• Industry Overview

    • America’s East Coast Logistics Hub

    Companies expanding their supply chain operations into Virginia will join industry leaders like Amazon, DHL, Walmart, and Aldi. More than 4,600 supply chain operations are located throughout Virginia, spanning warehousing and storage; road, rail, air, and maritime freight transport; and associated support services. More than 250 supply chain management projects have been announced since 2010, representing almost 20,000 jobs and over $1.5 billion in pledged capital investment.

    Strategic Mid-Atlantic Location

    Virginia’s central East Coast location enables companies to efficiently access major U.S. economic hubs east of the Mississippi and across the continental U.S. Located within a one-day drive of nearly half of U.S. consumers, Virginia offers companies a single gateway into critical customer markets along the affluent Northeast corridor, across the high-growth Southeast, and throughout the Midwest. Virginia also offers international companies streamlined communication and operations thanks to ample travel options and a four- to six-hour time difference with Western Europe. 

    2nd DENSEST ROADWAY AND RAILWAY NETWORKS IN THE SOUTHEAST

    3,000 MILES OF RAILWAYS (ANCHORED BY CLASS I RAILROADS CSX AND NORFOLK SOUTHERN)

    6 MAJOR INTERSTATES INCLUDING MAJOR NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST TRUCKING ROUTES

    Virginia has always been an important market for Target. A strong local workforce and close proximity to the nearby port make the Suffolk distribution facility ideal for expansion. We look forward to serving guests across the East Coast from this enhanced facility.

    Keri Jones Former Executive VP, Global Supply Chain & Ops, Target Corporation

    Virginia’s world-class port, rail, roadway, and air transportation infrastructure helps companies fully unlock the potential offered by the state’s strategic location. Virginia’s infrastructure will be secured for years to come thanks to $27 billion in fully funded investment currently underway.

    Custom Map

    The Port of Virginia: A Global Gateway

    The Port of Virginia has the capability to handle the largest vessels calling the East Coast and boasts weekly shipline calls across the globe. Its six terminals operate on a combined 1,864 acres, including four deep water terminals. The port's $1.5 billion modernization and expansion project will create the deepest, widest, and safest commercial shipping channels and harbor on the East Coast. That, along with Virginia’s strategic, central location makes the Commonwealth a desirable location for companies importing or exporting goods no matter the origin or destination. 

    Visit The Port of Virginia

    55-foot channel depth

    The 55-foot channel deepening project that will allow two-way ULCV traffic will be completed by 2025

    3.1M TEUs of cargo

    3.1M TEUs of cargo was handled by The Port of Virginia in 2019, with over 2,300 vessel calls

    35 minutes turn time

    35 minutes for traditional turn time and 39 minutes for expanded turn time, significantly below the industry standard of 60 minutes, in 2020

    Amazon Fulfillment Center, Suffolk

    Amazon Fulfillment Center, Suffolk

    Amazon Launches Robotics Fulfillment and Processing Centers of the Future in Hampton Roads

    In 2020, Amazon announced two new, state-of-the-art operations facilities in Hampton Roads, creating 1,500 total new jobs. The e-commerce giant selected Suffolk for a $230 million, 822,833-square-foot robotics fulfillment center in Northgate Commerce Park. Standing 95 feet and five stories tall, the facility will have an overall square footage of more than 3.8 million.  Amazon is also building a $50 million, 650,000-square-foot import processing center (cross-dock) in the City of Chesapeake.

    Backcountry.com

    Backcountry.com, Christiansburg

    A Skilled and Ready Workforce

    Ranked No. 3 in Workforce and No. 2 in Education by CNBC, Virginia is home to almost 300,000 people working in the supply chain industry and core supply chain occupations, from logisticians to warehouse associates. Companies operating in the Commonwealth can also reap the potential gains – lower healthcare costs and higher productivity – of one of the healthiest workforces in the Southeast. 

    Between 2015 and 2020, supply chain industry employment in the Commonwealth grew by 4% and is forecast to grow by 2% over the next 10 years. Helping to ensure a robust economy across the state, the supply chain industry is spread out among many regions of the state, with nearly half of supply chain employment located in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads (45%) and more than a third located in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley (40%).

    Dynamic Center of Supply Chain Innovation

    Companies with distribution and logistics operations in Virginia tap into a community of innovative practitioners at the forefront of modern supply chain operations. Virginia is a leader in autonomous supply chain technology, including both aerial and ground applications. 

    Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

    The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), the second largest university-level transportation institute in the U.S., is committed to finding solutions to the greatest transportation challenges facing the world.

    Virginia Smart Road

    Virginia Smart Road is a state-of-the-art, closed test-bed research facility managed by VTTI in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation and is proving ground for new transportation technologies including commercial vehicle logistic technologies. The facility offers 2.5 miles of roads, a reconfigurable urban setting, weather towers to create a variety of conditions, and light towers replicate most highway lighting conditions.

    America's Top State for Business

    Ranked America’s Top State for Business by CNBC and the No. 2 state for governance by U.S. News & World Report, Virginia has long-been recognized for its favorable regulatory climate and is consistently rated one of the best-run states in the country. It also has one of the oldest right-to-work laws in the country and the fourth lowest private sector unionization rate in the country at 2.5%. 

    CNBC_#1_2022_with year
    Forbes Regulatory
    Forbes Best State for Business-Quality of Life
    Trex, Frederick County

    Trex, Frederick County

    An Attractive, Stable, and Predictable Operating Environment

    • Virginia has had a stable 6% corporate income tax rate, one of the lowest in the nation, since 1972. 
    • Sound economic policy and prudent financial management has earned Virginia a AA A credit rating since 1938 — longer than any other state. 
    • Tax credit and grant incentive programs are available for companies using port facilities in Virginia. These programs include The Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant, the Port Volume Increase Tax Credit, the International Trade Facility Tax Credit, and the Barge and Rail Usage Tax Credit.

    Learn More About America's East Coast Logistics Hub

    View our brochure