Isle of Wight


ABOUT THE ALLIANCE


FEATURED INDUSTRY

Food and Beverage Processing


LATEST TWEETS

Hampton Roads Alliance
Hampton Roads Alliance2 days ago
Today is World Tourism Day! 🌎 Tourism is a huge economic driver for Hampton Roads. From the beautiful, sandy shores of Virginia Beach to the centuries of culture that define the Historical Triangle, Hampton Roads is a great place to explore, and there are countless ways to appreciate the beauty of the region. Today, we thank everyone who plays a part in improving our region's quality of life, allowing the tourism industry to flourish. What is your favorite local attraction or site to visit? Tell us in the comments below!
Hampton Roads Alliance
Hampton Roads Alliance4 days ago
Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin announced today that Alliance Investor Amazon.com will build two world-class facilities and create more than 1,000 new jobs in the City of Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach City Government)! Alliance President and CEO Douglas L. Smith stated “In the past few years, Amazon has truly embraced the Hampton Roads community, opening facilities in multiple locations and quickly becoming one of the region’s major employers. Today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in Amazon’s investment in and dedication to Hampton Roads. The Alliance congratulates Amazon, along with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development on their continued success and thanks them for their commitment to growing the Hampton Roads economy.” Learn more: https://www.vedp.org/press-release/2023-09/amazon-virginiabeach
Hampton Roads Alliance
Hampton Roads Alliance1 week ago
Hampton Roads Workforce Council hosted their exciting Workforce Innovation Awards last evening at Rivers Casino Portsmouth! 👏 Congratulations to all the winners including Michael Paris, Bureau Manager for Norfolk Economic Development, for being named 2023 Workforce Champion of the Year!

Isle of Wight, VA

Isle of Wight County is a progressive community that embraces change while protecting the integrity of its rich cultural and historical heritage. The County’s 319 square miles provide fertile ground for its most prosperous businesses, including Smithfield Foods, Keurig Dr Pepper, and International Paper. The County lives by its slogan, “Local Roots, Global Reach.”

Industry Highlights

The County has three targeted growth areas known as Development Service Districts (DSD) located along one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the County.

Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park is located within the Windsor DSD. This County-owned park provides affordable sites close to The Port of Virginia, within both a Foreign Trade Zone and a Virginia Enterprise Zone, where businesses are eligible for federal, state and local incentives. Work is underway to create permit-ready sites on some of the largest publicly-owned tracts in the region, and the park is already home to three nationally recognized companies: Keurig Dr Pepper, Safco Products Company and World Market, a subsidiary of Bed, Bath & Beyond, which together employ over 700 people.

Located in the Camptown DSD in southern Isle of Wight, International Paper operates a mill with roots dating back over 100 years. In 2019 M&M Milling, a manufacturer specializing in grinding, blending and sizing of agricultural materials, joined ST Tissue’s and Franklin Lumber’s existing operations in the DSD. In addition, the Franklin Regional Airport is located in Isle of Wight along U.S. Route 58 and boasts a 5000-foot runway, as well as more than 60 industrially-zoned acres owned by the City of Franklin and jointly marketed by the County and Franklin/Southampton Economic Development, Inc.

Business is booming in northern Isle of Wight within the Newport Development Service District, where over 2,000 residential units and 1.1 million square feet of new retail and office space has been approved for development along the Route 17 corridor.

Quality of Life

Two historic towns are also located within the County: Smithfield is a popular tourist destination, and headquarters for Smithfield Foods. Windsor is a crossroads community along the U.S. Route 460 corridor, known as “the hidden jewel of Western Tidewater.”

Data

Industry Employment Breakdown

Industry # of Employees % of Workforce
Manufacturing 3,386 51.34%
Health Care and Social Assistance 703 10.66%
Transportation and Warehousing 604 9.16%
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 533 8.08%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 361 5.47%

Source: EMSI

Demographics

Population
37,222
Median Age
45.5
Labor Force
19,443
Unemployment Rate
2.8%
Median Household Income
$75,240
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2019; Esri Business Analyst Online, 2024 Forecast; Esri Business Analyst Online 2019 Detailed Age Profile; Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), 2019 Forecast

Key Companies

Keurig Dr Pepper

International Paper

Smithfield Foods

ST Tissue

World Market

Isle of Wight County Economic Development Department

Mr. Chris Morello, Director
(P) 757-356-1969
cmorello@isleofwightus.net
www.insidetheisle.com

Subscribe today to receive valuable, up-to-date insight on the Hampton Roads region.

Subscribe

COMMITTED TO HAMPTON ROADS

CONTACT US

Hampton Roads Alliance
3 Commercial Place, Suite 1320
Norfolk, VA 23510
P: (757) 627-2315
F: (757) 623-3081

© 2023 Hampton Roads Alliance. All rights reserved. | Site By: Conway Inc. | Privacy Policy