European companies looking abroad need to adjust their radars.
New York and Silicon Valley are saturated, but the nation’s bustling tech hub, Washington D.C., is the strategic alternative. Fairfax County, Virginia, is becoming home to more and more European companies in the US. This is due to the lower costs, highly qualified talent and a convenient location.
With just a six-hour difference, Fairfax County offers easy communication with home offices in the European Union. It provides direct links to global markets through Washington Dulles International Airport.
The airport serves more than 50 international destinations. Its central location is within easy reach of all the major U.S. markets. One has easy travel to anywhere from Finland to Sweden to Wall Street.
Geography aside, Fairfax County is also the affordable alternative. This allows for even more innovation and partnerships across a variety of fields and disciplines. The information and technology sector rivals that of Silicon Valley with more modest price tags.
More than 100 continental European companies are already part of the dynamic and diverse business community. They are able to take advantage of the highly skilled workforce in Fairfax County, which includes Tysons and Reston. Economist valuations show Fairfax to be a fantastic place for business.
Fairfax County’s business community features diverse U.S. companies. This includes 10 Fortune 500 headquarters and leading government contractors. Plus a mix of more than 10,000 technology businesses, subsidiaries, and headquarters for outstanding American companies. Such companies include Northrop Grumman, Capital One, Leidos and Mars.
Along with its strength in government and defense technology, Fairfax County’s diverse ecosystem is evident in industries. A few examples are cybersecurity, data analytics, smart city applications, financial, communications, automotive, and healthcare companies based in the region. It’s also a place for entrepreneurs and startups to flourish thanks to a high concentration of skilled talent and universities.
Many successful European companies have already selected Fairfax County as their U.S. home of choice. A few of the largest European companies by revenue are: SAP, Volkswagen, Airbus, Siemens, Nestle, Capgemini, Randstad and IDEMIA. Fairfax is the North America home for companies from a multitude of European countries, including Austria, the United Kingdom, and more.
The FCEDA has maintained a European office in Germany since 2000. Now based in Berlin, the office is a go-to resource for companies interested in expanding into the American market. It also serves as a high quality resource for services any company in Europe. This includes those from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Scandinavia, Switzerland and beyond.
