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Economic development consultancy taps Roanoke partner
Longtime economic development executive John J. Smolak has joined Sanford Holshouser Economic Development Consulting (SHEDC) as a partner, the Raleigh, North Carolina-based consultancy announced this week. Smolak, who will be based in Roanoke, worked for 25 years with Appalachian Power. He’s well known in the Southwest Virginia region, where he will help the firm expand, […]
Nine newsroom employees to be laid off at Roanoke Times
Nine newsroom employees at The Roanoke Times were notified of their pending layoffs Monday by parent company Lee Enterprises Inc., according to the newspaper’s local newsroom union and multiple staff writers who spoke with Virginia Business. The layoffs, set to take effect April 23, would cut the editorial staff to 37 positions, a nearly 20% […]
N.C. air purifier manufacturer will build $5.6M plant in Radford
Oransi, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based manufacturer of air purifiers, will invest $5.6 million to establish a manufacturing facility in Radford, creating 101 jobs, according to an announcement Wednesday from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. “Oransi is very pleased to establish its first manufacturing facility in the city of R[...]
TMEIC Corp. in Roanoke consolidates with Texas operation
The parent of Roanoke-based TMEIC Corp. is merging its two United States operations effective April 1, the company announced this week, naming Manmeet S. Bhatia president and CEO of the new entity, TMEIC Corporation Americas. Dale Guidry is stepping down as president and CEO of TMEIC Corp. and into an advisory role until retirem[...]
A growing legacy
Since his selection as president of Radford University five years ago, Brian Hemphill has fulfilled the mission he set when he was hired: to increase fundraising and open channels to boost enrollment. During Hemphill’s tenure, he has seen the university reach record enrollment numbers and grow its endowment by $20 millio[...]
Virginia Tech aims to fill cybersecurity jobs gaps
The U.S. Department of Defense in January awarded Virginia Tech a $1.5 million grant to prepare students for careers in cybersecurity — a field facing a critical shortage of skilled professionals. The need for a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals is regularly emphasized whenever a major hack is uncovered. In Decem[...]
BAE Systems hires general manager for Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Arlington-based defense contractor BAE Systems Inc. has hired Kirk Johnson as general manager of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, effective March 29. Johnson comes to the position with seven years of experience at Lubrizol Corp., a Berkshire Hathaway specialty chemicals company, where he served as managing director for specialty and industrial additives and then as […]
Blacksburg Partnership president retiring
After 19 years as the founding leader of the Blacksburg Partnership, Diane Akers announced Friday that she will retire on June 30 from her position as president of the private economic development group. Akers was hired as the Blacksburg Partnership’s founding director in 2002, helping launch the organization that was esta[...]
Northam seeks to include part-time workers in state IRA fund
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has proposed a change to a bill to allow part-time employees to participate in a newly created state-administered retirement fund for workers without 401(k) access, the governor’s office announced Friday. Northam also has signed legislation expanding an existing broadband pilot program to increa[...]
Va. wedding venue loses suit against governor
On Friday, a federal judge ruled against Franklin County wedding venue Belle Garden Estate and its owner Charles Russell, who sued Gov. Ralph Northam in an attempt to expand the number of people who could attend a wedding under the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Under current executive orders, businesses can host only 25 people outdoors if […]
Data center air systems manufacturer announces $36M plant in Botetourt
Munters Group AB, a Sweden-based manufacturer of air treatment and cooling systems for data centers and other industrial applications, will invest $36 million to relocate its Buena Vista operations to Botetourt County, company and county officials announced Thursday. Munters will begin construction in April on a 365,000-square-f[...]
Torc Robotics names chief transformation officer
Blacksburg-based Torc Robotics has hired Eddie Amos, a former Microsoft and GE Digital executive and software developer, as its chief transformation officer, the company announced Thursday. In a statement, Amos said his new job is to “translate the lessons learned in 35 years of software disruption into best practices for [...]
