Growing healthcare industry, entrepreneurship focus of new Stafford economic development director

STAFFORD — Stafford County’s new economic development director, John Holden has a big vision for what the county will become under his direction.

Hired this summer, Holden worked as a chief economic director in localities in Maine and Ohio before coming to Virginia. He has 25 years of experience, and he says his newest role will be his biggest challenge yet.

Stafford, the fastest growing county in the state has already faced challenges with persuading entrepreneurs to locate here.

“I want to explore ways we can encourage entrepreneurship,” Holden said. “We need to set a very clear message that Stafford County is here for business.”

Stafford is starting to target corporate jobs when it comes to building the economic success Holden envisions. According to Holden, there are about 60,000 commuters driving through Stafford every day. It seems to him that some of if not most want a branch facility or an office here in Stafford. In the northern part of the county off Route 610, a nearly empty office park waits for the kind of corporate jobs Holden says needs to trickle down to Stafford.

Healthcare is another target industry.

“It’s a growing segment around the country, but it’s a key area for Stafford as well,” Holden said. “The investment with Mary Washington, Stafford Hospital has a whole campus targeted around the health sector that could be a spinoff of doctors offices.”

Eyeing the area around Stafford Regional Airport, Holden says the now rural area located just off Interstate 95 is ripe for the development of logistics and data centers.

“Warehouse distribution and data centers are key parts of an economy,” Holden said. “These aren’t the traditional and old-fashioned warehouse. These are high tech warehouses; they are facilities that have all kinds of high tech automation going on.”

The county plans on attracting new businesses by building ties with entrepreneurs.

“We will do all the appropriate new methods in terms of building relationships by using social media, particularly LinkedIn,” Holden said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the conversation and relationships.”

Before coming to Stafford, Holden was the economic director for Rockland, Maine, where he focused on developing the city’s downtown area as well as negotiating tax increment financing and arranging micro-loans for businesses. He has a Bachelor in Environmental Science from Bowling Green University and a Masters from the University of Maine in Regional Economics.