Virginia losing jobs

Over the past months, finding jobs in Virginia have been on the rise. New companies, including Hilton Hotels, LASCO Bathware, and SPARTA Composite Products, have come to the state to open new plants.

However, some plants are being forced to close their doors.

Belden Inc. , which makes and markets specialty wire, cable and cord products for the electronics and electrical markets, announced on March 18th that they will be closing their Midlothian manufacturing plant. This won't be in effect till July, but 45 positions will be lost.

The company, looking to save money, will be moving their plant to Tijuana, Mexico.

According to Forbes, "In December, Belden said it planned to cut 1,800 jobs worldwide, or 20 percent of its work force, and consolidate some manufacturing operations, as demand for its products continued to soften".

MeadWestvaco , a paper and packaging manufacturer, is closing their Louisa plant. As a result, 171 employees will be let go. Lack of demand for packaging and the company's attempt to save money are the reasons for the close.

According to Virginia Business Magazine, " The company announced in January that it would reduce its worldwide work force by 2,000 jobs and restructure 12 to 14 of its manufacturing plants in 2010 to save $250 million to $300 million".

As of Virginia's unemployment rate is at 6.0%.

Manufacturing Facility to Bring 198 Jobs to Virginia

SPARTA Composite Products will invest $13.2 million to open a manufacturing facility in the Suffolk, Virginia. The company will manufacture composite parts for the aerospace and defense industry, creating 198 Virginia jobs over a five-year period. The new facility is expected to be operational in December 2009. Hiring will begin in the 3d quarter of 2009.

"SPARTA already has a significant presence in Virginia, operating in three different localities in the state," Governor Kaine said. "I am confident that as a division of this successful company the Suffolk operation will be the right fit for SPARTA Composite Products' expansion into the East Coast market. The project is also a great complement to the Commonwealth's growing and impressive aerospace cluster."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Suffolk and the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance to secure the project for Virginia. Governor Kaine approved a $300,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist Suffolk with the project. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Virginia Governor Announces New Jobs

Virginia jobs are on the rise. Virginia's Governor, Tim Kaine, has been busy bringing new businesses to the state to create new jobs. Since the beginning of 2009 major companies have chosen to move to Virginia

Recently, he announced LASCO Bathware, Inc. will be expanding to Halifax County. The company is to invest $1.7 million in the project. This will create 50 new jobs and save 280. The company is the largest bath fixture manufacturer in the U.S.

Governor Kaine has expressed that the expansion will greatly benefit the area. "The average annual salary of these jobs will be above the prevailing wage for the region. The continuing success of this existing industry will have significant impact on the future economy of Halifax County."

LASCO isn't the only million dollar business growing in Virginia. Hilton Hotels Corporation has announced that they will be relocating their headquarters to Fairfax County, which was originally based in Beverly Hills, CA. The global hotel chain will invest about $17 million from this move. Hitlon Hotels will create 300 plus jobs.

Christopher J. Nassetta, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation is confident in the choice to move to Virginia. “Virginia offers a more central location from which to operate a global organization and will ease coordination across our business, help us to better execute on strategic opportunities and allow us to significantly reduce our costs. The cost and quality of living in the area are also tremendously appealing."

King George County will be the new home to Harris Teeter, Inc. the company will invest $101 million to open a food distribution operation. This will create 335 jobs in the area.

Virginia has seized great opportunities by bringing these multimillion dollar companies to the area.

Tourism Supplied 210,000 Virginia Jobs in 2007

Recent statistics show that Virginia jobs in Halifax in the tourism industry grew in 2007, according to the county's Department of Tourism. All together, the sector employed over 500 people, generated more than $2 million in taxes. Visitors to the area spent approximately $35.4 million in the community.

"In a very challenging and competitive market, tourism in Halifax County continues to demonstrate growth," said Halifax County's Director of Tourism, Linda Shepperd. "This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of organizations and attractions, public and private, that continue to offer events and activities that attract thousands of visitors to our communities each year."

Virginia is still one of the most popular locations in the country for tourists to visit during their vacations. This industry continues to make a huge contribution to area’s revenue.

Statewide, data for 2007 shows that visitors to Virginia spent $18.7 billion, which was an increase of 5.8 percent from the previous year. This means that the state is well over the national domestic travel increase of 4.7 percent. Altogether, the tourism industry employed 210,000 Virginia residents. According to the statistics, if tourism was considered its own industry, then it would be the 6th largest employer in the state.

"Tourism has such a positive financial impact on Virginia as a whole and on local areas as well," said the Virginia Tourism Corporation's president and CEO, Alisa Bailey. "You can see how so many of our localities depend on tourism to bring in money and sustain jobs that otherwise would not exist."

Problems with the economy this year may make the statistics for 2008 less positive than those most recently reported. Since many people across the nation now have less disposable income, there is a good chance that tourism growth will have slowed down slightly.

