Arlington Celebrates ‘Winning Year’ of Job Creation and Retention

Arlington is succeeding in its efforts to attract and keep businesses and jobs in the county.

That’s the latest news from Arlington Economic Development, which reported yesterday its efforts helped lead to the creation or retention of 53 businesses and  4,200 jobs in the fiscal year of 2016.

The new and retained businesses represent nearly 2 million square feet of office space and mark an increase from the last fiscal year’s total of 35 new or retained businesses, according to Arlington County.

The new numbers are “an encouraging sign that our ‘all-hands-on-deck’ effort is working to fill office vacancies with vibrant businesses that are coming to or staying in the County,” said County manager Mark Schwartz in a press release. “There’s more work to do but we’re clearly making progress.”

Some of the larger companies that have chosen to set up shop in Arlington include Grant Thornton, Amazon Innovation Center and George Washington Medical Facility Associates, the county reported. Other companies helping to add or keep jobs in Arlington include technology startups such as Shift, Phone2Action, Snagajob and Bytecubed.

Read the full press release from the county after the jump:

Arlington businesses grew over the past fiscal year, with the County showing strong results in attracting and retaining companies.

Arlington Economic Development reports that its new marketing efforts and strategically targeted resources netted 53 new business or business retention deals in Fiscal Year 2016. Those deals represent nearly 2 million square feet of office space and the creation or retention of more than 4,200 jobs. In Fiscal Year 2015, the County closed 35 such deals, representing nearly 1.2 million square feet of office space.

County Manager Mark Schwartz, who has made economic development his top priority, calls the new numbers “an encouraging sign that our ‘all-hands-on-deck’ effort is working to fill office vacancies with vibrant businesses that are coming to or staying in the County. There’s more work to do but we’re clearly making progress.”

Schwartz also thanked the County Board for its commitment, through additional budget resources, to keeping and adding Arlington businesses.

New and expanding companies

Grant Thornton, Amazon Innovation Center and George Washington Medical Faculty Associates are among the larger employers attracted to large office spaces in Arlington. Some of the new, fast-growing technology firms putting roots down in the County are Shift, Phone2Action and Basket.

Established businesses that have seen the benefits of calling Arlington “home” include Opower and Sands Capital Management.

Businesses that have expanded in Arlington include Bytecubed and Snagajob.

“This year’s success in business investment is very telling in terms of the kinds of businesses that have chosen Arlington as their home,” AED Director Victor Hoskins said. “It’s truly representative of Arlington’s shift into a technology and professional services hub.”

The successes are all part of Arlington’s “Way Forward” strategy of focusing on working with regional partners, proactive marketing, providing strategic incentives and offering key infrastructure improvements to prospective businesses. That approach is setting Arlington apart from other regions in terms of providing its business community with the resources and tools it needs to grow for the future.

Photo courtesy Arlington County