Having started out with a mere 60,000 sf, Stihl has added to the 60-acre compound on three previous occasions. The newest project will create 200 new jobs.

Stihl has called Virginia Beach home for nearly three decades, but its decision to increase its operational space in the region was not a forgone conclusion. Company officials also considered expanding in Brazil, China and Germany before settling on the Commonwealth. "The announcement is highly significant for our city and our state, not only for the investment and well-paying jobs involved, but also because of its timing," notes the city's mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf. "In these challenging economic times, it is remarkable that Stihl has decided to continue expanding in our city with a project of this magnitude."

The expansion will be constructed in three phases, with the first stage beginning this year. Phase I will add 18,000 sf to the manufacturer's injection-molding facility. Construction on Phase II, which entails a new 125,000-sf International Parkway Warehouse and Marketing Center, is scheduled to begin in early 2004. Phase III, which will get underway in the middle of next year, will result in a 60,000-sf Central Drive Facility. The entire project is expected to reach completion by the spring of 2005 and will add 14 acres to Stihl's sprawling complex.