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Northern Virginia Leads
the Way In South Atlantic
Location Surge

b y    T I M     V E N A B L E

Blue-chip companies are investing heavily in South Atlantic facilities, tapping the region's skilled work force and other critical location assets.

Internet-related firms are some of today's fastest growing businesses. They're among the hottest companies anywhere, driving today's dizzying stock market growth.

Virginia, one of the leading contenders in most any South Atlantic site search, is also hot. Its business appeal has gained tremendous momentum during the past few years, with the state luring major facilities from companies such as MCI WorldCom, GEICO, Capital One and Sprint.

Those two hot properties -- Internet business and Virginia -- recently made a T-1 connection in the form of America Online's decision to invest an additional US$600 million in the Old Dominion. (That's on top of the millions of investment dollars AOL already had in the pipeline for its Virginia operations.)

Earlier this year, AOL tapped Northern Virginia's Prince William County for a $520 million technology center -- the company's largest capital investment ever. The high-tech concern also announced plans for an $80 million expansion of its Loudoun County headquarters (also in northern Virginia). The two moves will create about 1,400 jobs.

That kind of massive investment speaks volumes about Virginia's business climate and location appeal. But major investments are being made in other South Atlantic states too, from West Virginia to the Carolinas. Companies are finding that South Atlantic states have the available work force, growing markets and we-want-your-business attitude they're looking for in the drive to stay competitive.

The South Atlantic, which covers some 154,244 sq. miles (400,000 sq. km.), includes Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, plus the District of Columbia (see map). The region's population is 26 million.

Here's a state-by-state review of some of the companies making multimillion-dollar real estate and facilities moves in the South Atlantic.