Brian Tinsman
Digital Properties Manager
Imagine working in an office located on a road with a name that matches the work that you do. For some businesses, that’s #LoudounPossible.
Warp Drive, Helix Drive and Sous Vide Lane are great examples of how Loudoun businesses have branded their location to match the work that they do.
Warp Drive: In 2011, Orbital Sciences Corp. (which became Orbital ATK before being acquired by Northrop Grumman) approached the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors with a plan to “improve the identity and to better integrate the Orbital campus.”
Located on Steeplechase Drive, a name that harkens back to Sterling’s rural past, Orbital proposed a change to Warp Drive, a Star Trek reference that better matches the company’s focus on aerospace.
On December 6, 2011, the board voted to approve the change. Orbital paid $500 to replace the sign on Rt. 28, which has become iconic to commuters and Trekkies around the world:
Near Dulles, on the way to @alamodc: Warp Drive. pic.twitter.com/RqDJNPvWZu
— Alyson Hurt (@alykat) May 5, 2013
Helix Drive and Scientific Way: In 2000, Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased Janelia Farm in Ashburn from Dutch tech company Baan Co., building an internationally renowned, state-of-the-art research facility.
Each year, the institute welcomes some of the world’s top researchers to the campus, nestled at the intersection of Helix Drive and Scientific Way. These road names were chosen by HHMI to further defined the campus:
Recently I had the opportunity to give a talk @HHMIJanelia Research Campus. I fell in love. I mean who isn't won over by biology-related road signs? But more than that I learned they have tremendous programs to support the development of STEM from grad students to faculty. Thread pic.twitter.com/MI9RAZqD95
— Dr. Catharine Young (@catgyoung) August 22, 2018
The intersection of Helix Drive and Scientific Way. Only at Janelia. Pumped for the stellar lineup of talks at @HHMIJanelia Genetic Manipulation of Neuronal Activity V conference. @janeliaconf pic.twitter.com/lxsjnNu8Pb
— Joe Luchsinger (@JoeLuchsinger) October 1, 2018
Sous Vide Lane: In April 2018, Cuisine Solutions added 63,000 square feet of space to its global headquarters in Sterling, with a plan to add 700 new jobs and make a $70 million investment. Cuisine Solutions is a global leader in a cooking/food packaging technology called “sous vide,” which takes place at its Loudoun facility.
The county honored Cuisine Solution’s request to change their headquarters’ address from 1501 Moran Road to 22445 Sous Vide Lane. The company considered the address change an important piece of the puzzle.
“It’s that personal touch that this county brings that a lot of other counties don’t,” explained Broad Run Supervisor Ron Meyer. “When we met with them and tasted the food … they said, ‘You know what we’d really love? Sous Vide Lane. That’s what we’d really like.’
“A lot of times, counties hear that sort of thing and laugh it off. But our office … got to work with Chris Hunter in [Loudoun] Economic Development and Buddy Rizer and said, ‘We’re going to get this done because of your incredible investment in our county.’”
While not every Virginia road is eligible to be renamed, Loudoun County often thinks outside of the box when it comes to place-making and business friendliness.
How can we help your business do business? For questions about the #LoudounPossible advantage, please email Business Development Officer Rick Morris or call 1-800-LOUDOUN.