“Pentagon South” adds another defense supplier in Suffolk

Sparta Composite Products announced they'll be building a $13.2 million plant in Suffolk, Virginia. In association with this new facility, Sparta will be creating approximately 200 new jobs over the next 5 years. The new, high-tech plant will be 67,000 square foot and will be located in the Northgate Commerce Park. The Company also has plans to build an additional 87,000 square foot facility in 5 years.

Sparta is a San Diego-based defense industry supplier and plans to begin hiring this summer for jobs that will pay an average of $43,000 a year.

This region's strengths - the Port of Virginia, the beach, the huge concentration of military installations - are critical to drawing companies here. But, so is the leg work done by local and state economic development teams. Suffolk economic development leaders have been talking to Sparta for at least a year, touting the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center as well as the city's growing cluster of defense contractors - including General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin - all attracted by the adjacent Joint Warfighting Center.

For more on Suffolk's Economic Development work, visit their website: www.YesSuffolk.com