In the coming months, Fairfax is expected to develop a new marketing campaign that highlights the county’s emergence as an economy independent of the District and a magnet for creative workers and businesses.
Fairfax Economic Development Authority Chairman and CEO Gerald Gordon said the county has spent three decades trying to develop an economy that was not solely dependent on the federal government and had a strong private sector that could sustain the area if government spending was cut.
“An economy dependent on one industry or company is subject to all of the economic fluctuations around the world,” he said. “The economy that is diversified has a better ability to withstand economic fluctuations. We want our private sector to be strong in multiple industries.”
These efforts have paid off. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in a recent report, found Fairfax had emerged as the economic center of the private sector.
Gordon said the county’s strong commercial sector has attracted creative companies specializing in Internet technology, software development and other inventive endeavors.
Fairfax has been so successful in attracting these workers that it has been selected to host a conference on how to grow a creative class within an economy next fall.
Because of the county’s evolution, Fairfax is exploring new ways to market itself to potential residents and businesses.
Gordon said old campaigns highlighted the county’s proximity to Washington and used images of District monuments and prominent government buildings.
“We still will market our proximity to the District as a strength, but it’s not the greatest strength we have,” Gordon said. “We have an amazing public education system, our climate’s nice, there’s diversity in our community and our unemployment hasn’t exceeded 3.5 percent in years.”
