Virginia's economic development leaders aren't content to stop with these successes, however. Economic developers across the Old Dominion admit that the current economic environment is challenging them more than ever to create the right kind of business environment, provide needed infrastructure and aggressively market the state to corporate real estate executives.

      The task for Virginia -- especially in a new era of slower economic growth -- is to capitalize on those projects that build upon the state's strengths. Industry clusters being targeted include Internet technology, life sciences research and development, automotive manufacturing, shipping and freight-forwarding, logistics facilities, international investment, semiconductor manufacturing, food processing and packaging and customer support centers.
      A number of large-scale corporate projects are shaping the state's future. From Hampton Roads to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia is outpacing the national average in corporate investment and personal income growth -- and it's not by accident.
      The largest corporate real estate project announced so far in 2001 is Ford Motor Company's $375 million expansion of its manufacturing plant in Norfolk. The 350,000-sq.-ft. (32,500-sq.-m.) body shop addition will enable Ford to continue producing its best-selling F-150 pickup truck by using the latest manufacturing technologies.
      The expansion will generate up to 200 new jobs depending upon market conditions, according to Ford executives. "Expansion of our Norfolk assembly plant allows Ford to further refine its commitment to customer satisfaction, innovative manufacturing practices and world-class products," says Anne Stevens, vice president of Ford North American Assembly Operations. "Norfolk is one of Ford's lead manufacturing facilities, and we have cascaded the best practices it has established across the rest of the company."
      Ford's Norfolk plant produced 240,000 F-Series trucks last year. The facility is one of the company's oldest and originally produced Model T cars when it first opened in 1925. "We have been part of the Norfolk community for over 75 years and are extremely pleased with the state and local support we have received through the years," says Mike Horn, plant manager at Norfolk Assembly. "This expansion will help us maintain world-class productivity and quality levels. It allows us to capitalize on an outstanding work force and an outstanding product."
      The State of Virginia and the City of Norfolk are providing about $12 million in project incentives for the Ford expansion, including $3 million from the Virginia Investment Partnership and $8 million from the Norfolk Industrial Development Authority. The City of Norfolk will receive a $500,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist with site preparation, and Ford will receive the equivalent of $500,000 for recruiting and training.
      The Ford expansion is not the only transportation industry-related investment coming to Hampton Roads, however. Major infrastructure projects related to ports and bridges are about to place the region at the forefront of some of the largest construction efforts in the entire United States.
      The largest project on the drawing board is the planned $4.5 billion bridge tunnel billed as the "Third Crossing" across the Chesapeake Bay. The massive infrastructure project would connect traffic on Highway 164 in Portsmouth with Interstates 664 and 64, providing direct access to Newport News and the principal highway to Richmond. The proposed Third Crossing would also traverse Craney Island, the site of a planned major marine terminal to be operated by Maersk.