Goochland Wins State Award, Eli Lilly Project Signals Major Growth

Goochland County officials said the county earned the Virginia Economic Developers Association 2025 Top Project award for its work attracting the Eli Lilly manufacturing facility, a project the county estimates at about 5 billion dollars. The award recognized community impact after county leaders highlighted early site readiness, regional partnerships and proactive economic development planning as decisive factors in landing what officials called one of the largest manufacturing investments in Virginia.

County estimates put direct employment at roughly 1,800 jobs during construction and about 650 long term high paying jobs after the site opens. Those figures suggest a substantial temporary demand for construction labor and a sustained increase in higher wage positions that will affect local income levels, housing demand and public services. County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley and Deputy County Administrator Sara Worley described the award as recognition of "transformational" economic development for the community.

Local implications are immediate and broad. During construction the county will see increased activity in housing, retail and contractor services, along with a larger payroll subject to local sales taxes. Over the long term the new facility could expand the commercial tax base and raise average wages, improving fiscal capacity for schools and infrastructure investment. At the same time the county will confront planning tasks including workforce training, traffic management, utility capacity and affordable housing supply to accommodate new workers and their families.

The county framed the success as the product of coordinated planning across local and regional partners, emphasizing site readiness work that shortened the timeline for the manufacturer. For Goochland this award and the Eli Lilly project mark a pivot toward larger scale industrial investment, with implications for land use policy and county budget planning. County leaders face the next challenge of translating the headline job and investment numbers into concrete community benefits while managing the transitional pressures on services and housing.

As the project moves from planning to construction the county will need to monitor employment outcomes, tax revenue performance and infrastructure costs closely to ensure the touted economic gains materialize for long time residents and new workers alike.