Suffolk | Hampton Roads | Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce

Suffolk
Telephone: (757) 664-2611

Director:
Dean McClain

Helpful Links

For information about events & attractions
in the City of Suffolk, please call the
Suffolk Visitor Center at 1-866-733-7835
or visit Suffolk-Fun.com.

Suffolk has evolved into a diverse city boasting world-class employers, stylish housing, quality health care, excellent schools, and a wide choice of recreational opportunities. The city is pursuing a “smart growth” vision that keeps everything in balance: economic development; education; downtown, village and neighborhood revitalization; quality of life; and managed growth. These are the ingredients that make Suffolk an ideal place to live, work and play.

In 1912, Italian immigrant Amedeo Obici came from Pennsylvania]] and [[opened facilities of the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company in Suffolk. He built on the widespread cultivation of peanuts in the area. By 1941, Suffolk had been declared "The Peanut Capital of the World". The city also became home to Planters' Mr. Peanut, a world-famous advertising icon (voted the country's third-most popular in 2004). A statue of Mr. Peanut is prominently displayed in downtown Suffolk. The company, now owned by Kraft Foods, is the area's11th largest employer.

Easy access to regional highways, international and general aviation airports, and the Port of Virginia have all made Suffolk a prime location for business development. Suffolk’s Historic Downtown offers a rich blend of historic attractions, art studios, small shops and a wide variety of dining establishments. The resurgence of downtown along with the look and lifestyle of an earlier era inspired the transformation of these buildings into highly desirable living spaces.

Add it all up and Suffolk appeals to people of all ages and interests, which makes living and doing business in Suffolk very hard to beat. Indeed, as the saying goes, “It’s a good time to be in Suffolk.”