Supervisors to discuss job growth

By Cheryl Chumley

Published: May 19, 2008

Prince William County gained 987 new jobs in the first three months of 2008, according to a statistics compiled by the executive director of Economic Development.

Of that, 648 came from non-retail sources, and 129 from other targeted industries, the report shows. And Tuesday around 2 p.m. at the McCoart Building, supervisors are due to hear more complete details of the first quarter’s economic development activities — including prospects for the future, under a 97 cents tax rate.

“It was important to me to keep the tax rate low to be competitive with other jurisdictions,” said Supervisors Wally Covington, R-Brentsville. “I think we did that and we’re starting to separate ourselves out [from other communities] … and we seem to be trending better.”

According to the economic development report, retail and the construction and trade categories of business brought forth the greatest job opportunities in the first quarter, with 210 and 168 new positions, respectively. Under retail, job growth came from both expansions and new businesses: 125 positions were created due to the expansion of existing stores, while 85 were provided due to establishment of brand new facilities. In construction, meanwhile, the bulk of growth came from new businesses, ranging from providers of tile and marble work to masonry to kitchen and baths.

The 129 jobs from targeted businesses ranged from 50 positions from the new American Military University to 48 jobs from the growing General Dynamics Land Systems, 15 from the expanding Engineering Solutions and 10 more from a company called Baistar. Another six new jobs were created when Kepler Research opened doors for business.

Other new job opportunities: 45 positions were created in the field of administrative services; 44, in arts, entertainment and recreation; 84 in food services; 68 in health care; nine in manufacturing; 28 in professional; 10 in public services, to include the county’s Park Authority; six in real estate and 10 in the wholesale industry.

According to the county’s department of economic development, the county gained 393 new jobs in the first quarter of 2007.

At the same time supervisors are due to hear the latest on economic development, they will also receive updates on housing foreclosures, according to the board’s agenda.