THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170338
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 57 lines
The Forward Hampton Roads group announced the kick-off Wednesday of a five-year, $10 million capital campaign to aggressively promote the region and to bolster its quality of life and job creation.
The endeavor, titled the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, is a cooperative public-private venture.
It is significant because it marks the first time that the five South Hampton Roads cities have contributed to Forward Hampton Roads, the economic development arm of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. That group had been funded solely by the private sector.
Forward Hampton Roads has raised almost $5 million for the campaign from private and public contributions.
Now, the five cities in South Hampton Roads have been asked to contribute $1 per capita each year, said Hans Gant, president of Forward Hampton Roads. Portsmouth and Suffolk have already contributed to the campaign for fiscal year 1997-1998, said John Matson, the group's chairman.
``This is an unprecedented display of regional cooperation,'' Matson said. ``This is evidence of theregion's ability to accomplish great things by working together.''
Norfolk and Chesapeake have held working sessions with Forward Hampton Roads to draft resolutions toward this goal. Virginia Beach is scheduling a working session soon, Gant said.
The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance has three goals:
Create 20,000 jobs in targeted industries through the expansion of national and international companies in the region.
Attract $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion dollars in capital investment.
Improve residents' quality of life by closing the per capita income gap between the region and the nation by 0.75 percent on an annual average basis.
The Forward Hampton Roads' initiative won't conflict with other regional groups like the Hampton Roads Partnership because Forward Hampton Roads is considered an implementation organization that incorporates or acts on ideas or programs set forth by the Partnership and similar groups, Matson said.
The Peninsula was not included in the alliance because it already has a public-private partnership through the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council. Richmond also has a public-private partnership in the form of the Greater Richmond Partnership.
This is a way for South Hampton Roads ``to get our own house in order,'' Gant said.
Forward Hampton Roads hopes to add three marketing managers to its staff to help it recruit in the Northeast corridor, Canada, the Midwest, California and international markets, Gant said.
The group hopes to target high-growth, emerging technology industries, such as the computer chip industry, food-processing companies and engineering technology companies.
Those types of jobs will provide well-paying salaries for residents and stem the loss of young people leaving the region, Gant said.
KEYWORDS: REGIONALISM FORWARD HAMPTON ROADS MARKETING by CNB