IALR names EVP of operations
Lynchburg’s assistant city manager, John Hughes IV, has been named executive vice president of operations at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, the institute announced Monday. Hughes started in his new role Thursday. He reports directly to IALR President Telly Tucker and serves as the institute’s chief business and operations officer. “I […]
Caesars Virginia casino opens in Danville
On May 15, the first bets were taken at the 40,000-square-foot temporary Caesars Virginia casino in Danville, while a $650 million permanent resort casino is being built next door. The temporary casino looks like a simple white tent on the outside, but the inside feels “very much like you’re in any casino in the country,” […]
Caesars Danville opens temporary casino
Virginia’s third casino opened its doors Monday in Danville to hundreds of guests lined up to take a look inside Caesars Virginia’s 40,000-square-foot temporary casino. While the $650 million permanent resort, which is expected to open in late 2024, is being constructed next door, the temporary facility will offer guests eight sportsbook betting kiosks; 740 […]
Rural leadership institute aims to build local capacity
Virginia Rural Center Executive Director Kristie Proctor has long heard that the state’s rural areas were losing population and having difficulty cultivating local community leaders. To address the gap in local leadership, VRC, a Richmond-based nonprofit focused on fostering economic growth in rural areas, last year launched the Virginia Rural Leadership Institute (VRLI), an annual […]
Propulsion system
Madeline Davis has never set foot on a Navy submarine, so she doesn’t get to see the products she makes in action. Davis is a CNC (computer numerical control) machinist at Fairlead Integrated in Portsmouth, where she makes metal parts for the Navy’s silent service. The defense contractor supplies shipboard integrated parts, including for the […]
Lottery approves Danville Caesars casino’s license
UPDATED: April 26, 4 p.m. The Virginia Lottery Board approved the facility operator’s license for Danville’s $650 million Caesars Virginia casino, which is expected to open in a temporary space on May 15. It’s the third casino to receive state approval, following the Hard Rock casino in Bristol and Rivers Casino Portsmouth in Hampton Roads. […]
German electronics manufacturer to add 100 Va. jobs
Germany-based Zollner Elektronik AG will invest $18 million to expand in Virginia, including boosts to its electronics manufacturing operations in Danville as well at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Leesburg, adding 100 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The expansions include $14 million to expand manufacturing operations in the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industria[...]
River District Association gives leader a title upgrade
Diana L. Schwartz’s title is changing from executive director to CEO of the River District Association, the Danville downtown revitalization association announced Monday. The title more accurately reflects her role, according to an RDA news release. It has shifted from creating and managing programs for the downtown business community to putting greater emphasis on growing […]
Virginia hold ’em
The slot machines are already ringing out in Bristol and Portsmouth, where Virginia’s first commercial casinos opened during the past year. The state’s first permanent casino, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, opened its doors on Jan. 23. Operated by Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, the resort has 1,148 slot machines, 57 table games and 24 poker tables, as […]
Moving in
Southern Virginia is laying out the welcome mat for a growing number of companies seeking to locate in areas with lower taxes, better proximity to supply chains, a skilled workforce and improved quality of life. During 2022, a variety of businesses, ranging from an automotive education and entertainment firm to a moving and transit company, […]
Danville pharma startup announces $6.1M expansion
Danville-based pharmaceutical engineering and manufacturing company Engineered BioPharmaceuticals Inc. will invest $6.1 million to expand from a business incubator into its first standalone manufacturing space, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The move is expected to create 34 jobs. The company will expand from its current lab space at Dan River Business Development Center — a […]
Danville lacks housing options for workforce
Danville is having a “Field of Dreams” dilemma. The famous movie quote, “If you build it, they will come,” rings all too true in the former mill town, which is attracting companies to its industrial parks and old Dan River Mills properties, along with a $650 million casino. It’s good news on paper, but where […]