Emerging Opportunity Strategy in Loudoun County, VA

The Challenge

The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development (DED) needed an update to its 2012 industry cluster analysis. They specifically needed to refine their business attraction efforts to focus more closely on specific emerging opportunities.

The Solution

Camoin Associates and Innovation Policyworks updated the cluster analysis and included a data literature review on the county’s core clusters. Camoin Associates identified Highly Specialized Manufacturing and certain subsectors of IT as having a particular strength within the county’s growing economy due to locational assets, workforce, infrastructure, and overall market shifts.

We dug further into national and international market trends to offer recommendations around specific subsectors and how Loudoun can support their growth. Additionally, we focused on opportunities surrounding their new Transit-Oriented Development districts around the D.C. Metro stations and how they can capitalize on these stations to enhance their economic growth.

The Impact

The opportunities and constraints identified during the analysis helped create a foundation for the development of guiding principles for Loudoun County to pursue these emerging opportunities. The work has led to investments, new jobs, review of policy impacting economic development, and continued growth in jobs and residents.