Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.
        Those are three words that outside observers routinely cite when describing Virginia Beach. And for good reason.
        In the past twelve months, Men's Fitness Magazine named the City one of America's fittest and "healthiest", and USA Weekend Magazine ranked it the best place to live in the country.
        The Census Bureau reports that Virginia Beach's household median income is now fourth highest in the country and "wealthiest" on the East Coast.
        And with a top ten citation for efficiency in local government management, a school system whose students are among state leaders in standardized test achievement, a highly regarded post secondary system that includes 12 universities and colleges and 20 technical training schools, Virginia Beach is "wisely" meeting both the expectations and lifelong learning needs of its more than 430,000 res idents.
        No wonder that many successful corporations, like GEICO Direct, Stihl Inc., Amerigroup Corporation, American Systems Engineering Corporation/ Science Applications International Corporation, and LifeNet, to name a few, are all expanding their presence, adding thousands of new high-quality, high-paying jobs and millions in additional capital investment. Stihl, for instance, considered sites in the Far East and South America to build added manufacturing capacity for its hand-driven power tool operations, but decided to stay where it was. In 2003 alone, corporations announced $221 million in business locations and expansions in Virginia Beach.
        Why? Because Virginia Beach has what a company demands: a skilled workforce, many of whom are military trained and well disciplined; an excellent transportation network featuring the massive and modern Port of Hampton Roads; a low cost of doing business and living and a city government that views business as a partner to be nurtured, not a burden to be overly regulated and controlled.
        So when business and industry hears about great new venues available in Virginia Beach, you have their attention. That is what's happened at the $350-million, 25-acre (10-hectare), 17-city-block Town Center of Virginia Beach, located in the burgeoning Pembroke Central Business District, off Interstate 264. In rapid succession prior to and since the opening of a 21-story office tower, outstanding restaurants including P.F. Changs, California Pizza Kitchen, and the soon to open Cheesecake Factory and Bravo Cucina Italiana followed. A classy business-friendly Hilton Garden Inn and expansive Galyan's Outdoor Living are recent additions and construction is underway on a 320-unit luxury apartment complex, The Cosmopoli-tan, and a future world-class performing arts center.
        As the multi-city-block Town Center evolves, the rest of the City improves as well. Lynnhaven Mall, recently purchased for $256.6 million dollars and now managed by national leader General Growth Properties, continues to be a retail powerhouse. Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes and Noble and AMC Theaters, which invested in a state-of-the-art 18 screen multiplex, are among new tenants. Pembroke Mall, the region's oldest enclosed shopping center, is renovating its interior and exterior, and attracting popular eateries such as Romano's Macaroni Grill and Max and Erma's and retailer Kohl's.
        From its premier public school system to its wide network of parks and recreation centers, from its diverse housing stock to its multi-cultural population, Virginia Beach is increasingly becoming The Perfect Match for talented individuals and quality employers. The icing on the cake is what has always traditionally defined Virginia Beach as an international caliber destination with its 30 miles of public beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, and 60 square miles (96.5 sq. km.) of inland water. Swimming, surfing, sailing, boating, scuba diving, fishing, canoeing, jet skiing and parasailing attract millions of tourists, some of whom decide Virginia Beach is the place they would like to locate their businesses and raise their families.
        To meet the demands of both visitors and locals, Virginia Beach is making strategic investments in its infrastructure, modernizing its famed resort strip and boardwalk, enhancing summertime entertainment with the development of family-friendly Beach Street USA, the staging of the American Music Festival and the Rock and Roll Half Marathon, and constructing a 20,000-seat outdoor concert amphitheater and championship caliber public golf courses. Further, Virginia Beach is forcefully stating its confidence in the future by building a 500,000-sq.-ft., $200-million convention center that, together with several new oceanfront hotels, is increasingly making Virginia Beach a year-round destination for tourists and meeting and convention delegates, whether their objective is leisure or business.
        The City's Department of Economic Development, consistently considered one of the nation's most proactive and aggressive, and now ranked among its most innovative and creative, is eager to show off Virginia Beach's many advantages and benefits. They range from thriving corporate parks to class A office space, from the new 137,000-sq.-ft. (12,730-sq.-m.), $23.5-million Advanced Technology Center, training the next generation of workers, to a region full of academic, cultural, recreational and entertainment amenities.
        Contact Director of Economic Development Don Maxwell or Business Development and Marketing Manager Robert Ruhl at 1-800-989-4567 or online at www.vbperfectmatch.com and discover why Virginia Beach is America's best place for both your company and your lifestyle.