HEADLINE NEWS

Mediatech Named Biotechnology Company of the Year

Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO) named Mediatech, Inc. as the "Virginia Biotechnology Company of the Year." This annual award is the most prestigious honor VaBIO bestows upon a Virginia-based biotechnology company. Mediatech, Inc. was recognized at VaBIO’s annual convention, The 2004 Virginia Biotechnology Summit.

Mediatech was selected as the Virginia Biotechnology Company of the Year because of its impact on the industry. "With a 20-year history, Mediatech is one of the oldest Virginia biotechnology companies in the Commonwealth," said Dr. Dennis Fisher, PhD, Honorary Chairman of the Board. "Mediatech has a substantial employee base and has shown the ability to expand even in a tight market."

Mediatech is the most recent biotechnology company to find a home in Prince William County. In June 2004, Mediatech announced that they will build a new $10 million corporate headquarters and biotechnology manufacturing facility in Prince William County, and they will double their workforce to 200 employees. Their announcement was one of the largest for any biotechnology company in Virginia this year.

Mediatech will become the newest member of Innovation at Prince William Technology Park, one of the fastest growing technology parks in Virginia. "Mediatech is a key addition to our growing cluster of life science research and manufacturing companies," said Sean T. Connaughton, Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. "Mediatech had the opportunity to locate anywhere in the United States, and their decision to locate in Prince William County underscores the strength of the County in attracting and supporting biotechnology."

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Executive Director's Message

Prince William County has now emerged as one of the premier communities in the United States. During the past two months, Prince William County was noted as the number one large community in the nation for average annual job growth and as having the third highest median household income in the US. This past quarter, our community leaders received the long sought and highly coveted AAA bond rating from Wall Street, an award given to less than one percent of all communities in the nation. 

Much of our job growth has come from the success of our local companies, and we continue to support such small businesses as IMSolutions and McManis & Monsalve, whose recent expansions provide great benefit to our community as they grow. The diversity and success of our business community is a key marketing point in attracting and retaining business. 

One of the newest members of our growing business community is Mediatech, Virginia's Biotechnology Company of the Year, who announced plans to add 200 new jobs to our workforce. It is the expansions of our existing companies and the attraction of new companies that allows us to continue our growth in jobs and income and maintain financial security for our community. 

Although there is much to celebrate, there is also much more to accomplish. Economic Development has identified a new four-year strategic plan that calls for an additional 80 companies providing more than 4,000 high paying jobs over the next four years and an increase in the average wage rates by 12%. Considering the great support from our elected officials and community leaders continuously maintaining and improving the business environment, we believe Prince William County will continue to be recognized as the community of the future. 

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ANNOUNCEMENTS & EXPANSIONS

McManis & Monsalve Exceeding Growth Expectations 

A year after establishing their corporate headquarters in Prince William County, McManis & Monsalve Associates are poised for a significant expansion. They will more than double their office space (from 2,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet) at Ambassador Square Business Park and add up to 10 new jobs within the year. Total investment for their expansion is approximately $1 million.

"The success McManis & Monsalve Associates is having is partially a reflection of how pro-business a community Prince William County is," said Sean T. Connaughton, Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. "We appreciate the jobs and investment that McManis & Monsalve and all of our small businesses provide to the County."

In the last year, McManis & Monsalve Associates was named one of the top diversity-owned businesses in Virginia. Just last month, McManis & Monsalve Associates’ CEO was named one of the distinguished finalists in the Fortune Small Business/America’s Winning Workplaces "Best Bosses" of 2004.

McManis & Monsalve Associates is a leading management consulting firm dedicated to assisting government and private businesses through change. Their multi-disciplined, senior-level professionals have assisted more than 3000 clients in solving strategic and operational problems, taking advantage of opportunities, and realizing their potential. With a variety of specialties ranging from process improvement and performance measurement to threat and risk assessment to organizational health and productivity management, all of their products and services are tailored to meet their client’s specific needs.

"We were drawn to Prince William County by the dynamic environment and the County’s commitment to business growth," said Marco Monsalve, President and CEO of McManis & Monsalve Associates. "Our accomplishments over the last year show that this was clearly the right decision for the company, our employees, and the community."

