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Friends of the Gateway Region,
At Virginia’s Gateway Region, we’ve always believed economic development is strongest when it’s regional. Last month’s announcement of the addition of three new localities to our marketing footprint is a testament to that. The City of Emporia, Greensville County and Brunswick County – who will join us on July 1 – bring a strategic location along the I-85 and I-95 corridors, a dedicated workforce and a shared vision for growth that aligns seamlessly with our regional priorities.
More than a boundary change, this expansion represents a powerful move toward an even more unified, competitive and opportunity-rich region. We’re excited to partner with these new localities on business attraction and retention efforts, marketing campaigns, workforce development and strategic planning that brings jobs, investment and long-term prosperity to our collective communities.
With this change, our region now includes nine localities: Emporia, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, and the counties of Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Prince George, and Sussex. Together, we offer a compelling story to site selectors and business leaders: a region where we make things and move things. Since 2020, we’ve announced more than 2,000 new jobs and $1.1 billion in capital investment, and this expansion only strengthens our trajectory.
This news comes in tandem as we prepare to celebrate Economic Development Week this month, during the week of May 11-18. The theme this year is partnership – and we’re proud to stand as a beacon for expanded engagement across our now-larger region.
As we welcome Emporia, and Greensville and Brunswick counties to the Gateway Region, I’m energized by what we can accomplish together. The future is bright – and we’re just getting started.
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