Alleghany Highlands

What Alleghany Highlands does

The Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation (AHEDC) is a non-profit regional economic development corporation serving Alleghany County, the City of Covington, the Town of Clifton Forge, and the Town of Iron Gate in western Virginia. AHEDC was formally established through a joint economic development agreement among the four jurisdictions approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia in May 2017. The organization provides free site selection, business attraction, incentive navigation, workforce development coordination, and small business support services to companies considering relocation or expansion in the region. Its flagship asset is the Alleghany Regional Commerce Center (ARCC), a 104-acre publicly-owned industrial park located one mile from Interstate 64 in Covington, Virginia, with 50 developable contiguous acres, industrial zoning, and full utility infrastructure.

AHEDC's core product portfolio spans the ARCC site, a broader site inventory including the Karnes Creek commercial parcel and Innovation Park (170+ acres), workforce development services delivered through Mountain Gateway Community College and Jackson River Technical Center, incentive and financing programs (Virginia Enterprise Zone grants, Opportunity Zone benefits, USDA Revolving Loan Fund), a small business launch resource, and a demographic/market Data Center portal. The region's underlying technical differentiator is a 100% fiber multigig broadband network from Lumos covering 95% of the area — including all industrial and business sites — enabling data center and remote-work recruitment. Major recruited or retained employers include Bacova Guild (335,000 sq ft at ARCC), Balchem Corporation (68,000 sq ft), Smurfit WestRock, Ingevity, HCA Virginia Health System, Kissito Healthcare, Williams Fabrication, S.J. Neathawk Lumber, and Peoples Bank.

AHEDC operates a non-commercial revenue model funded by grants from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program, USDA Rural Development, and contributions from the four owner-governments. A $3.29 million state grant (January 2023) supports a $9.8 million four-phase ARCC infrastructure project. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales: AHEDC engages site selectors, corporate decision-makers, and developers through direct outreach, site tours, customized incentive packages, and partnership referrals from VEDP and the Roanoke Regional Partnership. All services are provided at no cost to companies.

Name

Alleghany Highlands

Legal name

Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://ahedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Non-profit regional economic development corporation serving Alleghany County, Covington, Clifton Forge, and Iron Gate, Virginia. Provides free site selection, business attraction, and workforce services anchored by the 104-acre Alleghany Regional Commerce Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Park Owners Association Management (BPAJAHAH)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business incentive navigation
• Workforce development programs
• Industrial park development

Headquarters

HQ city

Covington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Services: AHEDC operates as a non-profit economic development corporation providing free site selection, business development, and incentive negotiation services to companies. The organization is funded through grants from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, local government contributions, and USDA Rural Development funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation (AHEDC) is a non-profit economic development organization that provides free, confidential services to companies evaluating relocation or expansion in the Alleghany Highlands region of Virginia. Its offerings span site selection, shovel-ready industrial park availability at the Alleghany Regional Commerce Center (ARCC), workforce development coordination, incentive and grant navigation, and targeted business attraction in priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, logistics, data centers, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Product overview

Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation (AHEDC) operates as a regional economic development organization offering a portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include business attraction and site selection assistance centered around the Alleghany Regional Commerce Center (ARCC), a 104-acre shovel-ready industrial development site. Supporting services include workforce development programs through partnerships with Mountain Gateway Community College and Jackson River Technical Center, business incentives and financing programs including Virginia Enterprise Zone benefits and Opportunity Zone incentives, small business resources with a seven-step launch checklist, demographic and market data through the Data Center, and community profile information covering housing, cost of living, climate, and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alleghany Regional Commerce Center (ARCC): A publicly-owned business park offering ready-to-go development options located one mile from Interstate 64, designed to attract manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, logistics, food and beverage, and other mission critical operations.
• Karnes Creek