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IMSolutions Expands Into New Office Building

IMSolutions, a veteran-owned, small, disadvantaged business, will occupy 5,765 square feet of the new Potomac Office Park building recently opened in Dumfries. IMSolutions provides program management, cost analysis, training and business process re-engineering support to federal and commercial agencies. IMSolutions plans to provide technical support and consulting services to emerging businesses and also plans to sublease a portion of its space for a telecommuter center.

"We’re very excited to be moving our headquarters to Potomac Office Park," said Cornell Wells, President and CEO of IMSolutions in a written statement. "This site meets our expansion needs and its proximity to Quantico is very important to our business strategy."

"I am pleased that a home grown company such as IMSolutions can continue to expand in Prince William County," said Dumfries District Supervisor Hilda Barg. "The County has a number of programs to help small businesses, but the true payoff is making sure those entrepreneurs can and will stay in the County, creating jobs and adding to the tax base."

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Leads.com, Inc. established a new call center on Balls Ford Road. Leads.com will hire 35 people initially, and plan to grow to 50 by year’s end. Average salaries are expected to be $60,000 – $70,000 per year.

"Leads.com selected Prince William County because of its accessibility to the Northern Virginia labor force and lower cost of business," said Tobias Dengel, President, COO of Leads.com.

Leads.com is headquartered in Loudoun County Virginia. They are a business-to-business advertising agency that helps businesses reach local customers through online marketing and advertising. Leads.com will house a sales force at the Prince William call center to conduct marketing and outreach to prospective clients.

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Hildrup Moving & Storage Relocates

Invests $12 Million

Hildrup Moving and Storage announced the relocation and expansion of their Prince William County operation to the Wellingford Industrial Park. The relocation from their current site in Gainesville provides 12 additional jobs and an estimated investment of $12 million. Hildrup’s new location will include a 120,000 square foot facility at 8422 Wellington Road for its portable on-demand storage (POD) operation. The site plan also includes a 29,000 square foot office building.

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Breeden Mechanical Adds 200 New Jobs to the County

Breeden Mechanical selected Prince William County as the location for its plumbing and construction operation. Breeden Mechanical will be located in the Wellingford Industrial Park and provide 200 new jobs to the County. Estimated investment is $2.5 million.

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BUSINESS NEWS

3^rd Quarter 2004 Business News
     George Mason University Opens Bull Run Hall
     New Class A Offices Come to Dumfries
     Economic Development Council

George Mason University Opens Bull Run Hall

Third Academic Building Added to Prince William Campus

The opening of Bull Run Hall, George Mason University’s third academic building at its Prince William location, was a celebration of collaboration, dedication, and foresight. Leaders from Prince William County, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and George Mason University continued the theme of cooperation throughout the day.

"When Prince William County officials came to George Mason University with their ideas for a Prince William Campus in the early 1990s, I thought it was quite a vision, and it never would have become a reality without the foresight and commitment of local leaders," said Alan Merten, President of George Mason University. George Mason University has been the cornerstone of Innovation at Prince William Technology Business Park - one of the fastest-growing technology business parks in Northern Virginia.

Since George Mason University established its Prince William Campus, which now houses its life sciences; information technology; health and human fitness; and National Center for Biodefense programs; Innovation at Prince William has become a prime location for biotechnology and high-tech companies.

"Prince William County, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and George Mason University came together with leadership and dedication to realize the vision of a quality academic campus," said Sean T. Connaughton, Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. "What makes this campus unique is the cooperation between the school and community to create the type of environment that benefits the students, businesses, and residents of the Prince William area."

George Mason University welcomes collaborative research and advancement of technologies with local businesses such as ATCC. As George Mason University continues to grow, it is Prince William County’s hope and belief that Innovation Technology Park will continue to grow with it and create a synergy between academic and business interests.

Other Innovation Construction Projects

Prologic

Construction is progressing on the 34,000 Square foot NextGen building, which will house ProLogic's Prince William County Operations. There is still 15,000 square feet available.

Logis-Tech

Logis-Tech, Inc. is adding 40,000 square feet to its Class A office building. Geo-Centers will lease 7,500 square feet of the new space leaving 32,500 available.

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New Class A Offices Come to Rt. 1 Area

Maureen Caddigan, Vice Chair Prince William BOCS, joins Norman Realty and County employees in breaking ground on the new Quantico Center I class A office building.

