Former commerce secretary returns to Williams Mullen
Former Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball is returning to his former law firm, Williams Mullen. Ball rejoined Williams Mullen on Oct. 10 as of counsel in its corporate section, supporting and serving the firm’s Economic Development Team and aiding clients with business expansion needs. He’ll be based in the firm’s Richmond office. […]
Hitachi Energy plans $37M expansion in Halifax County
Hitachi Energy Ltd. will invest $37 million to expand its operation in Halifax County, creating 165 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The technology company will add 26,000 square feet to its existing facility in the county to make space for a new production line of large transformers to support the utility and renewable energy […]
Roanoke County names economic development director
Megan Baker will be the next director of economic development in Roanoke County, the county announced Monday. Baker will start Oct. 24. She will replace Jill Loope, who announced her retirement in July. Loope will assist with Baker’s transition, then head up the tourism department in Roanoke County’s parks, recreation and tourism department until she […]
Reading the room
In 2017, David Kern, a retired Naval submarine officer turned entrepreneur, had a lightbulb moment. While working on a data analytics project at a desk in the Naval Station Norfolk annex, he realized that his company, Virginia Beach-based Kern Technology Group LLC, needed to shift from focusing on product development to becoming a service contractor. […]
Coming home
As a kid growing up in Virginia Beach, “Scotty” Gray saw military aircraft so routinely that he wanted to become a pilot. Today he is U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Christopher (still “Scotty”) Gray, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, where he oversees an area that stretches from Wisconsin to North Carolina and includes 14 installations — […]
Full speed ahead
No other region of Virginia moves the entire commonwealth forward like Hampton Roads. Sure, Dee Cee is about technology, government contracting and national politics. And Richmond is about politics that are generally more local. Hampton Roads, on the other hand, is about the military and commerce. The ports, the railways, interstates, tunnels, trucks and air […]
Surf’s up for Chesterfield’s The Lake
It took a lot to make The Lake happen. Developer Brett Burkhart had to nail down $323 million in financing, obtain a slew of permits and get Chesterfield County to offer performance grants or tax rebates. That took seven years, but he finally got it done, and clearing is underway on the 105-acre site on […]
Rudee Loop getting a fresh makeover
One of the East Coast’s most prime pieces of undeveloped real estate, Virginia Beach’s Rudee Loop, could soon find new life. In August, the city released four proposals that could turn the 11-acre site from what Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson described as a concrete-strewn “mess” into a multiuse destination for surfers, anglers and other tourists. […]
Vantage point
Norfolk leaders have high hopes for redevelopment projects that will reposition older properties — from an aging mall to an underused marine terminal — to better match modern market demands. “We are always asking, ‘What can we do that allows for some sort of creative transformation to actually happen?’” says Sean Washington, the city’s acting […]
Titanium company investing $82.1M in Halifax County
Charlotte, North Carolina-based IperionX Ltd., a minerals company that produces titanium metal powder for use in manufacturing, announced plans to establish Virginia’s first titanium demonstration facility in Halifax County, an investment of $82.1 million expected to create 108 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. The three-year project will be in two phases: The first is […]
RapidFlight to add 119 jobs at Manassas HQ
RapidFlight LLC, a designer and manufacturer of unmanned aircraft will invest $5.5 million to establish operations in Manassas, creating 119 jobs over the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. RapidFlight is an integrated, end-to-end provider of airborne drones. Founded in 2021 by RapidFlight President Jay Gundlach, the company works for national security and […]
Pangiam to add 200+ jobs at new Tysons HQ
Pangiam, a travel and security technology company, will invest $3.1 million to establish its global headquarters in Fairfax County’s Tysons area, creating 201 jobs over the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. Pangiam provides facial recognition technology, cloud-based applications and data-driven identity solutions to customers including the Department of Homeland Secur[...]