Transportation Manufacturing

 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute - Virginia Smart Road - Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Lab  
Center for Automobile Fuel Cell Systems - Check Out Who's Here

KEEPING AMERICA ROLLING
 From passenger car and heavy truck to rail cars and more, products made in the Roanoke Region are keeping America rolling. 

• A strong and growing cluster. More than 4,700 people employed in 25 firms.
   
• Excellent market access puts companies within a day's drive of auto makers to the northwest, west, and south.
• Good labor relations – no UAW within the Roanoke Region.
• Proof of performance: Transportation companies that located in the Roanoke Region in the 1990s have since expanded.
• Products include steering systems, wheel hubs, clutch disc plates, tires, and axles.
• More than 1650 engineer graduates annually, most from Virginia Tech
• Specialized training programs include intensive welding program
• Intermodal link to Midwest and Port of Virginia 

"In this area, you have a workforce that's familiar with automotive practices and staff that's familiar with lean principles. That's what the automotive industry needs."

VIRGINIA TECH CAPABILITIES AND CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
Virginia Tech is an internationally renowned research institute training skilled engineers and leading innovative technology into the future. Research programs provide important research for transportation-related manufacturing.

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: largest university level research center. Research aimed at saving lives, time, and money in the transportation field.

Virginia Smart Road: A 2.2 -mile, full-scale, closed test-bed research facility. Features weather-making capabilities, variable lighting test bed, pavement markings and an on-site data acquisition system.

Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Lab: researches vehicle dynamics, noise, and vibration problems.

Center for Automotive Fuel Cell Systems: research ranges from modeling to actual vehicle construction and testing.