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Tag: job creation

Specialty coils manufacturer to expand in Chesterfield

Super Radiator Coils, an engineering and manufacturing company based in Minnesota, will invest $22 million to expand in Chesterfield County, creating an estimated 160 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office announced Friday.

The company will upgrade machinery and add about 80,000 square feet to its existing approximately 160,000-square-foot facility at 451 Southlake Blvd.

The plant has about 400 employees, and the 160 new jobs will be office and shop positions, according to company vice president Matt Holland, who runs its Richmond division. Office positions include engineering, management and supervision, procurement and administrative roles, and shop manufacturing positions include equipment operators, welders, brazers and entry-level assembly roles.

Super Radiator Coils has previously expanded the Chesterfield facility three times, most recently in 2022. The company announced its most recent expansion, representing a $9 million investment, in March 2021.

“This expansion builds on a 44-year history of Super Radiator Coils in the commonwealth and strengthens Virginia’s position as a leader in advanced manufacturing,” Youngkin said in a statement.

Super Radiator Coils manufactures heat exchangers and specialty coils for power generation, commercial and industrial HVAC, data center cooling, military and other industrial uses.

“I’m hugely proud of the growth of our Chesterfield facility over the last 40-plus years,” Super Radiator Coils President and CEO Rob Holt said in a statement. “And this latest expansion will allow us to continue our mission of unleashing the power of thermodynamics to improve our world. … We take our role as a growing Central Virginia employer seriously and can’t wait to see the impact of this latest growth.”

The company has two other manufacturing facilities — one in Chaska, Minnesota, and one in Phoenix. Virginia competed with Minnesota and Arizona for the expansion project, according to a news release.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $610,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the county. VEDP will support Super Radiator Coils through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a collaboration between VEDP and the Virginia Community College System that provides free customizable workforce recruitment and training services.

Avionics manufacturer will invest $5M on Reston office and R&D facility

CMC Electronics, a Montreal-based avionics manufacturer, will invest $5 million to establish an office and research and development facility in Reston, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.

Initially, the project will create 89 jobs, with more positions expected as operations increase, according to the governor’s office.

“This creation of new high-tech jobs demonstrates the strength of our commonwealth’s talent pipeline and our commitment to fostering cutting-edge industries,” Youngkin said in a statement.

CMC Electronics also has facilities in Canada and Illinois.

The company that would become CMC Electronics launched in 1903 as a wireless telegraph business. In the 1960s, the business switched its focus to aircraft navigation, monitoring and display systems, tactical radio communications, radar systems and multi-processor telex switching systems. Today, CMC Electronics designs and manufactures cockpit systems integration, avionics, display solutions and high-performance microelectronics for the military and commercial aviation markets.

“By expanding our presence, we are reinforcing our commitment to growth and continuing to provide cutting-edge avionics solutions that meet the evolving needs of the aerospace and defense industries,” Pierre Rossignol, president of CMC Electronics, stated.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to secure the project for Virginia.

Youngkin approved a $300,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund, a cash grant awarded to local governments on behalf of a company to offset or reimburse certain project-related costs, to assist Fairfax County with the project. Additionally, CMC Electronics is eligible for the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit, which provides an $1,000 income tax credit for each full-time job created over a threshold number of jobs. VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program will also provide funding and services for recruitment and training.

Liebherr to expand Newport News-Hampton facility

Newport News-based Liebherr Mining Equipment will invest $72.3 million to expand a plant at the border of Newport News and Hampton, creating an estimated 175 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.

“We thank Liebherr, an international leader in mining equipment manufacturing, for its commitment to the commonwealth of Virginia,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Liebherr has recognized that Virginia is strategically located to serve as its global production headquarters for mining trucks and service customers within the United States and across the world.”

Founded in 1949, Liebherr Group is a family-owned technology and equipment producer. Founded in 1995, Liebherr Mining Equipment Newport News Co. has more than 550 employees. It manufactures industrial-scale mining trucks used to transport material at open-cast mining operations. The trucks are partly assembled, tested and certified at the plant, and complete assembly occurs at the mine.

“We are excited to expand our mining equipment facility in Newport News … to better support Liebherr Mining customers around the world,” Cort Reiser, managing director of Liebherr Mining Equipment Newport News Co., said in a statement. “We’re thankful for the partnerships with the cities of Hampton and Newport News and the Commonwealth of Virginia that have greatly enriched our operations and enabled Liebherr to bring 175 new jobs and investment to the region.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Newport News and Hampton to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $1.5 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the cities. Liebherr Mining Equipment is eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant program. VEDP will support the company’s employee training through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, a three-year incentive program that provides cash grant reimbursements for associated human resources costs after a company has had new employees on the payroll for at least 90 days.

Va. ranked No. 1 in customized workforce training by Business Facilities

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program has taken the top spot in site selection industry publication Business Facilities’ ranking of states’ customized workforce training for the second year in a row.

Business Facilities is a magazine geared toward corporate site selectors and site selection consultants. The publication released on Monday the top states for a few categories in its 20th annual rankings report, although the full report won’t be available until its July/August 2024 issue. Texas won best business climate, and California took first place for the tech talent pipeline category.

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program is a discretionary incentive program that provides free customizable workforce recruiting and training services for eligible businesses locating or expanding in Virginia. Launched in 2019, the program is a collaboration between the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Community College System. With company input, VCCS develops credential and industry certification programs to create a talent pipeline aimed at meeting future workforce needs after the VEDP program ends. 

“The breadth and speed with which this VEDP program begins to deliver for companies is a highlight that Business Facilities is pleased to recognize in this year’s ranking,” Business Facilities Editorial Director Anne Cosgrove said in a statement. “The capability to provide training for businesses across a variety of industries to meet their specific needs is a feature that stands out with the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program.”

Since its launch, the program has helped secure more than 13,000 jobs in Virginia, including for the Lego Group’s $1 billion manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County and Tyson Foods’ $300 million Danville-area facility in Ringgold. Northrop Grumman is participating in the program for its advanced electronics manufacturing and testing facility in Waynesboro, announced in November 2023. The Fortune 500 defense contractor started construction on the project, for which it expects to create 300 jobs, in February.

More recently, in June, Swiss humidification systems company Condair Group announced a $57.2 million facility in Chesterfield County, expected to create 180 jobs. It will participate in the talent accelerator for the project.

“The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program is a primary reason why so many companies choose to invest in Virginia instead of any other state,” VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi said in a statement. “Virginia’s customized approach is unique to each company’s needs. We determine priorities in close collaboration with company leaders and then deliver truly customized recruitment and training services to ensure their operation is successful from the startup phase to full operation.”

The states following Virginia in the customized workforce training rankings are Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan and Arizona.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement: “The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program enhances Virginia’s competitiveness to win major projects and is often the deciding factor on investment in Virginia. … Virginians are joining the workforce in record numbers, and it’s critically important to ensure our workforce development matches the needs of today while building a workforce for the future.”

Food storage company to invest $77.5M in Suffolk facility

New Jersey-based cold and dry storage services provider FreezPak Logistics will invest $77.5 million to build a Suffolk facility, a project expected to create 80 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday.

FreezPak will build a 245,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Suffolk to serve the mid-Atlantic region. The 80 new jobs will be in warehouse operations and sales, as well as general manager positions, according to Anthony Soto, a spokesperson for FreezPak Logistics.

“FreezPak’s decision to locate in the city of Suffolk demonstrates that Virginia is a supply chain destination, and its new facility will allow it to serve the entire mid-Atlantic region,” Youngkin said in a statement. “All of FreezPak’s products will go through the Port of Virginia, a logistical advantage that will increase efficiency and increase its direct access to markets.”

Established in 2001 by two brothers, FreezPak Logistics offers frozen, cooler and dry storage as well as third-party logistics services. The company currently has nine facilities operating — across New Jersey and Philadelphia and outside of Chicago and Miami, Florida — and three under construction, counting the Suffolk facility and one each in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Houston metro area.  

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Suffolk and the Hampton Roads Alliance to secure the project, for which Virginia competed with Georgia and North Carolina. Youngkin approved a $175,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Suffolk.

FreezPak Logistics is eligible to receive state benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for full-time jobs created, as well as benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Grant Program. VEDP will support the insurer through its three-year Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides cash grant reimbursements for associated human resources costs after a company has had new employees on the payroll for at least 90 days.

“We sincerely appreciate Gov. Youngkin and his office’s support in securing incentives, a crucial factor in launching our project successfully,” Dave Saoud, co-founder and CEO of FreezPak Logistics, said in a statement. “We continue to expand our national footprint as a 100% family-owned business.”

Modine will invest $18.1M in Rockbridge County expansion

Modine Manufacturing, a manufacturer of cooling equipment for data centers, will invest $18.1 million to expand its Rockbridge County operation, creating an estimated 211 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.  

Wisconsin-based Modine, which builds thermal management systems and components, saw $2.3 billion in net sales in fiscal year 2023, a 12% increase over the previous year. The company, which has about 11,000 employees globally, opened its manufacturing facility in Buena Vista in 1963. 

“Modine’s increased production of data center cooling equipment will meet the growing demand of this vital sector in the commonwealth while creating high-quality 21st century jobs,” Youngkin said in a statement.

Rob Bedard, general manager of data centers for North America at Modine, said the company is proud to contribute to the growth of the data center industry in the commonwealth. “This new investment in our Rockbridge plant shows our commitment to support the region and enhances our position to offer a full range of cooling solutions to serve North America data center customers through our Airedale by Modine brand,” he said in a statement. 

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Rockbridge County and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $470,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Rockbridge with the expansion. VEDP’s Virginia Talent Accelerator Program will help Modine with workforce training and recruitment. 

Modine currently employs 75 workers at the Rockbridge County plant and more than 300 workers at the plant in Buena Vista, according to a company spokesperson.

 

Mack Trucks will expand Roanoke County facility

North Carolina-based Mack Trucks, a division of Sweden-based Volvo Group, will invest $14.5 million to expand its Roanoke County manufacturing operation, a project expected to create 51 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.

Mack Trucks, a medium- and heavy-duty trucks producer, will add 72,000 square feet to its current facility to increase capacity for its medium-duty truck line and “an emerging medium-duty electric truck line,” according to a news release.

In January 2020, then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced the company would invest $13 million to establish a Roanoke County facility to build medium-duty trucks, creating 250 jobs. Mack Trucks started building medium-duty trucks in the 280,900-square-foot facility on Sept. 1, 2020.

In 2021, an Argentinian private equity partnership purchased a 280,900-square-foot manufacturing facility in Salem for $12.7 million, the same address listed in Friday’s announcement

“Mack Trucks’ expansion further strengthens Virginia’s manufacturing industry ecosystem, which is a core focus of the commonwealth’s economic development strategy,” Youngkin said in a statement. “We are proud that Mack Trucks’ initial investment in a new Roanoke County operation four years ago has yielded a second major investment. This is truly another vote of confidence in Virginia by a global industry leader.”

Mack trucks are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries. Mack trucks, diesel engines and transmissions sold in North America are assembled in the United States, according to a news release. The Volvo Group was founded in 1927 and has about 104,000 employees.

“Mack is committed to making the industrial and product investments we need to be a North American market leader,” Stephen Roy, global president of Mack Trucks, said in a statement. “The expansion of the Roanoke Valley operations plant will help us grow in a strategic market segment and support our sustainability goals.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Roanoke County and the Roanoke Regional Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. Youngkin approved a $255,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the county. VEDP will support Mack Trucks through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consulting and funding to companies adding jobs to support employee recruitment and training activities. The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for full-time jobs created.

Meat processor to build $1.7M Prince Edward facility

A halal meat business, 5 Pillar Meats, will invest more than $1.7 million to build an abattoir and red meat processing facility in Prince Edward County, a project expected to create 12 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday.

The new building, which will be located on a 3-acre site in the Prince Edward County Business Park in Farmville, will be nearly 3,000 square feet. It will provide processing services for Southside Virginia livestock producers, focusing on beef, lamb and goats.

The Prince Edward-based 5 Pillar Meats is an extension of Green Bay-based Abdus-Sabur Farms, which has produced livestock and vegetables since 1982, according to 5 Pillar Meats Chief Operations Officer Sekou Abdus-Sabur. This project will be the company’s first meat processing facility.

5 Pillar Meats will have two sources of meats: animals harvested in the facility and meat purchased from a local wholesale distributor, Abdus-Sabur said in a statement. Animals harvested will be halal, meaning prepared in a way that is sanctioned by Islamic law, unless a customer specifically asks that the meat not be halal.

The company, which will source its livestock from Virginia farms, will offer wholesale and retail cuts processing to restaurants, hotels, grocers and retail consumers, especially those seeking halal meats. The company will also sell fresh cut meats at its small on-site retail store.

“We are happy to have the opportunity to offer this service to small and large producers alike who have had limited access to USDA-inspected processing of their livestock. Now, both will be able to market to the public,” 5 Pillar Meats CEO Qadir Abdus-Sabur said in a statement. “Families, local restaurants, hotels and others can enjoy locally raised, harvested and processed meat/meat products. We look forward to serving our community.”

