Smithfield separates from European arm
Smithfield Foods announced Tuesday that its European operations have been carved into an independent subsidiary. The action takes place a little over a month after Smithfield’s Chinese parent company, WH Group, which has its headquarters in Hong Kong, announced plans to take the company public in the United States. Smithfield Europe, now to be called […]
South Asian yogurt manufacturer to open Frederick County facility
Desi Fresh Foods, a producer of Indian-style spoonable and drinkable yogurt products, is opening a new manufacturing facility in Frederick County, creating 56 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. The New York-based company will “invest a significant amount of money to open a new manufacturing facility,” according to a news release. Desi Fresh Foods and […]
Hand-built electric classic sports cars to be built in Danville
RBW Sports & Classics, a United Kingdom manufacturer of hand-built electric vehicles that have designs inspired by British sports cars from the 1960s and 1970s, plans to invest $8 million to establish a manufacturing facility at Cane Creek Centre in Danville, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. The project is expected to create 144 jobs. Those […]
SWVA projects recommended for $10M in federal grants
Four Southwest Virginia economic development projects have been recommended to receive a cumulative $10 million in federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grants, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, announced Monday. The projects are on sites where coal was mined prior to 1977, the year the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation […]
Va. localities win $126M in grants for industrial sites
Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week announced $126 million in Virginia Business Ready Sites Program development grants to fund work on 23 industrial sites in the commonwealth. Virginia’s growing inventory of project-ready sites was a factor in CNBC naming the commonwealth America’s Top State for Business in July, Gov. Youngkin noted in a Thursday news release. […]
Va. Lottery reports record $5.5B in FY24 sales
Virginia Lottery reported a record-breaking $5.5 billion in sales for fiscal 2024 and highest ever profits of $934 million, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. In fiscal 2023, the state lottery reported $4.6 billion in revenue and $867 million in profits, which set the previous records for the state agency, which opened 36 years ago. Lottery […]
Va. tourism generated $33.3B for 2023
Virginia’s tourism industry generated $33.3 billion in visitor spending in 2023, an increase of nearly 10% over 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. “The commonwealth’s record-breaking visitor spending numbers are a testament to our abundance of attractions and unique destinations,” Gov. Youngkin stated in a news release. Virginia’s tourism industry supported over [...]
Youngkin: Va. spawned 10,000+ startups in 2022-23
More than 10,000 high-growth and high-wage startup companies were created in Virginia during 2022 and 2023, according to research conducted by Richmond’s Chmura Economics & Analytics for the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. On Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced this achievement at an event at Zebox America, an Arlington County-based startup accelerator and innovation hub run [...]
Va. gets initial approval for $1.48B to increase broadband
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Virginia’s initial proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, according to a NTIA dashboard that tracks proposals. This approval means Virginia can now request access to $1.48 billion in federal funding to reach locations in the state that do[...]
VATI awards $41M in broadband grants to localities
The Virginia Telecommunications Initiative, which funds broadband extension to unserved areas, will provide more than $41 million in grants to 10 broadband construction projects that will serve Virginians in 20 localities, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. “Virginia continues to be a national leader for closing the digital divide, and today’s announcement brings us one step [&hell[...]
Virginia saw 15,000 jobs created in June
Virginia reported 15,000 jobs created in June, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. Overall, the commonwealth has seen 258,000 jobs created since January 2022, according to the news release from the governor’s office. “The jobs report is yet another good sign about the resiliency of the Virginia economy,” Bob McNab, an economist at Old Dominion University, […]
Virginia is CNBC’s Top State for Business for record sixth time
Virginia regained its crown as the No. 1 state in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business rankings released Thursday, winning the top spot for a record sixth time. The cable business news network once again praised Virginia for having “the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and […]