Got jobs? Loudoun County, VA does and lots of them. With its expansive fiber networks and a swarm of tech workers, it’s a major traffic hub on the East Coast” for jobs. Major employers include Verizon Business and AOL, but the latest boom to hit this pocket of Northern Virginia’s high-tech economy? Data centers, which now occupy 4.3 million square feet in the county has earned Loudoun the nickname “Data Center Alley” for jobs. Easy access to the nation’s capital and Dulles International Airport also creates jobs and opportunities for government and the airline and freight servicing industries. The planned extension of the Washington Metro into Loudoun, which recently got a green light for funding, is expected to lure more young professionals to the region.
Fort Bend County, TX has come a long way from its farming days. Now it’s better known for growing jobs than for growing crops.
A favorable tax structure, strong school system and easy access to Houston make the county a triple threat when it comes to attracting — and keeping businesses. Engineering firm Fluor Enterprises, a major employer, is buying new land for a facility that is expected to add 2,000 jobs when completed.
This is Texas, so energy is naturally a key sector. Oil services firm Schlumberger maintains a sprawling 240-acre campus, and CVR Energy is headquartered here. Team Industrial Services, which provides repair and inspection services to heavy industry, recently announced plans to relocate its headquarters — and 100 jobs — to the area.
Central Texas’ Williamson County hits the bull’s eye when it comes to offering incentives for big business. Corporate tax breaks and low property taxes have attracted the likes of top-flight companies such as Dell, which employs 13,000 at its headquarters in Round Rock.
The rapid development of nearby Austin has spurred the growth of so-called “super suburbs” like Williamson County’s Round Rock and Cedar Park,
where affordable housing, cultural offerings and numerous parks and trails win points with young families. In a tough economy, the county’s incentives are looking particularly enticing to companies offering jobs. Health care equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific said in December it’s planning to move some of its production from Wisconsin, bringing 150 new jobs.
Business in Montgomery County is soaring. Anadarko Petroleum is constructing a massive new 31-story tower at its headquarters in the commercial hub of the East Texas Woodlands. When completed in 2014, the skyscraper will accommodate 1,700.
Companies here aren’t just building up, they’re building out. Exxon Mobil is constructing a 385-acre campus that will house employees currently working in Houston. The oil giant is expected to relocate an additional 2,000 jobs from out of state to the new complex.
Those new workers will find a great place to live in the Woodlands, with its acres of green space and a 1.4-mile-long waterway. The area is also attracting a mix of companies in energy, health care and professional services – bringing jobs.??A location north of downtown Houston and proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport help.
Credit:? Grace Wong/Money Magazine