• Industry Overview

    • America’s East Coast Logistics Hub

    Virginia’s diverse ecosystem of distribution and supply chain operations is made up of more than 4,600 supply chain companies, spanning warehousing and storage; road, rail, air, and maritime freight transport. Companies expanding their supply chain operations in Virginia will join Fortune 500 retail industry leaders like Amazon, Walmart, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, AutoZone, Best Buy, and Lowe’s, and other major logistics companies including DHL, Patton Logistics, InterChange Group, Lineage Logistics, FedEx, and CMA CGM Group.

    Strategic Mid-Atlantic Location

    Virginia’s central East Coast location enables companies to efficiently access major U.S. economic hubs east of the Mississippi River 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 $36.6 billion in fully funded investment currently underway. 

    Location Map by hours

    The Port of Virginia: America's Most Modern Global Gateway

    Now running on 100% clean energy, The Port of Virginia® is the first major US East Coast port to power its entire operation using 100% clean electricity, with commitments to become carbon-neutral by 2040. The port’s six terminals operate on a combined 1,864 acres, including four deep water terminals. As the only East Coast port with authorization for 55-foot channels, the port boasts no height restrictions and contains double-stack rail service with two Class I railroads, enabling it to transport cargo to 75% of the U.S. population within 48 hours. The port's $1.4 billion modernization and expansion project will create the deepest, widest, and safest commercial shipping channels and harbor on the East Coast by 2025. This gives way for two-way ultra-large container vessel traffic and unobstructed access for the largest ships.

    Visit The Port of Virginia

    Amazon Fulfillment Center, Suffolk

    Amazon Fulfillment Center, Suffolk

    Amazon Launches Robotics Fulfillment and Processing Centers of the Future

    In 2020, Amazon announced two new operations facilities in Hampton Roads. The e-commerce giant selected Suffolk for a $230 million, state-of-the-art robotics fulfillment center in Northgate Commerce Park—the first of its kind in Virginia. The facility has an overall square footage of more than 3.8 million, representing the second-largest building in the state, and employs more than 1,500 working alongside robots to pack, and ship customer orders. Amazon also established a $50 million, 650,000-square-foot import processing center in the City of Chesapeake that employs 500. Both facilities officially launched in 2022.

    Backcountry.com

    Backcountry.com, Christiansburg

    A Skilled and Ready Workforce

    Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for Education by CNBC, Virginia is home to almost 300,000 people working in the supply chain industry and core supply chain occupations. The Commonwealth has also invested heavily in its talent pipeline, supporting the supply chain industry through a variety of higher education programs and workforce credentials in logistics management. Indeed, the state is home to the best schools in the South (No. 5 in the U.S.) according to WalletHub, and the No. 2 higher education system in the U.S. according to SmartAsset. 

    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. 

    Torc Robotics, Blacksburg

    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. The Institute offers a number of unique infrastructure-related programs helping to define the technological innovations of tomorrow in the supply chain and transportation industries. 

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    Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), Blacksburg

    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.

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    Virginia Smart Roads at VTTI Rendering

    America's Top State for Business

    Ranked America’s No. 1 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%. 

    Forbes Best State for Business-Quality of Life
    CNBC_#1_Business_2024
    Forbes Regulatory
    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.
    • Virginia is the northernmost right-to-work state along the I-95 corridor.
    • 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

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