Staunton attracts cancer research specialists

by Heather Hayes
Virginia Business
September 2005

Small companies do best in small towns. That’s the philosophy behind the decision to locate recent startup Atlantic Research Group Inc. (ARG) in Staunton.

The contract research firm, which designs and manages the clinical trials of promising cancer treatments, moved into the newly renovated American Hotel office building in July. The company was attracted in part by the city’s ambience, strong cultural scene and a $20,000 incentive grant from the Staunton Industrial Development Authority.

Atlantic Research Group already has three contracts in place for clinical trials and is in negotiations for a fourth. It will also share office space with Skyline Pharm-aceutical Systems LLC, a spinoff division of Atlantic Research Group that will specialize in complementary IT systems. Skyline Pharmaceutical has developed a Web-based program that will significantly reduce the time it takes to enroll patients in clinical trials.

“That’s the biggest delay that we face in getting clinical trials under way,” says Paul Bishop, a co-founder of Atlantic Research Group and Skyline Pharmaceuti-cal Systems who serves as vice president of project management for both companies. The Skyline Pharmaceutical product, which is being developed and promoted in conjunction with a major cancer resource Web site, is scheduled to hit the market next month.

Staunton officials aggressively marketed their area, according to Stephen G. Versen, an economic development specialist for the city. Atlantic Research Group and Skyline Pharmaceutical plan to hire at least 35 employees over the next three years and pay an average annual salary of $50,000.

“We’ve always had plenty of manufacturing and service jobs here, but not that many white-collar jobs,” Versen says. “This is a chance to improve both the variety of jobs and the pay and hopefully attract like-minded companies.”