Regional Highlights

Nestled between Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley includes seven counties (Augusta, Bath, Highland, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, and Shenandoah) and five independent cities (Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro). The region is plentiful in natural resources and boasts a powerful cluster of employers rooted in manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics. Food and beverage production is at the heart of the manufacturing sector, employing more than 5% of the Valley’s labor force of over 175,000 people at major companies like Hershey, MillerCoors, McKee Foods, Perdue, and Cargill.