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FCEDA’s incoming CEO responds to CNBC naming Virginia best state for business

Fairfax County, Virginia – CNBC today recognized Virginia as America’s Top State for Business in 2019.

In addition to considering 64 metrics in 10 categories, CNBC recognized Virginia’s ability to attract major businesses, including Amazon’s decision to locate its new headquarters in Northern Virginia, as reasons to place Virginia at the top of its rankings for the first time since 2011.

Victor Hoskins, this week named to become the new president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), was instrumental in Amazon’s decision process, having served as director of Arlington County Economic Development for the last four-and-a-half years.

Hoskins had this to say about the CNBC ranking:

“Over the past decade Virginia has worked toward being a great place for all businesses to thrive. The consistent local and state investment in education, the outstanding commitment of the state to workforce training, and the consistent corporate tax environment of the last 30-plus years has really created a very strong pro-business environment that is matched at the local level.

“One of the things that’s very unique about the state of Virginia is that there’s an extremely strong collaboration between the state, regional and local entities and I think that makes a huge difference.”

Ten Fortune 500 firms are headquartered in Fairfax County, which is also home to more than 100 Inc. 5000 companies, more than 400 foreign-owned companies and a large minority business community. The county is home to 612,000 jobs and is the second-largest suburban office market in the nation, with more than 118 million square feet of office space.

The award-winning 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, 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. Follow the FCEDA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.