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 […]
Virginia named top business climate in U.S. by Business Facilities
Business Facilities magazine, a trade publication that focuses on corporate site selection and economic development, has named Virginia first in the nation for its overall business climate, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The state joins fellow honorees Tennessee (recognized for best dealmaking) and Massachusetts, recognized for its workforce and educational system in Business FacilitiesR[...]
Plastics manufacturer to produce 300 jobs in Chesterfield
Starplast USA, a subsidiary of Israel-based plastic manufacturer Starplast, plans to invest $17.7 million in a new facility in Chesterfield County, creating 300 jobs over the next five years, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. “Starplast chose Chesterfield County for its new manufacturing operation because the geographic location is very attractive, especially given its proximity to […[...]
CoStar Group to open $460M campus in Richmond
Washington, D.C.-based CoStar Group Inc., a commercial real estate data and analytics provider, will build a $460 million corporate campus in Richmond, creating 2,000 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The new campus will include a 26-story, 510-foot, LEED-platinum-certified skyscraper that will be the tallest building in Virginia, rising two feet taller than the Westin […]
Northam proposes $150M for site readiness
When Mazda Toyota was looking to build a plant that would have brought 4,000 jobs and 1.6 billion in investment, Virginia was ruled out. Why? Because Virginia didn’t have a competitive project-ready site available. Huntsville, Alabama, landed the deal instead. Since 2016, Virginia has lost out on 42,000 direct jobs and over $75 billion in capital […]
















