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Change and opportunity
by
Robert C. Powell III
Virginia Business
March 2005
Some
people see Virginia as a place where time stands still.
Maybe that’s because, after visiting Monticello,
Colonial Williamsburg or a Civil War battlefield, they
wish the whole state could become a museum. The truth
is that nothing stays the same for long, and Virginia
is the scene of rapid change.
Signs of change are evident in several of this month’s
stories. Our cover report looks at the shifting demographics
of business ownership — particularly the rapid
growth of women- and minority-owned businesses —
and how state government is responding in terms of its
procurement pie.
Change is also evident in our regional report about
the Southside cities of Martinsville and Danville. These
communities have been hit hard by the decline in the
furniture, textile and tobacco industries. In response,
the cities and surrounding counties have come up with
creative ways to build on their strengths and bring
some of their long-departed natives back home.
Change also is taking place at Virginia’s universities.
Academic research is leading to the development of commercial
products that can produce good-paying, high-tech jobs.
In the technology transfer arena, though, Virginia lags
behind other states and is striving mightily to catch
up.
Lastly,
change is what keeps our annual List of Leaders a must
read. If you want to know which businesses are at the
top of the heap, check out the lists on pages 27-66.
You might find your own company, since, according to
a recent Virginia Business reader survey, many readers
represent the state’s largest firms.
Change can be unsettling but it often presents opportunities
for those willing to take advantage of it. We hope that
you spot some opportunities in this issue of Virginia
Business.
Robert
C. Powell III
Editor
rpowell@va-business.com
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