These are the lures that enticed many retirees to relocate to the lower Northern Neck from overcrowded cities and suburbs. Now, one organization would like to use those same attributes to lure high tech companies from sending jobs overseasand locate them on the Northern Neck instead.
It’s called “onshoring.” And some believe it is an idea whose time has come.
Local business and community leaders created the Center for Innovation and Development at the Rappahannock Community College Kilmarnock Center, 447 North Main Street, Kilmarnock. They maintain that a decade of U.S. companies locating jobs offshore in foreign countries has resulted in problems such as quality control and intellectual property protection. Additionally, finding and retaining information technology (IT) talent is becoming difficult because of the high cost of living in metropolitan areas.
Their solutionwhy not locate those positions in the Northern Neck? It’s easily accessible to companies headquartered around the nation’s capital. The region offers lower-cost benefits to a company’s bottom line while providing employees an improved quality of life.
“We want to make this area relevant to the software industry in Washington, D.C.,” said CIDS chief executive officer John May. “If that happens, stand back.”
May is well versed in the IT industry. He is chief executive officer of TrustNetMD, a member of Mindshare (a 700-member networking organization of IT CEOs), and has 30 years experience in the Washington, D.C., tech industry.
Broadband
Why would this work now when previous attempts at enticing industry to the area have failed? May credits Metrocast for extending high speed broadband up Route 3. “We can glue to that broadband…and make microwave connections when needed. We can telecommute all the way up the Neck almost to Fredericksburg,” he said.
The center’s chief operations officer is Stephanie Chaufournier, a managing partner of Avenie Advisors, LLC, a consulting firm focused on new business development and emerging technologies. Chaufournier’s expertise is in strategic planning, product management and development.
“There are benefits to being adjacent to the college,” said Chaufournier of their shared space with RCC. Employees who want to telecommute to distant jobs in Richmond or Hampton Roads but do not have broadband service, can use the center’s facility. The center provides a complete office space where people can connect with their office and with other telecommuters. “It brings smart people together to share ideas,” she said.
But the center’s primary focus is on bringing IT jobs and expertise to the area. While the organization became official in November 2015, members have been working on this project for about 15 months. In April 2015, seven IT company CEOs from the D.C. area were invited to visit the area. A call to the Tides Inn and general manager Gordon Slatford rolled out the red carpet with complimentary rooms. The event was a big hit that generated a lot of interest, but as yet, has not resulted in any commitments.
Job goals
The goal this year is to attract 15 specialists in software engineering, designing and interface and provide them with jobs. By the end of year two, they hope to have 50 to 100 positions filled and 400 in five years.
“Fifteen people with $100,000 incomes would result in $1 million to this community,” said May.
“Just think what 50 new families will do to the local economy,” added Chaufournier. “You bring in 50 people, you change everything for the good. Four hundred people would replace the people who left since 2010. It would become a more vibrant economy, a more vibrant community.”
Along with new talent, the center is also targeting former local students who left the area for college and jobs in the tech industry but their families still live here. They believe some of those people would like to return.
“We want people who want to come back here, who know this area. If we could get just 10% of those kids to return,” said Chaufournier, who is also targeting local school children for future jobs. “We want to groom kids from fourth grade through college.”
Last week’s presentation of a $75,000 state grant by Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones is the second grant obtained by the Northern Neck Planning District Commission (PDC) for the center (see related story). Last year, the PDC obtained a $50,000 grant.
The center faces challenges, including a low rating of area public schools and the lack of entertainment for singles and young families. But they are optimistic about people in this region and the cooperative efforts of community-based strategies that should result in long-term economic development, sustainability and a return to top-rated schools.
Behind the center is a wealth of experience and expertise with everyone volunteering their time. The management team includes:
• Arpad Toth, chief technology officer of COMINT Systems Inc., an expert in wireless telecommunications, security, converged software driven network solutions in enterprise and residential applications working for U.S. Army Information Technology, Circuit City, GTSE and metropolitan networks in the U.S. and abroad.
• Frank Lewis, a former senior executive in the federal government including 20 years with the White House Office of Management and Budget.
• B. Scott McCord, a former system integrator with over 40 years experience in defining, developing and deploying large-scale information systems in enterprise environments, off the shelf software, and virtualized corporate and cloud operations for Fortune 500 companies.
Board members include:
• Kelly Evco from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, responsible for business growth strategy, Higher Education Partnership strategy and jobs investment programs for clients such as Microsoft, Mondelez and Evonik.
• Jimmie Carter, CID board chairman, a real estate developer and active in health care with Bon Secours Rappahannock General Hospital and economic development initiatives.
• Jack Neal, senior vice president at Wells Fargo Advisors, president of the George W. Verlander Foundation offering college scholarships to graduates of Lancaster High School.
• Dr. Elizabeth “Sissy” Crowther, president of Rappahannock Community College, a member of Visions and director at Bay Banks of Virginia Inc, Northern Neck Insurance Company, Bon Secours and other boards.
• B.H.B. Hubbard III, founding member of the law firm Hubbard, Terry and Britt.
• Jeff Szyperski, chairman and chief executive officer of Chesapeake Financial Shares Inc. and Chesapeake Bank.
• Dwight Clarke, partner in the public accounting firm of Dehnert, Clarke & Co., P.C.
• Steve Parker, Lancaster County school superintendent.
• Wally Beauchamp, District 5 supervisor and chairman of Chesapeake Bay Regional Partnership, member of Visions, the Northern Neck Tourism Committee, Northern Neck Broadband Committee and Watermen Heritage Program.
• Susan Cockrell, Kilmarnock deputy town manager, serves on the boards of Visions, Northern Neck Tourism Commission and Lancaster by the Bay Chamber of Commerce.
• Julien Patterson, OmniPlex World Services Corporation founder, involved in organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Neck, Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership.
• Susan McFadden, a principal at Open Door Communications and managing member of The Local Scoop.
