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Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Agriculture 2025: SMITH, SHANE
Smith became CEO and president of Smithfield Foods in 2021, just as the world’s largest pork product manufacturer and hog producer announced an end to slaughter operations in its hometown of Smithfield, the country’s self- proclaimed “ham capital.” In January, Smithfield launched its initial public offering of 26 million stock shares at $20 per share […]
Agriculture 2025: LOHR, MATTHEW J.
With a combined annual economic impact of more than $105 billion, agriculture and forestry provide more than 490,000 jobs in Virginia. Lohr’s office and its three agencies oversee these industries among other duties, including supporting rural economic development. Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry since January 2022, Lohr previously served as a three-term state delegat[...]
Law 2025: PEYTON, JANET P.
Leader of the state’s largest law firm’s Richmond office since 2023, Peyton is an attorney who specializes in intellectual property and data privacy and security. Working with clients in a wide range of industries, including retail, manufacturing and higher education, Peyton assists with strategic management of U.S. and foreign trademark portfolios, licensing and transactional intellec[...]
Transportation 2025: BANAS, RYAN
Banas oversees the $3.9 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion, the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history and one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. In May, the tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Mary, saw its mining operations pass the halfway point with nearly 60% of the more than 7,900-foot second tunnel excavated. As […]
Banking | Finance 2025: CAUDRON, TRISTAN
Caudron leads RiverFront Wealth Advisors, formerly Caudron Megary Blackburn Wealth Management Group. RiverFront is a member of the Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network. Caudron co-founded CMB in 1995. A certified financial planner, Caudron is also an accredited asset management specialist and a chartered retirement planning counselor. He was among the professionals named on Barron’s 2025 [[...]
Transportation 2025: BENNETT, P. DALE
Bennett adopted the love of trucking from his late father, a professional truck driver, and has advocated for the trucking industry for more than 40 years. The nation’s trucking industry has been hit hard in recent years by driver shortages, supply chain woes and high diesel prices. At the federal level last year, the VTA […]
Transportation 2025: CRUTCHFIELD, RANDALL
Crutchfield has been chairman and CEO of Colonna’s Shipyard — one of the nation’s largest private shipyards — since January 2024, succeeding Tom Godfrey, who retired at the end of 2023 after leading the company for decades. Founded in 1875 and headquartered in Norfolk, Colonna’s provides ship repair, marine and industrial machining, and steel fabrication. […]
Transportation 2025: EDWARDS, STEPHEN
The Virginia Port Authority runs the Port of Virginia, which is one of the state’s chief economic drivers. Annually, port-related business and activity account for more than 565,000 jobs, more than $124.1 billion in total spending and $5.8 billion in state and local tax revenues. Meanwhile, Edwards and other port leaders have stayed focused on […]
Transportation 2025: KUHN, CHARLES
At age 16, Kuhn founded JK Moving Services, now North America’s largest independently owned and operated moving company, with $225.5 million in fiscal 2024 revenue. It employs more than 1,300 workers. The company has moved presidents and their families in and out of the White House since George H.W. Bush’s administration, including moving the Trumps […]
Transportation 2025: LAYNE JR., AUBREY L.
Layne, a former state secretary of finance and secretary of transportation under two governors, has worked at Sentara, a 34,000-employee regional health system, since July 2021, overseeing several teams, including legislative affairs, real estate, construction, supply chain, security, compliance, internal audit and privacy. He also chairs the Virginia Port Authority board, which oversees the Port [...]
