More than 60 people gathered Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the first tenant at Virginia Regional Commerce Park.

Officials from Caspari, Inc., snipped a ribbon with the city’s traditional giant scissors, along with city officials and owners of the commerce park.

“I expected a warm reception, but not quite this hot,” Douglas Stevens, chairman of Caspari’s board of directors, joked in the balmy warehouse.

The event was attended by the company’s 32 new employees, who will help distribute Caspari’s high-end paper supplies, which include napkins, plates, gift bags, gift wrap and greeting cards.

Stevens said the move to Virginia has been in the works for about 15 years, though efforts to that end began in earnest only about two years ago. They chose Virginia Regional Commerce Park, located on U.S. Route 460 within sight of the U.S. Route 58 interchange, for its port accessibility.

“That’s one of the things we were looking for, was a good harbor location,” Stevens said. The products are printed overseas and shipped to the Hampton Roads port.

Stevens said the company has been busy in the last couple of months moving 90 trailers full of products to the 60,792-square-foot Suffolk location from its headquarters in Seymour, Conn.

But Caspari officials aren’t the only ones happy about the move. Gus Miller, a manager with Virginia Regional I, LLC, the owner of the commerce park, is excited about filling the first space in the park.

“It’s been a long haul,” he said, referring to the economic downturn that likely caused the park to sit vacant for about four years. “We’re hoping to have more tenants so we can give Caspari a little company.”

Miller said the building owners turned to the city of Suffolk for help in finding a tenant for the park.

“I have nothing but praise for them all,” Miller said of the city’s economic development team.

The celebration was hosted by Vice Mayor Charles Brown, who called the occasion “truly a great day.”

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to make sure that smile continues on your face,” he said to Stevens.

For more information on Caspari, visit www.casparionline.com.