Business is booming in Manassas

This post is written as part of a paid content partnership between Potomac Local and City of Manassas to showcase businesses and economic development in the city.

Historic Heart. Modern Beat.   These four words simply yet masterfully describe the City of Manassas.  In case you missed it, this is the City’s new tagline, and it’s pretty spot-on.      

Manassas is a city steeped in rich history and tradition and takes great pride in the pivotal role it played in our country’s defining war. 

Manassas is also transforming. 

It is attracting a creative class of entrepreneurs that are changing the face of our City.  They are authentic, eclectic, driven; and they are breathing new life into Manassas, most notably in Historic Downtown. 

Of the 16 new businesses to which the City’s Economic Development Office provided site selection assistance, 8 chose downtown, including: Manassas Olive Oil, Center Street Gourmet Wine and Cheese, Totally Vintage and Scattered Seeds. 

Destination retail establishments like these bring with them a diverse and loyal customer base, critical to the economic sustainability of any community.  Not only do they positively contribute to the City’s tax base, they are adding to the unique fabric of what makes Manassas a city with an historic heart and modern beat.     

Attracting these new and diverse businesses is critical for continued economic vitality; however it is the City’s existing businesses to which it can attribute the bulk of economic growth.  Existing businesses, the ones that have created the allure to attract other companies, represent 80 percent of the economic growth in Manassas. 

The growth and expansion of these businesses are what drives the City’s economy.  Thankfully, existing businesses in Manassas are thriving, in part due to the City’s proactive approach to businesses expansion through the creation of a strong business development program.   

The program’s primary focus is on business expansion and becoming a center for entrepreneurial success.  Staff meets with local owners to discuss each company’s individual needs and suggests a variety of business resources. In the last year, the City helped 10 companies expand their operations through this specialized assistance.

The City’s economy is strong, and gets stronger with each new business and each new expansion that occurs in Manassas.