In June, members of Virginia’s Gateway Region Economic Development Organization (VGR) board of directors and other partners gathered to attend an informational tour at the Port of Virginia.
The tour offered the opportunity for VGR stakeholders to see the port in action, while learning more about the logistics advantages the Gateway Region’s close proximity offers. Located within a short truck from the region, the port serves Virginia companies in exporting goods both domestically and internationally, and is an important asset to the region for company recruitment.
“We are positioned well for growth in the region; the Port of Virginia provides a tremendous access point for our companies to export their products to any part of the world, creating jobs for the citizens in our area,” said Dorothy Jaeckle, VGR board member and supervisor for Chesterfield County.
While touring, the group saw the state-of-the-art infrastructure firsthand at the Virginia International Gateway terminal, and learned about the important assets available, such as large capacity shipping containers, the deepest channel on the East Coast and on-dock rail.
“The Gateway Region’s strategic location between The Port of Virginia’s terminal facilities in Hampton Roads and the Richmond Marine Terminal is a truly competitive advantage to existing companies and prospective opportunities evaluating the region,” said Chris Gullickson, Port of Virginia Economic Development manager. “It was a tremendous opportunity to host both private and public stake-holders at our main terminals in the Norfolk Harbor.”
The newly renovated Richmond Marine Terminal, located just outside of the region and now operated by the Port of Virginia, also offers companies easy access to warehousing, barge services and potential for reduced costs as an alternative to trucks.