Products and services

• Alleghany Regional Commerce Center (ARCC) Shovel-ready industrial park in the Alleghany Highlands offering pad-ready and graded sites with utilities, rail adjacency, and highway access, marketed to manufacturing, logistics, and advanced-industry prospects.
• Site Selection and Concierge Services
• Workforce Development Programs Coordination of regional workforce training, apprenticeship pipelines, K-12 career-readiness, and incumbent-worker upskilling in partnership with Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and local schools.
• Business Incentive and Grant Navigation Advisory service that helps prospective and existing businesses identify, apply for, and comply with state, federal, and local incentive programs, including Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and USDA Rural Development programs.
• Data Center / UAS Industry Attraction Targeted business-attraction initiative promoting the Alleghany Highlands to data center operators (leveraging fiber and power capacity) and to unmanned aerial systems companies (leveraging the region's UAS test infrastructure and rural airspace).
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Partnership Free one-on-one business counseling, training, and resources for existing and aspiring small-business owners in the Alleghany Highlands, delivered in cooperation with the Virginia SBDC network.
• Community Profile and Market Data Portal Public-facing demographic, labor-force, education, infrastructure, and quality-of-life data package used by site selectors, corporate real-estate teams, and prospects to evaluate the region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.3% unemployment rate (2021)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lumos NetworkscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2021Lumos completed the 100% fiber multigig broadband network covering 95% of the Alleghany Highlands, including all industrial and business sites. This ultra-high bandwidth network enables gig economy work and data center development.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAHEDC works closely with VEDP on statewide business recruitment, marketing, and incentive programs. VEDP provides the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program funding ($3.29 million grant) and coordinates economic development initiatives across the Commonwealth.
• Roanoke Regional PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alleghany Highlands is part of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, working collaboratively to promote a four-county region and larger 11-county extended labor market area of Western Virginia. The partnership provides additional marketing expertise and incentive opportunities.
• Mountain Gateway Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe region's largest provider of workforce training, offering programs aligned with key industries including manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and skilled trades. MGCC provides customized training for specific companies and offers the Jackson River Technical Center partnership.
• Jackson River Technical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA cooperative effort of three educational systems providing career and technical education for high school students and adult residents in automotive technology, carpentry, computer systems technology, culinary arts, early childhood education, electricity, health sciences, marketing, and welding.
• Covington-Alleghany Industrial Development Authority (CA-IDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCA-IDA works alongside AHEDC to facilitate business growth and expansion. As a bonding authority, CA-IDA can issue bonds for projects and serve as a housing authority, providing flexibility for economic development initiatives.
• Alleghany County, City of Covington, Town of Clifton Forge, Town of Iron GatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour local government entities that formed a joint economic development agreement (approved May 2017) to pool resources and expertise. This collaborative approach allows shared investment in infrastructure and revenue sharing from new developments.
• Virginia TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated approximately 70 miles away, Virginia Tech's Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS) provides research capabilities relevant to the Alleghany Highlands Drone Zone initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roanoke Regional Partnership: Regional economic development organization for Western Virginia that partners with AHEDC on collaborative marketing and is the closest functional peer in geography and mandate, pursuing similar manufacturing and technology recruitment into the broader Roanoke-Alleghany region.
• Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance: Regional EDC serving the Lynchburg, Virginia area with a comparable portfolio of site selection, workforce development, and incentive navigation services targeting manufacturing and advanced industry prospects in Central-Western Virginia.
• Shenandoah Valley Partnership: Regional economic development organization for Virginia's Shenandoah Valley offering site selection, workforce, and incentive services to manufacturing and logistics prospects, structurally similar to AHEDC's rural-industrial recruitment model.
• GoDanVA (Pittsylvania County): Regional economic development brand for Southern Virginia (Danville-Pittsylvania County) pursuing industrial recruitment and shovel-ready site marketing, directly comparable to AHEDC's ARCC-driven attraction strategy.
• Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facility Authority: Cross-jurisdictional industrial development authority in Southern Virginia that owns and markets industrial parks with infrastructure investment, directly mirroring AHEDC's ARCC ownership and marketing model.

Broad incumbents

• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP): State-level economic development authority that funds AHEDC through the Business Ready Sites Program and coordinates statewide business attraction; comparable in service offerings but operates at statewide scale with substantially larger resources.
• Tennessee Valley Authority Economic Development: Federal economic development program serving the TVA region with site recruitment, workforce, and incentive services; broadly comparable to AHEDC's mission though operating at multi-state scale with federal backing.
• Appalachian Regional Commission: Federal-state economic development partnership serving Appalachia including Western Virginia, providing grant funding and program support to regional EDOs like AHEDC; thematically aligned as both a funder and parallel development organization.

Regional players

• New River Valley Regional Commission: Regional commission serving Virginia's New River Valley with economic and community development planning services that overlap AHEDC's workforce and community development functions in adjacent Western Virginia territory.
• Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Authority: County-level EDA in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley providing site selection, incentives, and workforce services to industrial prospects, comparable in service mix though operating in a faster-growing Northern Virginia-adjacent market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubedrive.google.com/file/d/1kbBPeldLXBW7HdfwFIMYudeeQnVDASac/view?usp=sharing
• Facebookfacebook.com/ahedc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ahedc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alleghany Highlands