Recent Articles from Katherine Schulte
Fluence to acquire renewable energy SaaS company
Arlington-based energy storage and digital application company Fluence Energy Inc. announced Monday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Nispera AG. Nispera is a Zurich-based artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled software-as-a-service company that targets the renewable energy sector. It helps clients monitor, analyze, forecast and improve renewable energy assets’ perfo[...]
DNA lab capacity expansion to bring 70 more jobs to Fairfax
Lorton-based forensic DNA testing company Bode Technology will invest $2 million to expand its DNA testing lab capacity in Fairfax County, a project expected to create more than 70 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The company will reconfigure about 5,000 square feet of its lab and add laboratory benches and robotics to support increased […]
White House taps Va. HBCU presidents for advisory board
The presidents of Virginia State University and Norfolk State University are on the list of intended appointees to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Biden administration announced on March 31. Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah, Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston and Janeen Uzzell, CEO of the […]
Virginians bet $402M on sports in February
Virginians bet almost $402 million in February, according to data released April 1 by the Virginia Lottery. Virginia sports bettors won more than $374 million in February. Since the state legalized sports betting in mid-January 2021, Virginia has recorded $4.1 billion in wagers. February’s gross revenue was a decrease of more than $83.6 million from […]
Midlothian lighting company promotes exec to CFO
Midlothian-based lighting and home decor company Shades of Light promoted Sean Acton to chief financial officer on Thursday. Acton was the company’s controller for about two years, and he will continue to oversee the accounting team until the company hires an accounting manager. Acton will take on oversight of the purchasing, inventory and production teams. […]
Intelsat donates space artifact to Smithsonian
McLean-based satellite operator Intelsat Corp. has donated the launch backup of the first commercial communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The company donated the ground spare of the Intelsat 1 satellite, also known as Early Bird. Intelsat 1 was launched on April 6, 1965, and is now inactive […]
Coalfields Expressway: Mostly unfinished and unfunded
Progress on a proposed 115-mile federal highway to improve transportation connectivity between Southwest Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky has been crawling in the commonwealth. Authorized by Congress in 1995, the Coalfields Expressway (CFX) — U.S. Route 121 — would run from U.S. Route 23 in Pound to Interstates 64 and 77 in West […]
Embedded finance
Several years ago, Blue Ridge Bank President and CEO Brian Plum began to notice a movement across the broader economy. “We live in a world where data has value,” Plum says. “It only made sense that over time, [as] you would see more sellers or other service providers that have built out platforms to try […]
SW community colleges to create wind manufacturing workforce
The presidents of four community colleges in Southwest Virginia signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday to establish a wind manufacturing workforce development partnership. “Today’s MOU signing is meaningful because it demonstrates our resident and abiding interest in collaborating. Our four community college presidents are setting an example of how to find ways to work together [&h[...]
VFCCE names Ben Davenport chairman
Davenport Energy Inc. Chairman Ben Davenport is the next chairman of The Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, the Richmond-based foundation announced Tuesday. In 2016, Davenport and his wife, Betty, invested $1 million through VFCCE to create a pilot program with four community colleges that provided early childhood programs to 150 early childhood professionals. Those […]