Amazon
Major retailers and distributors continue to chose a Virginia location for their supply chain operations. These include Walmart, Target, Amazon, Home Depot, Backcountry.com, Dollar Tree, and many others.
The Commonwealth’s strong transportation infrastructure ensures optimal access to major east/west and north/south interstate highways and rail lines, regional and international airports, and seaports. The East Coast’s longest thoroughfare, Interstate 95, runs directly through Virginia, providing convenient access to Northeast markets. Being located in Southwest Virginia can unlock markets to the South, including Atlanta via I-77 and Memphis and Nashville along I-81.
Virginia’s central East Coast position and advanced infrastructure, including The Port of Virginia, provide an ideal location for companies to get products into the hands of their customers quickly.
Top 6 Most Advanced Ports in the U.S.
Global Trade Magazine
2 Class I railroads – CSX and Norfolk Southern
16 commercial airports serve Virginia
The Port of Virginia is planning for additional growth with major expansion projects currently underway, and is the only port on the East Coast authorized for 55-foot channel depths to handle the larger cargo ships of the future as first and last port of call.
Listen to a podcast with John Reinhart, CEO of the Virginia Port Authority
Hampton Roads Harbor
Virginia International Gateway, Portsmouth
Virginia International Gateway, Portsmouth
Keri Jones Former Executive VP, Global Supply Chain & Ops, Target CorporationVirginia 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.
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is a leading air cargo gateway centrally located in the Mid-Atlantic region that serves a large catchment area along the East Coast. Washington Dulles handles over 300,000 tons of cargo annually and is serviced by more than 40 airlines providing connections to over 57 international and 86 domestic destinations.
Washington Dulles offers a cargo-friendly environment with 24-hour operations, no night-time flight restrictions, and the ability to handle the world’s largest aircraft. The airport also has large tracts of land available for air cargo development, which will allow for direct airside access and close proximity to major highways.
On average, more than 140 million pounds of cargo are handled annually at Richmond International Airport (RIC) by air carriers, including Federal Express (FedEx) and United Parcel Service (UPS). RIC's cargo facilities currently offer 750,000 square feet of cargo apron and 142,000 square feet of air cargo warehouse space with direct apron access.
Virginia has a ready supply of workers trained and ready to serve the supply chain industry. The largest sectors by employment are warehousing (30,555), trucking (20,780), and transportation support (17,712). In Virginia, companies will see a cost advantage over Northeast markets for labor.
Back Country, Montgomery County
A number of university programs in Virginia offer a specialization in supply chain management. In fact, Old Dominion University is the only university in the United States to specifically offer a maritime and supply chain management undergraduate major and one of only two universities to offer an undergraduate maritime major. In addition, Virginia Commonwealth University, Longwood University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia all have supply chain courses available.
At the community college level, Paul D. Camp Community College in Suffolk has developed a Logistics Management Career Studies certificate designed to prepare workers for careers in transportation and warehousing management. In 2019 PDCCC opened its Regional Warehouse and Distribution Training Facility that replicates a real-world warehouse environment for customizable training. The Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) offers the Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) certification program, which covers a wide range of skills necessary for success in the logistics industry. These skills include safety, quality control, supply chain management, receiving, storage, and communications.
Additional programs in Virginia include:
Virginia is also home to Army Logistics University (ALU) at Fort Lee. ALU is a composite campus for DoD uniformed and civilian leader education. This learning center provides professional military education, civilian education, and joint, multinational, and interagency education supporting America's DoD logistics, capability development, and operations research/systems analysis leaders. Virginia’s large military presence provides an ongoing source of talent from exiting military joining the civilian workforce.
Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems (CCALS) is a unique collaboration between industry, government, and universities designed to deliver transformational improvements to logistics systems. CCALS’ industry-led, university-implemented applied research capability accelerates the transition of technologies from fundamental developments through proof of concept and commercialization.
Consistently ranked as one of the top states for business, Virginia offers a low cost of operations and stable taxes, an acclaimed business environment, and opportunities for sustainable operations.
Massimo Zanetti, Suffolk
