Rockingham is the #1 livestock county in Virginia, with more cattle than any other Virginia county - and 25% of all dairy cattle in the state. In 2005, there were more cows (116,000) than people (71,251) in Rockingham.1
One major employer in the county is Merck, which manufactures a cervical cancer vaccine (GARDASIL) near Elkton. Just south of that plant is the only Coors brewery on the East Coast. The rural beauty of a county within a half-day's drive of the National Capital also makes Rockingham an attractive location for companies that seek an attractive environment for employees, in addition to standard financial considerations.
On December 14, 2006, the governor announced that SRI International' "Center for Advanced Drug Research" would be located north of Harrisonburg, near James Madison University. The international think tank located its drug research center far away from a major research university (though obviously JMU is gaining a reputation...), and away from the policy makers in Washington DC. SRI would be a big fish in any Virginia community - why choose such a small pond?
SRI could have chosen to locate at the "Innovation" business park in Prince William County, as a companion to the Eli Lilly insulin manufacturing facility and George Mason University. SRI could have opened a campus in Loudoun County, near Dulles airport and closer to the National Institutes of Health and the Bestesda (Maryland) biotech operations. The state government would have provided it's $19 million subsidy if SRI had located on Broad Street in Richmond as part of the Virginia Commonwealth University biotechnology park - or near Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech is fostering "pharming."
In the news release, the CEO of SRI International said “The Shenandoah Valley offers SRI operational support, collaboration with academic institutions, proximity to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and a high quality of life."2 The "high quality of life" may have been the key factor. Rockingham has scenic beauty, quality schools, and far less traffic than urban Virginia - though SRI employees will have to watch out for horse and buggy carriages that clog the roads near Dayton every Sunday, as the Menonnites return back to their farms from church services.