Connecting Cutting-Edge Tech and Manufacturing at Scale
With more than 15,038 people employed at 270 firms, advanced manufacturing companies are a strong cluster in the Roanoke Region. More than 12 percent of the Roanoke Region’s private sector workforce is employed in manufacturing, compared to 10 percent nationally.
Strategic Advantages
- Area employers draw from a labor force of more than 300,000.
- Low unionization. Less than three percent of the workforce in the Roanoke MSA is unionized.
- Products include night-vision goggles, optical cable, industrial controls, transmission parts, packaging, and food products.
- Foreign investment from Japan, Germany, and Canada.
- Abundant utilities including fiber, water, and electricity.
- Electric rates below the national average; redundant service available.
- Affordable, high-quality assistance is available through GENEDGE Alliance’s network of field offices.
Higher Education Connection
Thanks to the strong educational opportunities in the region, current employees have the opportunity to upskill, while students receive top-notch training for roles in the industry. Plus, businesses have access to cutting-edge research emerging from local, world-class institutes.
- Virginia Tech Center for High-Performance Manufacturing: Developed to help manufacturers cut costs, improve operations, and keep up with customer demand. Areas of specialization include: flexible automation; logistics; production and information systems; rapid prototyping and tooling; and low-cost composite manufacturing.
- Advanced Technology in Mechatronics at Virginia Western Community College: Providing hands-on experience with industrial control technology key to manufacturing automation. Only school in Virginia to provide a Siemens Certified Mechatronics System Assistant certification.
- Advanced Manufacturing & Packaging Technology Program at Mountain Gateway Community College: Provides training through course work and labs, based on Integrated Systems Technology.
- Customized training at Virginia’s community colleges: Mechatronics program incorporates training in mechanical and electrical systems and information technology into a single curriculum.
We’re here to help
The Roanoke Regional Partnership serves as the point of contact for businesses looking to relocate and expand. We are connectors who match your needs and questions with the resources and answers. We’re a one-stop-shop for learning, evaluating, and connecting with the Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties, cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem, and the town of Vinton.
Let us help you find the right site or building for companies, create custom research for your business decision, and connect you with the people and services that will help you see why the Roanoke Region is the right place