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Recent Articles from Beth JoJack
Pechin joins Thalhimer Realty Partners
Less than a year after leaving the City of Richmond to work for the federal government, Maritza Pechin has joined Thalhimer Realty Partners as director of development, the Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer subsidiary announced Monday. Pechin was deputy director for the office of equitable development for the city and was heavily involved in the […]
Youngkin: Va. spawned 10,000+ startups in 2022-23
More than 10,000 high-growth and high-wage startup companies were created in Virginia during 2022 and 2023, according to research conducted by Richmond’s Chmura Economics & Analytics for the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. On Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced this achievement at an event at Zebox America, an Arlington County-based startup accelerator and innovation hub run [&he[...]
BAE Systems receives $493M Army contract
Falls Church-based BAE Systems Inc. has received a $493 million U.S. Army contract to produce M109A7 self-propelled howitzers and M992A3 ammunition carriers, the U.S. arm of British defense giant BAE Systems plc announced Aug. 2. The contract’s production and deliveries are scheduled between August 2025 and July 2026. The M109A7 will be used by the […]
Solar startup moving into Bedford plant, creating 104 jobs
Solar energy startup Solarix plans to invest $63 million to start a solar module manufacturing facility in eastern Bedford County and create 104 jobs, the company, the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and the Bedford County Office of Economic Development announced Thursday. Solarix, which bills itself as a 100% American-owned, SBA-certified, disabled veteran-owned company headquartered in [&[...]
Virginia Credit Union-Member One merger approved
Virginia Credit Union’s merger with Roanoke-based Member One Federal Credit Union was finalized Thursday, following a vote by Member One’s customers to approve the deal announced in January. Effective Thursday, Member One becomes a division of VACU “as the organization works toward full integration of its systems and service platforms,” according to a news release […[...]
Launch pads
In the 2000s, economic development leaders in Southern Virginia strategized a path for building back a regional economy decimated by lost textiles jobs. These visionaries, according to Linda Green, executive director for the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, decided to invest in industrial parks and other locations readied for manufacturing operations. “We have been very blessed […]
Caesars Virginia — a work in progress
Lots can change over three years and eight months. Back in September 2020, Danville, its industrial development authority and Nevada-based Caesars Entertainment signed a development agreement naming Caesars the city’s preferred gaming operator and outlining the parties’ obligations. Back then, Caesars budgeted $400 million to build its Caesars Virginia resort casino on the Schoolfield mill [&h[...]
ODU names inaugural director of supply chain/logistics school
Old Dominion University has named Kuntal Bhattacharyya as inaugural director of its new School of Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations (SSCLMO), the university announced Tuesday. Previously, Bhattacharyya worked as project director of Indiana State University’s Logistics 4.0 Innovation Hub, where students study artificial intelligence, machine learning and the management of logistic[...]
Leidos wins $823M task order
The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded Leidos an $823 million task order to provide operations and sustainment for the Department of Defense Network program (DoDNet), the Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor announced Monday. In 2022, DISA, which provides information technology and communications services for national leaders, the military services and others, awarde[...]
Leidos names first chief AI officer
Leidos has named Ron Keesing its first chief AI officer, the Reston Fortune 500 contractor announced Tuesday. Keesing, who joined Leidos in 2004, has more than two decades of experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics. His roles have included serving as founding director of the Leidos AI Accelerator and as senior vice […]
