Warren County Draft Plan Targets Six Industries for Future Economic Growth

Warren County economic development officials have identified six industries they believe offer the strongest opportunities for new jobs and business investment, emphasizing higher wages and development that fits the county’s existing workforce, infrastructure, and natural resources.

The Warren County Department of Economic Development recently completed a draft target industry analysis and presented its recommendations to the Warren County Board of Supervisors. The Board and Front Royal Town Council are expected to discuss the findings at a future joint meeting before finalizing the targets.

The draft recommends focusing recruitment efforts on advanced and precision manufacturing; value-added food and beverage manufacturing; advanced logistics and trade services; professional, scientific and technical services; financial and business or back-office services; and the outdoor recreation economy.

Rather than simply identifying businesses local leaders would like to attract, the analysis examined industries whose needs match what Warren County can currently offer or could realistically develop.

“This gives us focus. For years we have responded to whatever interest came our way; this tells us which industries have a real reason to be in Warren County,” Board of Supervisors Chair Cheryl L. Cullers said. “It also reflects what residents told us they want — good-paying jobs, and growth that protects the land and water that brought most of us here. A strategy that ignored either one would not be worth adopting.”

Each industry was evaluated based on the local labor force, available sites and infrastructure, transportation and market advantages, and Warren County’s ability to compete with other communities.

The county also applied a wage test. To make the recommended list, sectors had to offer jobs paying at or above the area’s average annual wage of $53,795. According to the county, several industries that could create jobs were left off the list because they did not meet that standard.

Advanced and precision manufacturing builds on Warren County’s existing industrial base, including Axalta and Toray. Economic development officials see opportunities to attract companies making precision components, including products serving aerospace and defense contractors.

The food and beverage category would focus on manufacturing products locally rather than simply moving them through the region. Officials believe the Shenandoah Valley’s agricultural base and access to the Virginia Inland Port could help support those businesses.

Advanced logistics would be more specialized than traditional warehouse development. Potential targets include customs and freight management operations and temperature- or security-controlled distribution serving products such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and aircraft parts.

Professional and technical services could include engineering, information technology, cybersecurity and government services firms. The county said its Technology Zone incentives could help it compete for those employers.

Financial and back-office services are also being considered because many Warren County residents currently leave the county for work. However, officials said they need additional study to determine whether the higher-paying portion of that industry is a realistic target.

The outdoor recreation economy would build on Warren County’s location at the northern gateway to Shenandoah National Park. Instead of focusing only on tourism, the strategy could pursue companies involved in outdoor gear and apparel design, small-batch manufacturing and brand offices.

“This analysis gives us a business case rather than a pitch,” Economic Development Director Patrick Barker said. “It tells us which companies have a real reason to look at Warren County, and it tells us honestly where we still have work to do before they will.”

The recommendations follow several months of discussions with local officials, businesses and residents. Barker met individually with members of the Board of Supervisors and members of Front Royal Town Council. Conversations also included existing employers, Laurel Ridge Community College, Warren County Public Schools, the Chamber, small business owners, property owners and residents.

County officials said those discussions showed broad support for creating well-paying jobs while also raising concerns about development that uses large amounts of land, water, or electricity without providing many jobs.

The draft analysis also points to a major hurdle in attracting new industry: Warren County currently has no development-ready industrial site and no available modern industrial building to market to prospective companies.

That shortage can put the county at a disadvantage before local officials ever have an opportunity to speak with a company. Many corporate site searches first screen communities based on whether suitable buildings or ready-to-develop properties are already available.

To address the problem, the report recommends moving one or two properties toward development-ready status through the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program. The draft describes that effort as one of Warren County’s highest economic development priorities.

The six target sectors are not yet final. Additional work includes a labor alignment analysis to determine whether the region has career and training pathways for occupations each industry needs. Officials will also compare the targeted sectors’ site requirements with properties and infrastructure currently available in Front Royal and Warren County.

County officials said a joint approach matters because Front Royal and Warren County share the same labor market, transportation and utility systems, and many of the sites prospective businesses could consider.

The goal is to establish a common set of industries for the town and county to pursue rather than having the two local governments work from separate target lists.

Warren County already has several transportation and trade assets that could support the strategy. The county is home to the Virginia Inland Port and Foreign Trade Zone #137 and sits near the convergence of Interstates 66 and 81. Its location next to Shenandoah National Park also connects it to the region’s outdoor recreation industry.

Once completed, the target industry work is expected to guide how Warren County approaches business recruitment, workforce development, incentives, and preparation of future commercial and industrial sites.

(From Warren County Press Release)