Sign In
Free Newsletter
Revamping Vinton
Vinton has been reinventing itself over the past decade, using public-private partnerships to convert old, vacant buildings into bustling modern developments. Now that the small eastern Roanoke County town has attracted new residents and visitors, the town’s new focus is on improving its transportation, walkability and infrastructure. “We really had a renaissance the last five […]
The Visionary
The online version of this article includes additional material from Virginia Business’ interview with Pharrell Williams. Pharrell Williams is a 13-time Grammy winner, an Oscar nominee, a fashion designer, a film producer, a music superstar and innovator. He’s also a native Virginian — a point that comes across strongly when he discusses his business ventures […]
Economic healing
Over the years, Petersburg has become accustomed to bad economic news. After Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., Petersburg’s largest employer for decades, left the city in 1985, Petersburg suffered an economic downturn from which it’s never quite recovered. More recently, in 2016, Petersburg city government had a roughly $12 million shortfall in its operating budget, […]
Appalachian Council for Innovation taps exec director
John Bebber has been hired as executive director of the Appalachian Council for Innovation, its board announced earlier in January. He was previously district director for U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Abingdon. ACI is a nonprofit regional economic development organization founded in 1999 as the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council. It includes businesses and organizations in 16 […]
State awards $7M in grants to help with site readiness
Eleven commercial projects across the commonwealth will get a boost to help with site readiness, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The Virginia Business Ready Site program, administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, awarded $7 million in development grants. Having project-ready sites available has been a priority for VEDP, and Northam asked for $150 million […]
Recycling joint venture to create 210 jobs in Chesapeake
Two sustainable development companies — New Jersey-based Kamine Development Corp. and Minnesota-based Nicollet Industries LLC — will invest $267 million to establish a joint venture paperboard recycling and production facility in Chesapeake, a project expected to create 210 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The 335,000-square-foot Celadon Development Corp. facility will be at the Che[...]
IT firm set to bring 125 jobs to Richmond
A Fairfax County-based software consulting and managed services company, Intact Technology, is creating a second presence in the state with a location in Richmond, an expansion expected to create 125 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday. According to Intact Technology CEO Jesse White, the company is exploring options in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood. “Our application [[...]
Calif. aerospace company proposes Accomack County facility
Accomack County is a finalist for a proposed Rocket Lab USA Inc. facility, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. If the county is selected, Long Beach, California-based aerospace company Rocket Lab would develop a facility to support part production, assembly, integration and test operations to support the launch of its Neutron launch vehicle from the NASA […]
Looking back
In November 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam sat down for an interview with Virginia Business, looking back at his eventful four-year term. This is a transcript of the full interview, part of which was used in the January 2022 cover story, “A dramatic shift.” The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Virginia Business: What […]
Better together
“Cooperation” is a word Jim Noel uses a lot these days when speaking about the Greater Williamsburg region, which encompasses the city of Williamsburg and York and James City counties. As York County’s economic development director, Noel has watched as one of the most historically significant areas of the nation has worked to revive and […]
United Way launches child care initiative
The gap between the need for child care and its availability and accessibility is nearly three times higher than the state average in Southwest Virginia, where parents lack child care services for more than 7,000 children under age 5, according to a 2019 report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. Child care is not cost-effective for […]
Need for speed
Geoff Poston likens the current market for building, buying and leasing warehouses and distribution centers to the mid-1800s California Gold Rush: Everybody wants in. Poston, vice president of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer’s Hampton Roads industrial group, says demand has never been greater for industrial real estate, creating a tight market with low vacancy. “The […]
