Frederick County Economic Development Authority
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Frederick County has earned a long-standing reputation as a top economy in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley region. Proximity, workforce, business diversity, and recognized economic performance are but a few of the reasons people and businesses choose Frederick County.
Central & Essential
Frederick County serves a range of industries – from manufacturers and financial institutions, to IT companies and startups – that benefit from our strategic geographic advantages in the heart of the East Coast.
Located only 80 miles from Washington, D.C., Frederick County is a central part of the Winchester, VA-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Frederick County’s independent city-center, Winchester, as well as Hampshire County, West Virginia. Our county’s advantageous location places businesses and residents near Washington D.C.’s established business market, both in the public and private sectors.
The region’s efficient transportation network – with easy access to major highways, including Interstates 81 and 66, CSX and Winchester & Western railways, three international airports (IAD, DCA, BWI), one general aviation airport (OKV), and the Virginia Inland Port – allows companies to reach customers anywhere in the world. Two-thirds of the U.S. and Canadian population can be reached within a day’s drive.
A Standard of Excellence
Labor supply for Frederick County is drawn from a 45-minute drive-time across 10 counties in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. The total labor supply is more than 360,000* professionals, 91% of which are high school graduates (or higher); 41% hold an associate degree or higher.
Nurturing Talent
The Frederick County Economic Development Authority’s Career Pathways program is a multi-tiered workforce development initiative poised to groom next-gen talent and ensure our business outfits can tap into a skilled and motivated talent pool.
Attracting Talent
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Talent Coalition is a regional effort to attract talent to the greater-Frederick County community. LiveLoveShenandoah.com highlights the region's livability, employers, and career opportunities. The NSV team can be found at major tourism events, encouraging visitors to consider a move to the community.
From Local to Global
Widely recognized employers operate in Frederick County, including HP Hood, Trex, Kraft Heinz, Berry Global, Navy Federal Credit Union, Rubbermaid, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. A mix of manufacturing, retail, professional services, logistics, customer service, technology and entrepreneurial enterprises keep the economy strong. Our region is among the top 20% best performing metros in Virginia for capital investment and new job creation over the last decade.
A Track Record of Success
With an extensive and diverse business portfolio and ongoing partnerships between the business community and educational institutions, Frederick County has consistently recruited and retained leading companies.
Winchester MSA has been recognized multiple times by Forbes as one of its Best Small Places for Business and Careers, was named to Site Selection's 2021 list of Top 10 Tier 3 Metro Areas, and was ranked among the top 20% of small metros nationwide in Area Development's 2023 listing of Hotspots for Economic Growth.
Time is Money
Frederick County operates a permitting process which allows for land grading within 2-3 months from the execution of an agreement. This permitting system, combined with our local construction industry, has a proven track record of providing a large-scale design-built office/industrial building for occupancy within 6-8 months. A prompt permitting process can be achieved with properties requiring rezoning. For example, two large industrial buildings were delivered for occupancy in 12 months on a property requiring rezoning.
Business Support at Every Step
With a diversity of companies, consistent performance and signature workforce development programs, Frederick County continues to shine as one of Virginia’s finest regions, leaning on numerous resources to ensure the success of our community. The Frederick County EDA has an established track record of working with the County and State partners to identify and secure assistance programs for expanding companies.
We would love to connect with you!
Please contact us to see how Frederick County can be the right fit for your business.
* JobsEq 2023Q4
Last Updated July 2024