EAB to expand, add 200 jobs in Henrico County

EAB, a direct marketing and recruitment firm for higher education institutions, expects to add at least 200 jobs with a $6 million expansion in Henrico County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.

The firm, formerly Royall & Co., will relocate from two locations on East Parham Road and consolidate its Henrico operations into a 70,000-square-foot space at the SunTrust building on West Broad Street.

“EAB has been a committed business partner in Virginia for more than 30 years, and we are thrilled to see its continued expansion and investment in Henrico County,” Youngkin said in a statement.” The firm’s success reinforces the importance of attracting and retaining a skilled workforce that is helping fulfill EAB’s mission to improve education and communities across the country.”

EAB was founded by the late Bill Royall, a Richmonder known for his philanthropy who sold the business for $850 million in 2014. It has 500 employees in Virginia and 1,500 nationwide. The company’s second-largest location is in Henrico.

“EAB is deeply committed to the Richmond area, and we believe our long-term investment will serve Henrico County, the Greater Richmond community, and our growing employee base for many years to come,” Chris Marett, EAB’s president of marketing and enrollment solutions, said in a statement. “We are proud to have been recognized as one of the top workplaces in Richmond for each of the past six years, and providing a more flexible, hybrid workspace will strengthen our ability to attract and retain the local talent we need to continue helping our partner institutions meet the complex challenges facing the education sector.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. The commonwealth competed against EAB locations nationwide. Youngkin approved a $741,600 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Henrico with the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program.