Gov. McDonnell announces 500 new jobs in Henry County

$15 million operations center to be opened by ICF International

Virginia successfully competed against Georgia, Maryland,
Tennessee and West Virginia for Project

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that ICF International, a global professional services firm, will establish its first operations center for Business Process Management (BPM) in Henry County. The $15 million center will create 539 new jobs. Virginia successfully competed against Georgia, Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia for the project.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “This project is truly transformational for Henry County. ICF International is a Virginia-headquartered company that was seeking a location for its first operations center for BPM. After a highly competitive process, the company determined that Henry County offered the right location in the Patriot Centre Industrial Park and an available workforce eager for the opportunity. An investment of this caliber, as well as more than 500 new jobs, is tremendous news for Southern Virginia.”

           

“I would be remiss to not recognize the great teamwork of the Administration, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation and the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, who all worked together to ensure that ICF International picked Henry County,” said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “We are thrilled that the company chose the Commonwealth for this operations center.”

ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) partners with government and commercial clients to deliver professional services and technology solutions in the energy, environment, and transportation; health, education, and social programs; and homeland security and defense markets. The firm combines passion for its work with industry expertise and innovative analytics to produce compelling results throughout the entire program life cycle, from research and analysis through implementation and improvement. Since 1969, ICF has been serving government at all levels, major corporations and multilateral institutions. More than 3,700 employees serve these clients worldwide.            

“ICF is proud to expand its operations in Virginia and to call the Commonwealth its home,” said Sudhakar Kesavan, Chairman and CEO of ICF International. “As a professional services firm, ICF International maintains its global headquarters here, which offers the best combination of a robust economy, a pro-business climate, a high-quality workforce, and an outstanding quality of life for ICF employees. We are pleased to open this new operations center in Henry County and to build our workforce from local residents.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation and the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative to secure the project for Virginia. Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey and Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Economic Development Mary Rae Carter also played an integral role in the project. Governor McDonnell approved a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Henry County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $2.1 million in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance (VDBA) will provide funding and services to support the company’s recruitment and training activities.

“This is an epic day for the people of Henry County and the City of Martinsville,” said Debra Buchanan, Chairman of the Henry County Board of Supervisors. “ICF International is the type of company that can transform a community. Adding more than 500 new jobs will have a monumental impact on our citizens, and we all look forward to working with ICF International to make this a success.”

“What a day for Martinsville and Henry County,” said Butch Hamlet, a member of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. “I am so pleased to be a small part of a group that has helped land this tremendous infusion of jobs to our area. A large part of the mission of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission is to revitalize communities, and the Commission has clearly met that mission today, in our community. These 500+ jobs, and the significant capital investment will pay dividends to the community, and many families, for years to come.”

“We’re very proud that our advanced open-access fiber optic network played an important role in ICF's decision to locate at the Patriot Centre GigaPark,” says Tad Deriso, President and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative (MBC). “High-capacity, low-latency broadband services to key interconnection points and a choice of telecom providers are key economic development benefits that MBC brings to the region.”