cutive Center office park. The French firm CMA
CGM, the Israeli firm Zim Integrated Shipping Services, and Maersk Line
Limited, a subsidiary of the world's largest shipping line, A. P. Moller-Maersk
Group, have their North American headquarters in Norfolk. Major companies
headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern, Landmark Communications,
Dominion Enterprises, FHC Health Systems (parent company of ValueOptions),
Portfolio Recovery Associates, and BlackHawk Products Group. Though Virginia
Beach and Williamsburg have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the
region, the rebirth of downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship
pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown has driven tourism to become an
increasingly important part of the city's economy. The number of cruise ship
passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in
2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a $36
million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier. Partly due to
this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but is expected
to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise
ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of
Norfolk's terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the
cruise lines who enjoy its proximity to the city's hotels, restaurants,
shopping, and cultural amenities.
Hampton Roads is home to four Fortune 500
companies. Representing the food industry, transportation, retail and
shipbuilding, these four companies are located in Smithfield, Norfolk,
Chesapeake and Newport News
