Economic Development 2023: STU SOLOMON
Solomon has been leading the public-private Connected DMV economic development group since 2019. In May, the organization and partners submitted a landmark U.S. Department of Energy application to create the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, which would displace more than 420,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year and create an estimated 8,000 jobs by 2030. In […]
Polish glass fabricator expanding in Henry County
Poland-based Press Glass Inc. will spend more than $155 million to expand its operations in Henry County and add 335 jobs, marking the largest expansion in the county’s history, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The largest independent glass fabricator in Europe, according to a news release, Press Glass will construct a 360,000-square-foot addition at its […]
Central Va. Transportation Authority names first leader
Chet Parsons will serve as the Central Virginia Transportation Authority’s first executive director, the organization announced Thursday. Parsons has served as director of transportation for PlanRVA, also known as the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, since 2019. CVTA finances transportation projects across the Richmond region. It was established by the General Assembly in 2020[...]
Charlottesville-based Virginia Diodes to expand, invest $2.5M
Virginia Diodes Inc. (VDI) will invest $2.5 million to expand its operations in Charlottesville, adding an estimated 24 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. VDI was founded in Charlottesville in 1996 as a spinoff from the University of Virginia and in 2004 established its headquarters at the city’s Ix Art Park complex. The company manufactures […]
Henrico County, Markel|Eagle acquire land for GreenCity
Henrico County and an affiliate of Markel|Eagle Partners LLC came to an agreement Thursday to purchase the 110-acre Scott Farm property, which will be a key part of the $2.3 billion mixed-use GreenCity development, for $35.1 million. First proposed in December 2020, GreenCity plans to include what is billed as the nation’s greenest arena, with […]
Henrico insurer to create 72 jobs in $6.2M expansion
Henrico County-based insurance company Berkley Insurance Co. will invest $6.2 million to expand its office in the county’s Innsbrook area, with plans to create 72 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. A subsidiary of Connecticut-based Fortune 500 company W. R. Berkley Corp., the firm will lease an additional 8,920 square feet of office space from […]
Big deals
CENTRAL VIRGINIA Appomattox: In November 2022, Virginia MetalFab, a precision sheet metal fabricator, moved from Nelson County’s Gladstone area to nearby Appomattox, where it’s leasing the former Thomasville Furniture plant, which shuttered in 2011. Founded in 2002, Virginia MetalFab manufactures metal parts and assemblies for industries ranging from utilities to transportation and tec[...]
Betting on success
Thousands of new jobs are flowing into Southern Virginia as Caesars Virginia prepares to open its permanent casino resort next year, and industries move into the region or expand. Meanwhile, local economic developers have been pitching the vacant 3,500-acre Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill for megaprojects like electric vehicle assembly and battery manufacturing plants […]
Chesapeake studying Greenbrier’s future
What’s the path ahead for Chesapeake’s Greenbrier community, a 12-square-mile area known as the city’s economic powerhouse? Consultants have been meeting with city departments, the business community and the public since January to craft a plan guiding Greenbrier’s future development. They also posted a survey on Chesapeake’s website that garnered about 1,640 response[...]
Va. edges up to No. 2 in CNBC poll
Cited once more for its educational prowess, Virginia moved from third place last year to second place this year in CNBC‘s annual Top States for Business rankings. Our neighbor to the south, North Carolina, won the top spot for a second year in a row. “Virginia is our most decorated state, a five-time winner,” the […]
Developer rejuvenates Colonial Beach
Richmond developer Duke Dodson fondly remembers spending summer days as a child at Colonial Beach, a Northern Neck beach town bordering Maryland on the Potomac River. So, when the town listed 12 parcels of land for sale in 2020, he jumped at the opportunity. “My grandparents went to Colonial Beach back in the day to […]
Richmond casino returning to Nov. ballots
It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but the Virginia Lottery and the Richmond Circuit Court have approved Richmond’s do-over casino referendum to appear on ballots this fall. “I am excited to see the Virginia Lottery and the Richmond Circuit Court approve the referendum for a Richmond destination resort and entertainment venue that will provide 1,300 good-paying […]