Advanced Manufacturing
Central Virginia is the heart of Virginia, a business friendly, right-to-work state, and home to more than 350 manufacturing companies employing more than 7,500 people. Opportunities abound to manufacture and deliver goods and services by leveraging connectivity to four interstates, rail freight service, and the Port of Virginia.
RIDGID, Orange County
Fast Facts
 |
 |
370 Number of Companies |
7,483 Number of Jobs |
 |
 |
$67,067 Average Wages |
$1 Billion GDP |
Central Virginia Advantages
- The Central Virginia region is about 100 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and provides access to more than half the U.S. population. Most major markets are within 750 miles.
Virginia Diodes, Charlottesville
- Central Virginia offers convenient access to the Port of Virginia, the deepest shipping channel on the East Coast, and excellent rail connectivity through Norfolk Southern and CSX with rail served sites located throughout the region.
- As one of Virginia’s five strategically placed Foreign Trade Zones, Central Virginia’s FTZ #185 allows companies involved in international commerce to improve the cost competitiveness of their U.S.-based operations.
- Manufacturing firms benefit from generous local incentives for qualifying firms, including cash grants, loan guarantees, tax rebates, and training funds plus a favorable business environment, demonstrated by a low manufacturing tax structure.
Demonstrated Record of Success
EURO-COMPOSITES is the general supplier of KEVLAR honeycomb for the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) of Lockheed and is one of two companies worldwide with the capability to produce glass fiber honeycomb with aviation authorization.
Northrop Grumman manufactures navigation devices and provides safe, efficient, and reliable navigation solutions for the commercial and defense maritime industries.
Virginia Diodes, Inc., originated locally in a University of Virginia lab and has grown to more than 200 employees. VDI produces electromagnetic spectrum measurement equipment used in applications such as 6G communications, automotive radar, weather sensing, and radio astronomy.
Klöckner Pentaplast produces vinyl and plastic films including hard packs for batteries and blister packs for medical and other products in Central Virginia.
Founded in 1942, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader providing propulsion and energetics to its space, missile defense, strategic, tactical missile and armaments customers throughout the world.
Mann+Hummel (Tri-Dim Filter Corporation) manufactures HVAC filtration products to control airborne viruses and bacteria. They strive to be CO2-neutral by 2050.
Zamma is the largest manufacturer in the world of pre-finished floor moldings, including vinyl laminate, and wood materials.
To drive production improvement and provide easier access to information, Emerson continues to launch new software solution products for use in controlling machinery for manufacturing environments.