Apr 26, 2015, 10:28 AM

Blacksburg MSA named a Top Metro of 2014

~Metro area ties for 4th nationally with nine
new or expanding corporate facilities~

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  April 26, 2015 Montgomery County, Virginia Economic Development Department

Montgomery County, Virginia - The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has been named a “Top Metro” for 2014 by Site Selection magazine.  Among 132 metro areas with populations less than 200,000, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA ranked No. 4 (tie) nationally with nine new or expanding corporate facility announcements in 2014.

Published by Conway Data Inc., Site Selection delivers expansion planning information to over 44,000 readers including corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate professionals. The annual “Top Metros” rankings appeared in the March 2015 issue.

Site Selection used 2014 data from the Conway New Plant Database to examine new and expanding company growth in all 381 MSAs in the United States. The 2014 rankings were split into three Top 10 lists based on population, including less than 200,000, 200,000 to 1 million, and over 1 million.

The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA, also known as the New River Valley (NRV), has a population of over 180,000 and encompasses the counties of Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles, and Floyd. The area is designated an MSA by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget due to its high degree of economic and social integration.

In 2014, nine businesses announced plans to invest $119 million and create 535 new jobs in the NRV, according to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Montgomery County, VA Economic Development Department. The industry showing the most growth was manufacturing which included projects across Montgomery and Pulaski counties.

New or Expanding Corporate Facilities in the NRV, 2014

Company	County	Industry	New Jobs	Investment ($ Millions)
Alexander Industries, Inc.	Pulaski	Firearms & Accessories MFG	64	2.9
InMotion US	Montgomery	Electric Motors & Drives MFG	25	5.0
James Hardie	Pulaski	Fiber-cement Siding MFG	69	25.0
Luna Innovations	Montgomery	Research & Engineering	0	1.6
MTM, Inc.	Pulaski	Medical & Transport MGMT	66	1.0
Rick US Stamping Corp.	Pulaski	Candle Making Supplies MFG	10	1.0
TORC Robotics	Montgomery	Unmanned Systems DEV	8	2.5
Volvo Trucks North America	Pulaski	Heavy Trucks MFG	200	69.0
Wolverine Advanced Materials	Montgomery	Rubber Coated Materials MFG	93	10.6

 

About Us

Montgomery County, Virginia - home of Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg - is a progressive, technology-driven community with an abundance of outdoor amenities. The Montgomery County Economic Development Department actively supports the startup, retention and expansion of companies in Montgomery County as well as the recruitment of new businesses to the community.  To learn more, visit www.YesMontgomeryVA.org.