Leading Industries

Technology

The Harrisonburg MSA is a hub for technology development. When asked what attracted Serco to the Shenandoah Valley, the management team listed a highly skilled and professional workforce, James Madison University, affordable labor rates and a climate for technical innovation as key factors. Harrisonburg specializes in growing information technology businesses for health and security solutions. Come see why industry leaders Serco, Rosetta Stone, SRI International and Merck are investing hundreds of millions in this thriving market.

Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

Harrisonburg is within a one-day drive of Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Indianapolis and Detroit. Located on Interstate-81, just north of Interstate-64, Harrisonburg has access to rail and close proximity to air and port. The core of this cluster revolves around trucking, rail hauling, and warehousing.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing has been a mainstay of Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley economy for decades, with a long history and a bright future as a center for specialized manufacturing. Our Manufacturing Sector uses the combined efforts of government, industry, academia and economic development leaders. Manufacturing business owners benefit from their Harrisonburg location, with convenient access to transportation, the low cost of doing business here, business-friendly environmental regulations, an active lifestyle, and access to a savvy workforce. Choose Harrisonburg and take advantage of easy access to manufacturing talent, suppliers and low-cost utilities.

Food Processing

The modern poultry industry began just outside of Harrisonburg in 1922 when Charles Wampler, Sr., hatched 52 turkey eggs in an incubator on Sunny Slope Farm. That tradition of innovative and exceptional food processing has continued to grow in the decades since. With a ready workforce, supportive eco-system and strategic location, the food processing sector is thriving in Harrisonburg. Ariake USA, Shenandoah Valley Organic, Pilgrim’s Pride and George’s Foods all call the city home. In the Harrisonburg MSA, food processing businesses include Danone North America, MillerCoors, Cargill, and Perdue.

“Harrisonburg provides an ideal context for the highly technical work we perform for the U.S. Government. We are ideally located next to many excellent colleges and universities, which provide exceptional talent, and close enough to DC and Northern Virginia that we can conveniently interface with our customer and partners. To me, it comes down to quality of life. Our employees have very short commutes and there are a plethora of activities in the area that suit almost every interest.”

Mike Goertzen, Sr. Program Manager, Serco

“As Rocco considered options for our expansion, we were pleased with the partnership that Harrisonburg Economic Development provided as we worked our way through plan reviews, permit approvals, and inspections. It was helpful to have an ombudsman guiding us through the process. We are excited that we have the opportunity to continue to grow and invest in Harrisonburg.”

Fontaine Canada, President, Rocco Building Supplies