to streamline operations and deliver quality service to their citizens. Officials responded to a set of 16 questions and ranked their jurisdictions according to a four-point scale, providing Web site addresses and background data for final verification and validation. Mayors, city managers and chief information officers in more than 300 cities across the nation were invited to participate in the survey, which grouped cities into three categories based on population: 250,000 or more, 125,000-249,999, and 75,000-124,999. Tampa retains its first-place ranking from the 2002 survey in the population category of 250,000 or more. Fort Wayne moves up two notches from third in 2002 to first place in the population category of 125,000-249,999. Roanoke holds on to the number-one position for the third year in a row in the population category of 75,000-125,000. Roanoke is the only municipality to rank first in the Digital Cities Survey three years straight. Mayor Ralph Smith said the award reflects the City Council's commitment to use information technology to improve service delivery to the residents of Roanoke and to create a high-tech environment for local business establishments. Rounding out the top 10 behind Roanoke in the population category of 75,000-124,999 are Coral Springs, FL (tied for second), Ogden, UT(tied for second), Denton, TX (tied for third), Fort Collins, CO (tied for third), Olathe, KS, Bellevue, WA (tied for fifth), Carrollton, TX (tied for fifth), Boulder, CO(tied for sixth), Schaumburg, IL (tied for sixth), Independence, MO (tied for seventh), Pueblo, CO (tied for seventh), Westminster, CO (tied for seventh), Tyler, TX, Arvada, CO (tied for ninth), Macon, GA. (tied for ninth), Costa Mesa, CA (tied for tenth), Manchester, NH (tied for tenth), and Roseville, CA (tied for tenth). |
