Recent Articles from Beth JoJack
Co-founder steps down from Franklin Johnston Group
Tom Johnston has stepped down from The Franklin Johnston Group, the Virginia Beach-based multifamily development and management company he co-founded, the company announced May 30. Johnston is leaving to pursue other business opportunities, a release stated. Johnston, Wendell Franklin and his son W. Taylor Franklin as well as Steve Cooper left S.L. Nusbaum Realty in […]
Accenture names managing director for D.C. market
Accenture has named Ed Engles office managing director of its Metro D.C. office, overseeing a region stretching from Baltimore to Richmond, the global professional services company announced Thursday. Engles steps into the shoes of Marty Rodgers, who has been filling that role for almost a decade while also serving as Accenture’s market unit lead for […]
Artspace plans Roanoke artist housing community
Roanoke developer Ed Walker first tried to lure Artspace, a Minnesota-based nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, to Roanoke for an early 2000s redevelopment project, but Artspace essentially ghosted him. “It’s very, very, very, very difficult to get Artspace’s attention and to get them interested in a community,” Walker says. “It’s like trying to […]
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Khalid Jones moved to Richmond from New York City’s Upper West Side in April to start his new job as executive director of the Virginia Lottery. Virginia’s River City may move at a slightly slower pace than the city that never sleeps, but Jones found himself instantly at home. Richmond reminds Jones of his youth […]
Specialty gift manufacturer establishes $1.4M Harrisonburg operation
Boxer Gifts, a British manufacturer of specialty, often wacky gifts, including the “poo timer” and “old age emergency pants,” will invest $1.4 million to establish its first U.S. light manufacturing, distribution and wholesale operation in Harrisonburg, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. The project is expected to create 15 jobs. “After selling fun gifts in the […]
IALR hires new manufacturing advancement exec
Jason Wells will join the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research as executive vice president of manufacturing advancement on June 3, according to a release from the Danville-based economic development organization. Wells, who has nearly three decades of experience in high-performance manufacturing, replaces Todd Yeatts, a former senior manager for government operations for The Boeing [&helli[...]
Global apparel company VF to leave Martinsville in 2025
VF Corp., a Denver-based global apparel and footwear company with brands including Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies, plans to close its distribution center in Martinsville in March 2025, the company confirmed Wednesday. “As part of VF’s Reinvent strategy, we have evaluated how we are shipping products to best meet the needs of our […]
Broadband, renewable energy focuses for rural development, USDA administrator says
Rural communities can improve their economy and quality of life, Andrew Berke, administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, stressed during the opening of the fifth annual Investing in Rural America conference, held Tuesday at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond hosts the two-day Investing in […]
Va. casino gaming revenues total $60.1M in April
Virginia’s three casinos reported about $60.1 million in gaming revenues for April, according to Virginia Lottery data released last week. Last month, the Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock reported about $13.9 million in adjusted gaming revenues (wagers minus winnings), of which about $11 million came from its 903 slots and about $2.9 million […]
Suffolk logistics facility purchased for $50.5M
An entity connected with Ashley Capital, a New York-based industrial real estate company, sold a multi-tenant facility in Suffolk for $50.5 million to a Florida real estate investment firm on May 1, according to the city’s property records. The Bridgeway Business Center, a 707,000-square-foot warehousing and distribution facility on College Drive in Suffolk, was purchased […]