Cashing in
In 2019, a state study forecast that if the General Assembly allowed five casinos to operate in five economically disadvantaged Virginia cities — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond — that one-third of the revenue generated would stem from out-of-state visitors. In other words, if you build it, casino backers sang out to the commonwealth’s […]
Atlantic Union completes $507M purchase of American National
Richmond-based Atlantic Union Bankshares completed its acquisition Monday of Danville-based American National Bankshares, parent company of American National Bank and Trust. Based on the $35.31/share closing price Thursday of Atlantic Union common stock, the transaction value was approximately $507 million, according to Atlantic Union’s news release Monday. The deal was announced in July 202[...]
Va. casinos report $57.3M in Feb. revenue
Gaming revenues from Virginia’s three casinos totaled $57.3 million in February, according to Virginia Lottery data released Friday. The Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock temporary facility opened July 2022, making it Virginia’s first casino. The Virginia Lottery Board approved HR Bristol’s casino license in April 2022. Last month, the Bristol casino generated about [&hell[...]
Tourism: Game on
According to the state government, visitor spending across Virginia surpassed $30 billion in 2022, exceeding 2019 expenditures by 4.4%. Nevertheless, business travel still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, particularly in Northern Virginia. But leisure travel is back and booming. Hotel revenues were up 13% statewide in 2023, compared with 2019, with more rooms sold at […]
Southern Va. Year-in-Review: Hitting the jackpot
Southern Virginia is seeing years of preparation for economic development pay big dividends. Businesses ranging from a temporary casino to a biopharmaceutical company to a flat-glass manufacturer announced they were opening or planning expansions in the region in 2023. Local economic development officials say the major draws they’ve worked hard to put in place include […]
Atlantic Union acquisition of American National approved
Richmond-based Atlantic Union Bank’s parent company announced Monday that the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors has approved its acquisition of Danville-based American National Bankshares, holding company of American National Bank and Trust. The Fed’s signoff was the last regulatory approval needed for the merger — announced in July 2023 — to close on April 1, […]
Va. casinos report almost $53M in January revenue
January gaming revenues from Virginia’s three casinos totaled $52.86 million, according to Virginia Lottery data released Thursday. Virginia’s first casino, the Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock temporary facility, opened July 2022. The Virginia Lottery Board approved HR Bristol’s casino license in April 2022. Last month, the Bristol casino generated about $9.9 million fro[...]
Top Five February 2024
The top five most-read daily news stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from Dec. 15, 2023, to Jan. 15 were led by the announcement that Fortune 500 IT company DXC Technology replaced its top executive. 1 | DXC Technology replaces Mike Salvino The Ashburn-based company replaced Salvino, its chairman, president and CEO, with interim President and […]
Caesars Virginia ‘tops off’ Danville casino
Caesars Virginia is a step closer to opening its permanent casino in Danville after a topping-off ceremony Thursday. Though the temporary casino opened in May 2023, work on the permanent Caesars Virginia casino and 12-story hotel has been ongoing. The floor of the casino has been poured, metal framing is in place and the hotel […]
Pittsylvania site is top contender for lithium-ion battery plant
The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County is the top contender for a lithium-ion battery manufacturing project that could top $1 billion in investments and about 1,500 jobs, according to its CEO. After a $100 million grant for the project was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy Nov. 27, 2023, Tennessee-based […]
Lynchburg and Danville law firms to merge
The law firms of Petty, Livingston, Dawson & Richards in Lynchburg and Southern Virginia Legal (SoVa Legal) in Danville will merge to become PLDR Law beginning Jan. 1, 2024, the two law firms announced Wednesday. Together, the two firms will jointly have 16 attorneys and have offices in Lynchburg and Danville, serving communities across Central […]
Va. casinos report $51.2M in November revenue
Gaming revenues from Virginia’s three casinos totaled $51.2 million in November, according to Virginia Lottery data released Friday. Virginia’s first casino, the Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock temporary facility, opened July 2022. The Virginia Lottery Board approved HR Bristol’s casino license in April 2022. The Bristol casino reported a little more than $12 […]