Executives from three of the biggest companies to move to Fairfax County in recent years cited the county’s pro-business environment, proximity to the nation’s capital, desirable labor pool and high quality of life for employees and their families.
Hilton Hotels, Volkswagen of America and Computer Sciences Corp. rank among the county’s top economic development successes, and the recent relocation of their headquarters is helping Fairfax’s economy stay afloat as employers in other parts of the commonwealth hand out pink slips.
At a forum in Tysons Corner, Kevin Jacobs, Hilton’s vice president of corporate strategy, said the hotel chain looked at “dozens of cities” — including its existing home in Beverly Hills — before deciding to move its headquarters to Tysons Corner.
The Washington area has a wealth of lodging industry talent, he said. The area is home to major hotel giants such as Marriott Corp., Choice Hotels and Host Hotels & Resorts.
And Jacobs — in a rarely heard pronouncement — said the region offered greater access to affordable housing and lower commute times.
“Beverly Hills is not the least expensive place in America to live, so you have a lot of people who have very long commutes from places where housing is more affordable,” he said. “The quality of life can be a lot better here.”
The trade-off was just the opposite for Volkswagen — which moved its headquarters from the Detroit suburbs to Herndon last year — with its employees paying more for housing and sitting in traffic longer, said David Geanacopoulos, the automaker’s executive vice president for public affairs and general counsel. But he said the move put Volkswagen closer to its customers.
Asked what Fairfax County would need to do to keep the employers, Geanacopoulos, Jacobs and Terrance Bilbo, corporate vice president for information technology giant Computer Sciences, all pointed to successful long-term land use and transportation planning and maintaining a “pro-business environment.”
“The best way to create revenue is keep the taxes down,” Bilbo said.
He said the county needed to invest in a road network that carried commuters “not just suburban to downtown, but suburban-suburban.”
Computer Sciences announced its relocation from the Los Angeles area to Falls Church last year.
The panel was organized by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