400 New Virginia Jobs Created

Virginia's unemployment rate continued to rise in July, as it climbed to a five-year high. According to the Virginia Employment Commission, 4.4 percent of the state's resident were unable to find work. This made July the second consecutive month that the state's jobless rate increased. As of a year ago, only 3.1 percent of the population was unemployed. Despite this increase, Virginia jobs were easier to come by than employment opportunities in many other states and the state continued to entice new businesses.

Volkswagen Group of America recently opened it's new U.S. corporate headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Prior to this, the company was centered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This location will also house the new headquarters for Audi of America. Combined, the two created 400 new Virginia jobs and invested $100 million into the move.

The grand opening was attended by both state and local officials. During the ceremony, the company announced that it will be donating $2.1 million to a variety of different educational institutions in and around the Virginia and Washington D.C region. These funds will be used to supplement resources at George Mason University, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Northern Virginia Community College, Fairfax County Public Schools and the Excel Institute in Washington, D.C.

"We are happy to have this chance to give something back to our community," said Volkswagen Group of America's CEO and President Stefan Jacoby. "We work here, we live here, and we intend to give her. Our five-year education program is comprehensive and will serve as a catalyst for further educational entrepreneurship. It will help students whether they are in high school, technical school, community college, university or graduate school. With all of these programs, we will train teachers so they can share knowledge on automotive safety and environmental technology."

New Virginia Jobs

New Virginia jobs will be created in Carroll County when AmeriPumps LLC moves its headquarters and manufacturing facility to Hillsville from Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to Governor Tim Kaine. The company, which will spend $4.6 million to relocate, will create 125 new jobs.

AmeriPumps LLC builds, ships and services water pumps for a variety of different companies and organizations throughout North America and the rest of the Western hemisphere. These products are frequently used by both the construction and mining industries, for hurricane recovery and aboard ships.

"This is tremendous news for Hillsville and Carroll County," Gov. Kaine said in a recent news release. "AmeriPumps' decision to open this facility demonstrates that the region, previously affected by economic downturn, is on the rebound. The company will find no shortage of capable employees with a strong work ethic, and I look forward to AmeriPumps’ success in Virginia."

AmeriPumps' President Doug Zukowski also believes the move is a positive thing. "We are extremely excited to establish our Corporate Headquarters and Manufacturing operations in Hillsville, Virginia, and we look forward to being a part of the Hillsville/Carroll County business community for many years to come," he said. "The decision to relocate our operations to Virginia was based on the strong work ethic and available workforce in this geographic region along with the quality of life only found in this part of Virginia. We certainly appreciate the leadership and hard work from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Carroll County Administration and the Town of Hillsville and others for assisting us in marking Hillsville our new home."

Gov. Kaine's office says that the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the town of Hillsville, Carroll County and Virginia's aCorridor all worked together to obtain the project for the state. The Governor approved $150,000 from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission also contributed $100,00 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds to Carroll County to help encourage AmeriPumps to the area. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will be providing training support through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Finding Virginia Jobs

Data for March shows that Virginia’s jobless rate rose slightly from 3.8 percent to 3.9 percent, according to the state’s Employment Commission. This increase means that approximately 4,200 more people were without jobs than in February. Statistics show that Virginia’s unemployment rate is up a full percent from the previous year. Despite the being on the rise, the state’s unemployment rate remains significantly below the national average.

Out of the state’s 134 counties, Arlington had the lowest unemployment rate of 2.3 percent. The highest Virginia jobless rate occurred in Martinsville, where 11.7 percent of the population was unable to find work.

Recently, Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced that Shenandoah Waste Services LLC will soon be creating 60 much needed Virginia jobs. The company plans to invest $4 million into expanding its materials recycling operation, which is located in Page county. Kaine says that “an environmental company like Shenandoah Waste Services is valuable to Virginia.” The company recycles materials, waste that Kaine says would otherwise go to landfills, and then uses the end product as an alternative fuel source for energy production.

Kaine believes that this is a win-win situation because jobs in Virginia are created and the environment is being helped. He went on to say that “Shenandoah Waste Services’ Page County location is within close proximity to its large customers and northern construction markets.”

Jody Salyards, owner of Shenandoah Waste Services, agrees that the location is important. He says that “proximity to markets, a dedicated workforce and Page county’s vision for preserving the picturesque nature of their community are only some of the reasons we chose Virginia for our new location.” Salyards went on to say that “the Commonwealth and Page County have demonstrated a strong commitment to the development of the infrastructure necessary for future economic growth, and we are proud to be part of that future.”

Virginia competed against North Carolina, Maryland, and West Virginia to win Shenandoah’s newest project. To do this, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked hand-in-hand with Page County and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. Kaine signed off on $75,000 from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist in the project. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance has also agreed to provide training help through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.