Sign In
Free Newsletter
German yeast upcycler building plant in Rockingham
Leiber, a German manufacturer that processes brewers’ yeast into animal food, biotechnology and supplements, will invest as much as $20 million to establish its first U.S. operation in Rockingham County’s Innovation Village, adding an estimated 35 jobs. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the new facility Monday. It will be completed in phases and increase the company’s […]
Sandpaper manufacturer to expand in Va. Beach
Hermes Abrasives USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Hamburg, Germany-based Hermes Abrasives, will invest $5.6 million in a Virginia Beach expansion that will add an estimated 30 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. Hermes Abrasives manufactures coated and bonded abrasives and grinding tools. The company will return its narrow belt production line to its Virginia Beach […]
Fed Fifth District economy grows slightly
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) grew slightly in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is based on anecdotal information about economic conditions gathered [&hell[...]
Manufacturing 2023: GREGORY TREPP
In 1996, Trepp joined appliance manufacturer Hamilton Beach as its director of marketing and has since held various senior and executive leadership positions within the company. In 2017, he became president and CEO, overseeing the company’s consumer, international and commercial divisions. He also previously served as the CEO of various subsidiaries, including Hamilton Beach’s Canadian [&helli[...]
Manufacturing 2023: JON MOORE
Head of the tobacco products manufacturer since 2019, Moore has worked under parent company Altria Group since 2003, serving as vice president of its heated tobacco products division and director of marketing for NuMark, Altria’s early e-vapor subsidiary started in 2013. Today, he leads the nation’s leading cigarette producer, established in 1847 in London. Today […]
Growth industry
Prompted by shifts in consumer buying trends, Shenandoah Valley farmers are investing heavily in automated systems and cutting-edge growing processes to position themselves for the long haul in an industry that’s changing rapidly. Once dubbed the “breadbasket of the South” because of its bountiful wheat crops, Virginia’s northwestern region has remained an agricultural powerhouse. But [&he[...]
Manufacturing 2023: KOEN KNIPPENBERG
A longtime Volvo Group employee, Knippenberg moved from his home country of Belgium to become vice president and general manager of the New River Valley Volvo Trucks plant in April 2022. Before that, he was vice president for the company’s plant in Ghent, Belgium, as well as managing director for Volvo Group Belgium for five […]
Manufacturing 2023: ROBERT H. SPILMAN JR.
Spilman, who has been CEO of home furniture manufacturer and seller Bassett Furniture since 2000, said in March that the company has fulfilled a large backlog of orders and subsequent supply chain disruptions created during the pandemic. In the second quarter, consolidated revenue declined by 22% compared with last year, although the reported $100.5 million […]
Manufacturing 2023: WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ GIFFORD JR.
Gifford became Fortune 500 tobacco product manufacturer Altria’s CEO in 2020, after having served as president and CEO of subsidiary Philip Morris USA and holding other executive posts at Altria for the past 25 years. After four challenging years, during which Altria saw the value of its 35% stake in Juul Labs’ e-cigarette company plummet […]
2023 Virginia 500: Manufacturing
Bradford “Brad” Beauchamp PRESIDENT AND CEO, CARPENTER, RICHMOND Manmeet S. Bhatia PRESIDENT AND CEO, TMEIC AMERICAS, ROANOKE Howard Broadfoot PRESIDENT AND CEO, ELECTRO-MECHANICAL, BRISTOL Ester Codina CLUSTER PRESIDENT NORTH AMERICA AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALFA LAVAL US SALES, RICHMOND Rob Collier PRESIDENT, CHEMTREAT, GLEN ALLEN [...]
Manufacturing 2023: CHRIS KEFFER
Keffer took over leadership of U.S. operations for German chainsaw and power tools manufacturer Stihl in early August, after joining the company in 2022 as vice president for sales and marketing. He previously spent about two decades with Stanley Black and Decker. He replaced Terry Horan, who led the division for a little more than […]
Manufacturing 2023: ROB COLLIER
Collier has worked for ChemTreat, an industrial water treatment company owned by Danaher, two different times. His first stint was from 2012 to 2018, when he was in the marketing department. He left to become president of Danaher subsidiary McCrometer, a California-based flow meter manufacturer, and returned to ChemTreat in 2020 as senior vice president […]
