Business Process Outsourcing

Virginia’s successes in services operations are evident throughout the state. Recent expansions include ADP (Norfolk), GEICO (Fredericksburg), CoStar Group(Richmond), Navy Federal Credit Union (Frederick County), and Pacific Life Insurance (Lynchburg), and SYKES Enterprises (Wise).

Virginia’s most attractive asset for business services operations is its talent. Great places to live along with a top-ranked higher education system make Virginia an ideal location to attract and retain a world-class workforce.

College Towns

Virginia’s esteemed colleges and universities are located in some of the greatest college towns in the country, and many young grads want to stay in these areas. Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech, is the location of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, with over 3,000 employees and over 180 companies. You will find similar examples throughout Virginia; in Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, and Wise. There are also larger cities in Virginia with a major student presence like Richmond, Norfolk, and Fredericksburg, that serve as a rich base of recruitable talent for a company’s operations.

The pipeline of young talent graduating from Virginia’s universities in rural locations makes them attractive for BPO and service centers. Quality of life combined with a low cost of living is a distinct advantage for rural-based service centers – examples exist throughout rural Virginia in places like Wise County, where Sykes Enterprises plans to employ over 400 to serves its global client base.

Great Place to Live

Virginia has emerged as a magnet for young talent, many of whom come from in-state or regional universities. Virginia’s diverse, affordable, and authentic communities provide a great place for young talent to live. The local restaurant scene in many regions is thriving, there are a multitude of outdoor activities, and the craft beer culture is booming. The Commonwealth is where young talent wants to be.

A company will find all of the amenities necessary to recruit and retain a professional workforce in Virginia, including colleges and universities that offer specialized business and technical degrees.

Virginia is Well Connected

Virginia’s central East Coast position allows for quick and convenient access to other major company operations. International locations in Asia and Europe can be accessed quickly via  nonstop flights from Washington Dulles International Airport. Service is available from 14 airports that serve Virginia, ensuring gateways to national and global markets.

Virginia is home to a robust technology infrastructure, with the largest data center market in the U.S. concentrated in Northern Virginia. As a result, the region boasts the highest density of dark fiber in the world. In addition to Northern Virginia, advanced levels of connectivity are seen throughout Virginia. Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation owns and operates 1,800 miles of open-access fiber optic network in 31 counties in Southern Virginia and operates long-haul fiber network for optical transport to key peering hubs on the East Coast. Virginia Beach now is the landing point for three new, transoceanic fiber cable connection points – the first in the Mid-Atlantic.

Higher Education

Virginia’s universities are training the talent of tomorrow. Virginia is known for its world-class higher education system that provides a strong pipeline of new graduates from local and regional universities. The Virginia Community College System, comprising 23 community colleges, provides occupational and technical training programs, many of which are designed specifically to meet the needs of nearby industries.

In the 2016-2017 academic year, Virginia’s higher education system graduated over 18,000 students with business management & related degrees.

There are also programs at the community college level designed to assist business services operations, such as the Accounting Technician Career Studies Certificate Program available at Tidewater Community College.

Virginia's Military

Virginia’s large military presence contributes to a robust workforce with large populations of military spouses that serve as an additional source of talent for business services operations.

Virginia offers a competitive cost environment for business services operations:

• Electricity rates are below the U.S. average at 6.26 cents per kilowatt hour vs. 6.88 cents nationally
• Unemployment insurance taxes are the 7th-lowest in the nation and 53% lower than the national average
• Average workers' compensation costs are among the nation’s lowest
• Building costs range from 6% to 21% below the national average, depending on the region
• Virginia boasts a number of cities below the national average in the ACCRA Annual Cost of Living Index: Roanoke 88.3, Lynchburg 89.4, Richmond 96.1, and Winchester 99.2.