Quantico Center

Norman Realty officially broke ground on Quantico Center, a premier 60-acre corporate business park located at the I-95 and Route 234 interchange. The project will include a mixture of office, flex, hotel, and retail uses. Construction began on Quantico Center I, a 52,000 square foot Class A office building that will be completed in the 1st quarter of 2005. A twin, mirror-image 52,000 square foot building (Quantico Center II) is fully approved and can be delivered nine months from lease signing. Additional sites are available for build-to-suit or land sales.

L to R: Maureen Caddigan, Vice Chair, Prince William BOCS; Hilda Barg, Supervisor, Woodbridge District; Mr. & Mrs. Cornell Wells, President IMSolutions; and Richard Hausler, President KSI Solutions perform ceremonial ribbon cutting of Potomac Office Park

Potomac Office Park

Prince William County joined KSI Services in celebrating the opening of the new three-story, 16,215 square-foot office building located off Cherry Hill Road near the Southbridge community in Dumfries.

"This is a beautiful facility, and we are delighted that KSI is adding such quality office space among the Potomac Communities," said Hilda Barg, Prince William Board of County Supervisor - Woodbridge. "This is the type of office building and business opportunities we have worked so hard to bring to the Dumfries area, and we are excited about the economic development future and potential here."

KSI will develop a twin building for the Office Park as part of its overall plan for the Harbor Station development along Cherry Hill Road in Dumfries. Other plans include the addition of a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, premier convention center, and hotel.

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Economic Development Council

The County will maintain an economic development climate that will attract and foster the expansion of environmentally sound industries to create quality jobs, diversify the non-residential tax base, and allow people to live in, work in and visit Prince William County.

• Increase economic development capital
  investment by $100 million from the expansion of
  existing businesses (non-retail).

• Add or expand 80 targeted businesses to Prince
  William County.

• Increase economic development capital
  investment by $320 million from the attraction of
  new businesses (non-retail).

• Add 4,440 new jobs from the attraction of new
  and expansion of existing businesses (non-retail).

• Increase average wage per employee by 12%
  within four years as measured in constant dollars.

Strategy 1: Existing Business - Support and
promote County businesses to develop,
sustain and expand operations.

Strategy 2: New Business Investment - Attract
businesses that reflect Prince William
County as a community that embraces
technology, quality jobs, and capital
investment.

Strategy 3: Revitalization - Enhance product
development and marketing of one or
more targeted revitalization areas to
promote new mixed use development
projects to increase the opportunity to
bring high wage jobs and investment.

Strategy 4: Accelerate collaboration with GMU,
NVCC, and other learning institutions,
including public schools, to enhance
current outreach marketing efforts and
existing business expansion.

For more information visit www.pwcecondev.org.

Commercial Development Committee

The purpose of the Commercial Development Committee is to partner with the business community and the County to identify issues affecting the review and inspection of commercial projects and jointly develop appropriate solutions.

The committee met on July 14, August 19, and October 14 with business community representatives to continue the development of solutions to issues affecting the review, inspection, and permitting of commercial projects.

In addition to the Center for Survey Research customer survey project, the committee advised the County to perform case studies on a periodic basis to gather real-time information on what is working well, and emerging issues that need to be addressed.

The County’s Business Information for Land Development (BUILD) initiative is underway. The County’s land development process currently comprises over 30 separate processes conducted by 21 offices in six agencies, and is supported by multiple, disparate information systems. The BUILD project will streamline and integrate the land development functions to decrease duplication and rework; improve data accuracy and accessibility; standardize processes and data/lexicons; increase automation of manual functions; increase customer convenience; and improve customer education/awareness of land development process requirements.

Detailed flow charts will be prepared for all business processes involved to meet the County’s regulatory process. The County has created a framing and rough-in permit (with applicant assuming risk), as well as a tenant layout walk-through process for spaces under 5,000 square feet. For more information contact the Department at (703) 792-5507.

Telecommunications Committee

The County tracks telecommunications provider services and has a web site on telecommunications, www.pwcgov.org/telecom, that was established for companies to report telecom service issues and provide information to businesses on telecommunication services and industry matters; pending changes related to telecom taxes; recent FCC activities related to broadband over power lines, cable modem and telecom services, internet taxation, voice over internet protocol rulings, and the status of broadband services in the County. To consult with the County’s telecommunication coordinator, contact Steven Day at sday@pwcgov.org.

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