For the Record – Eastern Virginia, April 2013

Armed Forces Reunions Inc. in Norfolk, which plans and manages military events nationwide, has won the U.S. Navy Reserve’s $5 million returning warrior workshop contract for the second time. The workshop program is designed to help reservists readjust to civilian life and cope with feelings of stress, isolation and other psychological disorders and injuries. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

The College of William & Mary, named the fourth best value public college for 2013 by The Princeton Review. Selections were based on data collected by The Princeton Review through institutional and student surveys. The Princeton Review weighted more than 30 data points covering academics, costs and financial aid. They also considered the percentage of graduating seniors who borrowed from any loan program and the average debt those students had at graduation. (The Princeton Review)

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has leased two buildings totaling 202,004 square feet of space in Copeland Industrial Park in Newport News. HII designs, builds and maintains ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and provides after-market services for military ships around the globe. Cushman & Wakefield|Thalhimer handled lease negotiations on behalf of Huntington Ingalls as well as the landlord, Newport Mail Order LLC. According to Thalhimer, HII plans to use the space for storage. (VirginiaBusiness.com) 

Liebherr Mining Equipment Newport News, a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, will create 174 jobs in a $45.4 million expansion of its operations in Newport News and Hampton. The company is an operating division of Liebherr Mining Equipment SAS, a member company of the Switzerland-based Liebherr Group. The Virginia location serves as the North American headquarters for four operating companies. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Shenzhen Superwatt Power International Co., a Chinese company that makes generators, has chosen Suffolk as its first manufacturing location in the United States. Its U.S. subsidiary, Grandwatt Electric Corp., will employ 30 people within three years, its sales manager, Skila Hsiun, said in an email. The jobs will include mechanical and electrical engineers. Shenzhen Superwatt Power International Co. makes generators for telecommunications, mining, railway and other businesses. (The Virginian-Pilot) 

Towne Insurance Agency, a division of Hampton Roads-based TowneBank, has acquired Clement Cos., a Greenville, N.C.-based insurance agency. Company officials said the move continues Towne Insurance’s expansion into North Carolina. Clement provides a variety of risk management and insurance products to customers from Eastern North Carolina to Raleigh. TowneBank operates 26 banking offices in Virginia and North Carolina. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Virginia Beach-based Valkyrie Enterprises has been named to Forbes’ list of “America’s Most Promising Companies.” The company, which provides systems engineering and technical support for the U.S. Navy, was No. 65 and the only Virginia company on the list of 100 companies. Valkyrie was founded in 2007 by CEO Gary M. Lisota, a former Navy lieutenant commander who spent 11 years serving on cruisers and destroyers. The company has 200 employees and had revenue of $23 million last year. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Whole Foods announced plans to build a store in Newport News, months after opening a location in Virginia Beach. The 35,000-square-foot natural foods supermarket is expected to open sometime in 2015 and planned for the corner of Oyster Point Road and Jefferson Avenue.  (Inside Business)