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Virginia Business// April 28, 2022//
Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., parent company of tobacco company Philip Morris USA, has agreed to buy power from a wind energy development in Texas. Altria says the purchase is aimed at offsetting emissions from electricity demand at all of Altria’s U.S. operations. Announced in April, the deal is Altria’s first virtual power purchase agreement. Altria has set a goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. The wind farm is located in Haskell and Throckmorton counties in Texas. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville is receiving a $5.75 million grant from writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, the nonprofit announced in late March. The local chapter’s president and CEO, Dan Rosensweig, said the grant will help the organization maintain its homebuilding pace and continue its redevelopment of Southwood Mobile Home Park. Scott, who has given billions to nonprofits and colleges across the country, pledged $436 million in unrestricted donations to Habitat for Humanity International and 84 affiliates. (The Daily Progress)
Mechanicsville-based Fortune 500 health care logistics company Owens & Minor Inc. announced in late March it had closed its acquisition of Indianapolis-based Apria Inc. for a cash consideration of $1.6 billion. Owens & Minor funded the purchase with a combination of debt and cash on hand. The company will combine Apria with its Byram Healthcare Centers Inc. business to form a Patient Direct segment, expanding Owens & Minor’s home health care business’ geographic reach. Daniel J. Starck, Apria’s CEO since 2015, will serve as president of the new segment. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts announced in March that Bristol-area philanthropists James W. and Frances Gibson McGlothlin donated nearly $60 million toward the Richmond museum’s expansion campaign, including 15 paintings, featuring works by Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth. Alex Nyerges, the museum’s director and CEO, said that a 170,000-square-foot wing will be named for the McGlothlins, who in 2010 made a $30 million gift toward an earlier addition and, in 2015, donated 73 paintings and other artwork to the museum’s permanent collection. James McGlothlin, chairman and CEO of The United Co., a former coal mining company, is co-developer of the forthcoming $400 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Washington Commanders are unlikely to opt for another one-week visit to Richmond in the team’s training camp plans. During an NFL league meeting in late March, Coach Ron Rivera didn’t rule out a return, but he said that the short visit is “not financially equitable,” now that the team is required to pay $100,000 to rent the city facility for a week. From 2013-20, the previous contract called for the Richmond Economic Development Authority to pay $500,000 in cash and in-kind services for the team’s appearance. With this turn of events, there is speculation about whether Virginia Commonwealth University will use the site, which is a mile from its nascent athletics village. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
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Longtime Richmond Raceway President Dennis Bickmeier was named to lead Henrico County’s new sports and entertainment authority, effective April 18. The county Board of Supervisors established the authority in April 2021 and approved $585,896 for its personnel and operations budget in fiscal 2021-22. Dawn H. Miller serves as tourism supervisor, and Michael McCormack is sports tourism coordinator. Bickmeier, who oversaw $30 million in improvements at the racetrack in 2018, has held positions with other racetracks, as well as the Los Angeles Rams and the L.A. Angels teams. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Army Corps of Engineers allocated an additional $223.9 million to Hampton Roads-based Port of Virginia projects, including $72.4 million for the Norfolk Harbor Deepening and Widening Project, $40 million to deepen and widen the Thimble Shoal west channel and $32.4 million to complete the channels to the Atlantic Ocean and Newport News. The new funds, announced in early April, come from last year’s federal infrastructure act and are in addition to
$402 million previously appropriated under the act and this year’s omnibus spending bill. In March, the Norfolk International Terminals concluded its $450 million optimization project with the installation of two 170-foot-tall cranes that cost about $10 million each. (The Virginian-Pilot)
Developers of the HeadWaters Resort & Casino are pitching Norfolk City Council members on plans to construct a limited, temporary gaming facility inside Harbor Park. The casino and restaurant would be located on the right side of the baseball stadium in the current Norfolk Boxing Center and the Hits at the Park restaurant. Last year, the team proposed a sports betting operation at the restaurant, but the Virginia Lottery board has not issued a facility operator license to the casino operator. Construction has yet to begin on HeadWaters, which is set to open in early 2024. (The Virginian-Pilot)
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ REMUS 300 underwater drone will spearhead the U.S. Navy’s acquisition program for its next generation of small, unmanned vessels, the military branch announced in March. The parent of Newport News Shipbuilding has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in unmanned vessels over the past two years, including opening a new manufacturing and testing center in Hampton. The 6-foot, 100-pound drone built by HII’s Hydroid subsidiary can dive to depths of more than 1,000 feet and run for up to 30 hours on batteries. Introduced for military in the Iraq war in 2003, REMUS drones are used for underwater surveying, search and rescue, and fisheries management. (Daily Press)
Old Dominion University will launch Virginia’s first four-year major in manufacturing engineering technology at its Norfolk campus and a satellite campus at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, the university announced in March. Housed at the Batten College of Engineering and Technology, the program will be available for students entering from community colleges, IALR’s Academy for Engineering and Technology, and dual-enrollment programs. Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville will launch a corresponding associate’s degree. The two programs are part of the Virginia Maritime Industrial Base Consortium’s Talent Pipeline Initiative. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
In late March, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that Perdue AgriBusiness, an affiliate of Perdue Farms Inc., will invest $59.1 million to expand its operations in the city of Chesapeake. The company plans to modernize its facilities and increase production of high protein soybean meal, soybean oil and hulls. Perdue Farms employs more than 2,800 people in Virginia, and it buys 80% of Virginia’s soybeans and purchases grain from more than 700 Virginia farmers. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
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Stihl Inc., the Virginia Beach-based chainsaw and outdoor power equipment manufacturer, named Terrence “Terry” Horan as its president and CEO effective April 1. Stihl Inc. is the largest subsidiary of the global Stihl Group, employing more than 3,000 U.S. workers. In October 2021, Stihl announced that its U.S.-based president of operations, Bjoern Fischer, and its vice president of U.S. sales and marketing, Nick Jiannas, were leaving by mutual agreement. Horan was previously president of RPM Consumer Group, a segment of Ohio-based RPM International Inc. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Arlington Planning Commission voted on April 4 to rezone a piece of Pentagon City to accommodate Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed PenPlace, recommending the project for county board approval. PenPlace, the second phase of Amazon’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters, is proposed to include nearly 3.3 million square feet of development on 10.4 acres. JBG Smith Properties plans to close the sale of PenPlace to Amazon for $198 million during the second quarter of this year. The first phase of HQ2, Metropolitan Park, is under construction and should be open by the third quarter of 2023. (Washington Business Journal)
In March, Falls Church-based General Dynamics Information Technology was awarded a contract from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency worth $4.5 billion over a 10-year period to build, design and operate an agencywide IT system. A business unit of Reston-based Fortune 500 aerospace and defense contractor General Dynamics Corp., GDIT will advance geospatial intelligence capabilities and support users with a range of services including high-performance computing, virtual desktop and mobile wireless security across multiple networks and global agency locations. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
More than two dozen large companies have pledged to invest $4.7 billion over the next five years to boost minority-owned businesses and organizations in a region stretching from Richmond to Baltimore. The pledge by members of the Greater Washington Partnership was formally unveiled March 30 by Vice President Kamala Harris at Washington’s Howard University. The effort to boost minority business ownership over the next five years comes from
25 major players across the region, including Dominion Energy Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Capital One Financial Corp. A supplier diversity portion of the pledge is expected to generate nearly $3.5 billion in revenue for small and midsize businesses, creating about 4,000 jobs annually. (Richmond Times-Dispatch; VirginiaBusiness.com)
After nearly 40 years in downtown McLean, Mars Inc. has filed plans to expand and modernize its global headquarters site to accommodate growing demand. The company, whose products range from candy to food brands to pet care, plans to expand the building at 6869 Elm St. that has served as Mars’ corporate headquarters since 1984 by nearly 31,000 square feet. Planning documents list Cozen O’Connor as Mars’ land-use counsel and NBBJ as the project’s architect. With 133,000 employees worldwide and 2020 revenue of $40 billion, Mars is the largest privately owned company in Virginia. (Washington Business Journal)
Despite NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s late March statement that Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder would not be involved in the Ashburn-based team’s daily business for the “foreseeable future,” the billionaire has resumed his day-to-day role with the Commanders, a highly-placed source told The Washington Times. Meanwhile, the congressional committee investigating the NFL’s handling of widespread sexual harassment in the Washington Commanders’ workplace is now also looking into allegations of financial improprieties under Snyder’s ownership. The Commanders issued a statement April 4 refuting claims that Washington withheld ticket revenue from opposing teams. (The Washington Times; The Washington Post; Sports Illustrated)
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On March 31, JB Holston stepped down as CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership. Holston will continue as a senior adviser to the partnership’s board and leadership through 2022, and the search for a new CEO is underway. Holston joined the partnership in September 2020 after a national search and previously served as dean of the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver. He also served in senior executive positions at General Electric and NBC. Holston and his family planned to return to Colorado, according to Partnership Chair Peter Scher. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic and Richmond’s BrainBox Solutions Inc. are part of a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to research and develop a new way to diagnose brain injuries in the elderly. The research will include enrolling 300 patients with head trauma and 70 patients as controls. Patients will be followed for a year, and the study will run for 3.5 years. The University of Pennsylvania is also included in the award. Researchers will design a panel of blood markers and cognitive tests to identify brain injuries, including those with cognitive impairments such as dementia. A second phase will determine the tests’ accuracy. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The Mountain Valley Pipeline slipped deeper into doubt April 1, when an appellate court declined to reconsider its decision striking down a vital permit for the deeply divisive project. In a brief order, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it will not revisit the ruling of a three-judge panel, which in February invalidated the federal Fish and Wildlife Service’s opinion that the natural gas pipeline would not jeopardize endangered species. The move came one week after a similar decision by the Fourth Circuit regarding the panel’s rejection of a second permit from the U.S. Forest Service that allowed the pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest. (The Roanoke Times)
The Roanoke Times’ newsroom union said April 12
it has agreed on a new two-year contract with owner Lee Enterprises, following a brief picket line. Members of the Timesland News Guild, which represents 30 employees of The Roanoke Times and Laker Weekly, will receive 2% annual raises, and minimum full-time pay will rise about 12% to $40,000 per year between now and 2023, according to a statement by the union. Equity adjustment raises also will take place, meaning that nearly half of the guild will receive raises of more than 2% this year. Negotiations started in mid-February, with sticking points on wages and mileage rates. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Volvo Trucks North America received its largest global order of Class 8 electric trucks to date in early April — and the trucks will be produced at the company’s Pulaski County facility. The trucks were ordered by Performance Team, a California-based warehousing and distribution subsidiary of Danish shipping company Maersk, which has committed to purchase 126 Volvo VNR Electric trucks. Last year, Performance Team placed its first order of 16 Volvo VNR Electrics, which the company will begin operating soon along its Southern California routes. It added an additional 11 trucks to its zero-tailpipe emission freight logistics fleet this year. All 126 trucks from the new order are scheduled for deployment by early 2023. (The Roanoke Times)
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Roanoke College’s 12th president will be Frank Shushok Jr., the college announced March 22. Shushok, Virginia Tech’s vice president for student affairs, will succeed Michael C. Maxey, who served as president for 15 years and is retiring in July. “I am thrilled to welcome President-elect Frank Shushok to the Maroon family,” Maxey said in a statement. “Terri [Maxey’s wife] and I found Frank and his wife, Kelly, to be a dedicated couple who are excited about the Roanoke College community. What struck me about Frank is how engaging he is and how interested he is in getting to know others.” (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Salem’s new economic development director, Tommy Miller, says he has “the entrepreneurial gene,” a trait that should come in handy. “Any entrepreneurial venture should be both calculated and gut-driven,” he said in a news release announcing his hire. “I am always interested in seeing what the next best venture is in the market.” Miller, who was set to start on April 18, comes to Salem from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where he was a senior business investment manager for five years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
A million-dollar gift from the chair of Bridgewater College’s board of trustees will help the school break ground this summer on a new outdoor gathering area. Bridgewater College will use the gift, given by Bruce Christian and his wife, Spas, to create the Rebecca Quad, which will be located adjacent to the Kline Campus Center and the campus mall. Plans include hardscape walkways and gathering areas with dining tables, Adirondack chairs, landscaping to complement the campus mall and a nod to Bridgewater College’s original walkway and historical entrance to campus, highlighted by a large inlay of the school’s seal. (Daily News-Record)
The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a rezoning request for Northside Gateway Plaza, a shopping center that will be about 5.5 acres in Harrisonburg and developed by Holtzman Oil Corp. Roughly an acre of the property is in the county, and the rest is in the city. The rezoning in the county was from an agricultural district to a business district. Draft site plans of the property show seven buildings: a gas station and convenience store area, and six mixed-use buildings that could serve as restaurants, retail stores, banks, drive-thrus or medical offices. (Daily News-Record)
There has been a “steady increase” of short-term rentals across Rockingham County. In 2019, the county had 245 short-term rental units listed, but now there are more than 313 short-term rentals listed on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo. That data does not include the three campgrounds in Rockingham, nor the six bed and breakfast facilities and Massanutten Resort-affiliated lodging. In 2021, short-term rentals and timeshares accounted for $1.05 million out of $1.5 million in county tax revenue from all forms of lodging. (Daily News-Record)
As solar farm companies continue to seek land in the Shenandoah Valley to set up their panels, Shenandoah County has created a committee to study whether solar arrays are helpful or harmful to the county. During a March 31 special meeting, the Shenandoah County Planning Commission discussed the charter for the newly created Solar Ordinance Review Committee, which aims “to balance the need for clean, renewable energy resources and the need to protect the public health, safety, welfare and natural beauty of Shenandoah County.” Late last year, the planning commission tabled a vote on a proposed 168-acre MSolar Industries LLC facility in Edinburg in order to study pros and cons of solar arrays. (The Northern Virginia Daily)
Demolition began March 21 at the Staunton Mall, located in Augusta County just outside the city limits. The mall, which was sold in late 2020 and officially closed in 2021, ended almost all its leases with its tenants after Commonwealth Commercial said that the mall would be demolished to make way for new retail, flex and multifamily options. Staunton EM 2 LLC purchased the mall for $3.67 million in November 2020. Stores remaining on the property include Dollar Tree, Belk, McDonald’s, Red Lobster and a T-Mobile store. (News Leader)
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Valley Health Senior Vice President of Acute Care and Winchester Medical Center President Grady W. “Skip” Philips III retired from Valley Health effective April 30. Philips worked for Valley Health for eight years, capping a 35-year career in health care, and became president of Winchester Medical Center in June 2016. Under Philips’ leadership, WMC opened the Valley Health Cancer Center and expanded the Heart and Vascular Center. Philips has served on the boards of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Healthy Families, and the Sinclair Health Clinic. (The Winchester Star)
The town of Chase City will receive $131,500 in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to restore three iconic buildings in the town’s historic district: the Mecca Theater, the Robert E. Lee Community Center and the Garrett Building. Town Manager Dusty Forbes said he received word from DHCD on March 21 that Chase City was awarded a $31,500 Industrial Revitalization Fund planning grant for the Lee and Garrett buildings, and another $100,000 IRF planning grant for the Mecca Theater. (SoVaNow)
Danville is on the cusp of becoming the first locality in Virginia to create a year-round zone where visitors can carry beer and cocktails on the sidewalks and into stores. The Danville City Council on April 5 approved an ordinance that will allow the city to create a so-called Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, in its River District. Virginia ABC must now approve a license, a process that could take 60 to 90 days [from approval] according to Lee Vogler, the council member who has spearheaded the city’s effort. “I was worried that maybe somebody had gotten ahead of us, but no, we’re still going to be the first, so I’m happy about that,” Vogler said. (Cardinal News)
Zoning rules for solar projects in Mecklenburg County will become more restrictive if the Board of Supervisors adopts changes recommended in early April by the Mecklenburg County Planning Commission. During its regular meeting in Boydton March 31, the Planning Commission voted 9-0 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors amend the county’s zoning ordinance by adding limitations to the size and location of utility-scale, small-scale and community solar facilities. If approved, no new utility-scale solar facility will be built in Mecklenburg County if it is located within one mile of any town boundary, or within two miles of an existing solar facility, regardless of size. (SoVa Now)
