Its staff of 10,000 comprises more than 10 percent of the area's work force. In recent years, however, local economic development officials have begun to tap U.Va.'s potential as a catalyst for private-sector growth. The park opened in 1995 and now has three tenants, all of them relocating there to capitalize on collaborations with university faculty or to exploit U.Va. The company relocated to North Fork from California three years ago. Now it is working with faculty in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery on a project to accelerate the healing process for ruptured tendons, which could lead to the development of a new medical device.
Employees also receive discounts on merchandise and bonuses for recruiting friends.
The company even hired a masseuse to help employees relax. The region's unemployment rate is low enough to indicate a labor shortage, but officials at the Virginia Employment Commission say that unemployment numbers for college towns are skewed downward by the current method of measuring college students' impact on the labor market. Students inflate work force numbers, but they rarely file unemployment claims. The result is a lower unemployment figure. Local officials also point out that many people in the area are underemployed.