In 2018, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) worked with 143 businesses that announced the addition of more than 8,900 jobs to the Fairfax County economy.
The year featured announcements from a number of major firms, many of which, including Appian, Bechtel, Arconic, MicroStrategy and KPMG also announced new or upgraded headquarter spaces which will provide modern facilities in Fairfax County for years to come.
The 2018 job announcements were notable for the diversity of businesses involved.
Appian and MicroStrategy, for instance, are in information technology sectors. Appian announced the addition of 600 new jobs as it prepared to move to a new headquarters in Tysons Corner, while MicroStrategy said it will add 300 jobs at its existing base in Tysons Corner. KPMG, one of the largest professional services firms in the world, said it will add more than 500 jobs at its Tysons Corner location.
Arconic, a Fortune 500 metals manufacturer, will create at least 50 jobs as it relocates its headquarters to Tysons Corner from New York. Bechtel, adding 150 new jobs as it shifts its U.S. headquarters to Reston from San Francisco, is a leader in construction and engineering. The St. James, a new health and entertainment complex in Springfield, created 300 jobs.
“The 2018 announcements reflect Fairfax County’s growing economic diversity, its skilled workforce, and the availability of prime office and tech space that is attractive to major corporations,” said Catherine Riley, interim president of the FCEDA. “Companies have many choices on where to locate and expand, and we are proud that so many firms chose Fairfax County as a base from which to grow and succeed.”
OF THE 143 FIRMS that worked with the FCEDA and announced new jobs, 100 are American companies, including 15 that are minority-, woman- or veteran-owned. Forty-three of the companies announcing job creation are foreign-owned firms.
Also in 2018, Amazon announced it would divide its “HQ2” between Arlington and New York City and said it would create at least 25,000 jobs in each area. Fairfax County, which already is home to an Amazon Web Services campus, collaborated on the Northern Virginia proposal submitted to Amazon by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. While HQ2 will not be located in Fairfax County, the county can expect additional interest and consideration from companies that want to be close to Amazon as well as the county’s technology community that includes more than 9,100 companies.
Business growth and innovation helps Fairfax County fund the top-rated school system and other public services that contribute to the quality of life of residents. Fairfax County offers businesses a state-of-the- art telecommunications infrastructure, access to global markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, a vibrant investment capital community and a highly skilled, well-educated workforce.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center.
THE FCEDA offers site location and business development assistance, and connections with county and state government agencies, to help companies locate and expand in Fairfax County. In addition to its headquarters in Tysons Corner, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains marketing offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv.