Suffolk News-Herald
130 S. Saratoga St.
Suffolk, Va. 23434
(757) 539-3437
(757) 539-8804 (fax)
E-mail The News-Herald

The Newspaper
The Community

The Community

Market
As Virginia's largest City, Suffolk is 430 square miles of rich land with woods, lakes, rivers, and rolling terrain - not to mention wise development and the use of it - that make this area bountiful for residents and businesses alike. Our schools and parks, neighborhoods, health care facilities and utilities help create a successful community. In fact, some of the region's most prosperous companies already call Suffolk home. And the great potential for growth is attracting many new businesses and employees. This is a place full of pride. Full of promise. A place where progressive isn't just a description, it's an attitude. It's a place with vision.

Population
City 81,209

Geographic description
Suffolk is located in the Hampton Roads region in Virginia. Suffolk has close proximity to Busch Gardens, Norfolk and other cities within Hampton Roads as well as being only 35 miles west of Virginia Beach.

Major employers
United States Joint Force Command, Lockheed Martin, City of Suffolk, Suffolk Public Schools, QVC, Lipton, Planters Peanuts and Sentara Obici Hospital

Education
Currently there are 13 elementary, four middle and three high schools located within the City of Suffolk. A new elementary school has just been completed and several major school renovations are part of the capital improvements plan supported by the Suffolk School Board. There is also one private school, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy which serves pre-k through high school.

Suffolk high schools partner with the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology to prepare students with vocational and technical training in a variety of fields such as Electronics, Culinary Arts, Building Trades and Computer Network Administration. The center also offers adult continuing education and recreational classes in the evening.

There are two community colleges with campuses within the City of Suffolk. Paul D. Camp Community College (PDCCC), located on the west side of downtown Suffolk, awards associates degrees in Arts and Science or technical degrees in Applied Science. Through the Division of Workforce Development, PDCCC provides an array of business- related services designed to meet the training and educational needs of both existing and new employers in the region. In September 2005, PDCCC will open a 5000 square-foot workforce Development Center in Downtown Suffolk.

Tidewater Community College (TCC), located in northern Suffolk near I-664, offers hundreds of courses and dozens of degree and certification programs for their students. The college is committed to meeting the region's education and training needs as it advances the quality of life of the region through an educated, globally aware, and technologically engaged citizenry. It has been nationally recognized for its work in incorporating the best of technological advances into the into the teaching and learning process for their students.

History
In 1974 it became the present City of Suffolk, consolidating with the towns of Holland and Whaleyville and Nansemodn County. The result was a new municipality encompassing 430 square miles, making it the largest city in land area in Virginia and the 11th largest in the coutnry. In 1912, an Italian immigrant, Amedeo Obici, moved from Pennsylvania to Suffolk and opened Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. Today Suffolk remains a major peanut processing center and transportation hub. The city and county merged in 1974.

© 2010 Boone Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved.