Charles County Undergoes a Makeover from Suburb to Workforce Destination
Paul Facchina can’t imagine running his family of companies from anywhere other than Charles County. Facchina founded his homegrown construction and development enterprise, the Facchina Group, in 1987 in La Plata and has expanded the company into a half-billion-dollar conglomerate with more than 1,000 employees.
“There is a tremendous market in southern Maryland with high quality, talented people. The growing labor base will drive a very pronounced change in Charles County over the next decade, with even more significant growth in the commercial sector,” says Facchina, whose company is responsible for building and developing high-profile projects across the region, including repair and restoration of the Pentagon after 9/11 and an upcoming $100 million office park nearby at Indian Head.
As Charles County transitions from a commuter suburb to a commercial hub and workforce destination, Facchina commends local leaders for their dedication to providing a balance between meeting the demands of increased development and preserving the county’s existing quality of life.
“One thing that makes Charles County unique is that there is a tremendous effort to preserve land in the private sector and public sector to prevent sprawl,” says Facchina of the county’s bedroom community makeover. “This will make future development much more orderly.”
According to John Reardon, former director of the Charles County Economic Development Department, part of the plan to absorb new growth includes a controlled approach to development where specific districts are set aside for commercial expansion.
“Charles County is advancing to become an employment center as well as a lifestyle center, even though 90 percent of the land here is still undeveloped,” says Reardon. “The goal is to proceed methodically and strike a balance between active space and work space with a return to the village concept. We want to maintain the quality of life people here value.”
That quality of life has attracted a growing base of highly skilled and educated residents from across the United States. Reardon says employers are following for access to the professional workforce.
“Over the past six to eight years, Charles County has had a large amount of immigration, mostly affluent working families. The majority of these professionals are highly educated and very attractive to employers,” says Reardon, noting that the number of residents commuting away from the county to work has declined steadily in recent years as more local white-collar jobs are created.
Companies are also attracted to Charles County for its reputation as the home of military operations, including large research facilities at the Naval Support Facility in Indian Head.
Building on this military background, the county recently welcomed the Energetics Technology Center, a new organization dedicated to the science of explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics. The center, to be located within a 250-acre business and technology campus five miles north of Indian Head, will focus on research, development and workforce training, as well as policy and analysis for the global stage.
The center’s director, Dr. Richard Nadolink, says three major European firms are already considering expanding to Charles County for proximity to the new center.
“We’re anticipating this technology park as being the catalyst for growth and a magnet for high-tech firms,” says Nadolink.