Pittsylvania County authorities are warning local skill game operators they are running afoul of a somewhat confusing Virginia law. Over the last few months, the machines have rapidly appeared at stores and game rooms throughout the county. There are 16 area convenience stores currently able to operate the games legally. Since an unknown number of games have popped up, Pittsylvania County officials gave other operators 15 days to shut down the operations or face civil and criminal charges. Danville is also considering whether to lump facilities that offer the games in with adult businesses, such as adult bookstores, adult theaters and cabarets, under city code. (Danville Register & Bee)
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Chatham-based Davenport Energy Inc. promoted Harold E. “Hal” Thornton Jr. to president, the company announced March 22. Thornton has been with Davenport, a provider of gas, diesel fuel, propane and petroleum products, for 27 years. He was initially hired as human resources director in 1995, rising through the ranks to supervisory and management positions. Most recently he was executive vice president, a role he had held since 2002. “Hal has been a key part of our success, and we are thrilled to promote him to this important position,” Davenport CEO Lewis E. Wall Jr. said in a statement. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Retired South Boston business owner Rick Harrell was elected chairman of the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority on March 18, with Jeremy Satterfield of Microsoft TechSpark named to another term as vice chairman. Harrell was voted in as chairman by fellow IDA board members after Robert Bates, the current chairman, asked not to be elected to another term. Bates, who remains on the board, joined the unanimous vote for Harrell. (SoVaNow)
Abingdon’s long-awaited 30-plus-acre sports complex opened April 9 after almost a decade in planning and preparation. The project cost more than $12 million, paid from funds including bond sales and American Rescue Plan Act funding. “Building a sports complex of this nature is truly investing in the future of the town,” Mayor Derek Webb said. “We fully expect to realize a tax revenue stream that we’ve never benefited from before with the addition of restaurants and other businesses for the community in The Meadows retail complex that stands adjacent to the sports complex.” (Bristol Herald Courier)
A public-private project to evaluate the critical minerals in coal waste products in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky launched in mid-March. The project, Evolve Central Appalachia (Evolve CAPP), is part of an almost $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department to the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER) at Virginia Tech. Critical minerals — used in computers, household appliances, clean energy technology and other products — include rare earth elements plus lithium and cobalt. A study analyzing what minerals the areas have and how they can be extracted will take about three years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Hard Rock International Inc. will open its temporary casino in Bristol July 8. The 30,000-square-foot temporary full-service casino featuring 900 gaming slots and 20 tables for gaming operations will open at 500 Gate City Highway, the former Bristol Mall. It is expected to generate 600 jobs. The permanent casino remains on track to open in July 2024, two years after the opening of the temporary casino, a spokesperson said. The 90,000-square-foot permanent facility will include a 3,200-seat performance venue and a 20,000-person capacity outdoor entertainment venue. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
The presidents of Mountain Empire Community College, Southwest Virginia Community College, Virginia Highlands Community College and Wytheville Community College signed a memorandum of understanding on March 30 to establish a wind manufacturing workforce development partnership. Last year, InvestSWVA commissioned an energy consulting firm to assist with the region’s efforts in wind manufacturing. In addition to the MOU, the firm recommended identifying a “major tier company” to help form relationships with global equipment manufacturers. Other recommendations included designating a regional entity to act as a single point of entry into offshore wind and coordinating campaigns to promote worker retention and offshore wind careers. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
Broadband services could be coming to the most remote portions of the Virginia Creeper Trail. On March 22, the Washington County Board of Supervisors approved spending up to $610,000 for international consulting firm Ernst & Young to set up a plan to establish the service on the eastern half of the Virginia Creeper Trail and the most remote sections of the Mendota Trail, a rail-trail project that is still under construction. The plan is to focus on having broadband services on the Virginia Creeper Trail from Damascus to the Grayson County border at Whitetop Station. (Bristol Herald Courier)
Companies with three or more years of mining and reclamation experience may apply for a chance to bid on the state’s Abandoned Mine Land projects, the Virginia Department of Energy announced in late March. Projects involve removing safety hazards and environmental issues resulting from coal mining before 1977. Virginia has several thousand AML projects, but the state has only been able to complete those that pose the greatest danger because of a lack of funds. Virginia is expected to receive nearly $23 million for AML cleanup for the next 15 years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)
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