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, Prince Edward County and the county’s Industrial Development Authority to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which the county will match locally. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is granting the project $75,000.

“I thank 5 Pillar Meats for their investment in Farmville and in Southside Virginia livestock producers,” Youngkin said in a statement. “This is the type of project that the AFID grant program was designed for as it creates rural jobs, encourages economic development and promotes agriculture, Virginia’s largest private industry.”

Russell County farm to invest $1M in expanded manufacturing

Goat milk products maker Bates Family Farm will invest roughly $1 million to relocate its manufacturing facility to a Russell County-owned building in Lebanon, a project expected to create 12 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.

“We’re creating agriculture-based jobs and selling Virginia-made products,” Bates Family Farm co-founder and CEO Joseph “Joe” Bates said. The jobs encompass multiple skills, he said, with most employees moving between the processing and farm sides depending on the season.

The Russell County-based manufacturer will move its skin care products manufacturing from a roughly 4,000-square-foot building on the farm to the 40,000-square-foot former Acme grocery store building, according to Bates. Bates Family Farm will then convert its current manufacturing building into a creamery to expand its dairy operation within a year to 18 months, he said, producing bottled goat milk and cheeses.

“What’s happened is our herd has grown over the years,” Bates said. “We’ve gone from basically 30 goats to about 200 goats at the moment, and of course, we’re getting a lot more milk, so now, our sales can’t keep up with our milk production,” which prompted the expansion.

Over the next three years, the company expects to increase production to $2 million worth of agricultural product (the value of the milk, not the finished products).

Shannon and Joe Bates established the company in Lee County in 2013 and later moved it to Russell County. Bates Family Farm’s skin care products include soap, lotion, lip balm and body cream and are sold in more than 1,000 retail and specialty stores across the U.S. The company offers 26 scents, Joe Bates said.

The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority provided the Russell County Industrial Development Authority with three loans for the purchase and renovation of the former Acme building in Lebanon: up to $500,000 in July 2021, up to $200,000 in February 2022 and up to $250,000 in March.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with Russell County and the Russell County Industrial Development Authority to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $70,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, which Russell County will match locally.

“I am pleased to see this AFID award assist in the relocation and expansion of Bates Family Farm, a Virginia home-grown, agricultural business, founded by one of our country’s veterans,” Youngkin said in a statement. “This project increases economic development activity in Russell County, provides new jobs in a rural area and demonstrates our support of the commonwealth’s dairy industry and to Virginia’s entire agricultural community.”

Framatome plans $49.4M expansion, creating 515 jobs

Framatome, a French nuclear power company with its United States headquarters in Lynchburg, will invest $49.4 million to expand, modernize and enhance its facilities, creating an estimated 515 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday.

The expansion will meet increased demand for servicing existing nuclear power plants and developing solutions for advanced and small nuclear reactors. At the end of October, Framatome had 1,350 employees in Lynchburg, where it has had a presence since 1989. Framatome designs, services and installs components, fuel and instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants worldwide.

“We are building the world’s leading nuclear energy hub right here in Virginia, thanks to the continued growth of industry leaders like Framatome,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The commonwealth is implementing an all-of-the-above energy plan to ensure abundant, reliable, affordable and clean energy, and Framatome is key to increasing our workforce in this critical technology for our future. Virginia can set the standard when it comes to energy innovation and has a pipeline of world-class talent prepared to meet demand.”

Virginia competed with North Carolina and Pennsylvania for the project.

In 2018, Framatome moved its North American headquarters from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Lynchburg and now has three operational and corporate sites in Lynchburg for its fuel, installed base and instrumentation and control (I&C) business units.

The company also operates its Framatome Nuclear Technology Academy at Lynchburg’s Central Virginia Community College, with the academy announcing a major revamp in May.

“The greater Lynchburg region and the commonwealth of Virginia have been Framatome’s North American base of operations for over a half-century. Now, we’re strengthening our commitment to our home and our shared goal of safe, reliable, low-carbon power generation,” Kathy Williams, CEO of Framatome North America, said in a statement. “Our extensive investments in facility expansion and modernization, broadening our labor pool and escalating recruitment will help energize our community and align us with the Commonwealth of Virginia as catalysts in the transition to a clean energy future.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Lynchburg to secure the project. Youngkin approved a $5 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Development Opportunity Fund to assist Lynchburg with the project. Framatome is eligible to receive state benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for full-time jobs created, as well as benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. VEDP will also provide support to Framatome through its Virginia Talent Accelerator Program.