Former PBMares CEO named 2021 Chamber board chair
The Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Friday elected Alan Witt, former CEO of Newport News-based accounting and consulting firm PBMares LLP, to serve as its 2021 chair of the board of directors. He succeeds 2020 Chair Paige Clay, a senior partner with Mercer. Witt has been a Virginia Chamber of Commerce board member since 2016 […]
Va. unemployment claims remain high, but new claims drop
Although the number of initial jobless claims filed last week dropped relative to the previous week, unemployment numbers remain high, according to figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission on Thursday. During the week ending Jan. 16, 21,073 Virginians filed initial claims, a 25.3% decline from the previous week, which saw 28,227 people file new […]
Navy awards HII $175M contact
The U.S. Navy awarded Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) a $174.9 million contract to maintain and repair elevator support units aboard the branch’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the Department of Defense announced Friday. HII will perform work on units stationed across the United States and other deployed locations, according to the DOD. Work is expected […]
Huntington Ingalls biz names nuclear operations VP
Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Wednesday it has hired retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Thomas Moore as vice president of nuclear operations for its Nuclear and Environmental Services business group. Moore served 39 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring in August 2020 as the commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, where he managed […]
Va. sees highest number of initial jobless claims since July 2020
Last week, more than 28,000 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims — a 44.5% jump from the previous week. This is the greatest number of initial claims reported since July 2020. During the week ending Jan. 9, 28,227 Virginians filed initial claims, which was an increase of 8,697 from the previous week. This could in part […]
PBMares names new CEO
Newport News-based accounting and consulting firm PBMares LLP announced Tuesday that Harvey L. Johnson has been promoted as CEO, effective Jan. 1. Johnson, a partner and cybersecurity and control risk services practice leader, will serve as the company’s second CEO in the firm’s 58-year history. He succeeds Alan S. Witt, who became CEO in 1979. […]
HII acquires unmanned systems business
Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Monday it has acquired Virginia Beach-based Spatial Integrated Systems Inc.’s (SIS) autonomy business. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the acquisition expands HII’s unmanned systems capabilities, according to a company statement. Approximately 50 SIS employees will join unmanned systems business[...]
Smithfield Foods gifts $300K to Hampton Roads Workforce Council
Smithfield Foods Inc., the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer, announced Tuesday it has donated $300,000 to the Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC), a nonprofit that develops workforce policy and initiatives in Southeastern Virginia. The donation will support the HRWC’s new Veterans Employment Center in Newport News. The center will provide resources and coaching [&hell[...]
Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden to chair Aerospace Industries Association board
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) announced Tuesday it has named Northrop Grumman Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Warden to serve as the chair of the AIA’s board of governors for 2021. Mike Petters, president and CEO of Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries, will serve as vice chairman. Since 1919, the AIA has served as the […]
Va. initial jobless claims nearly doubled last week
The number of initial jobless claims filed last week jumped 93.5% — its highest level since the Aug. 8 filing week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. For the week ending Dec. 5, 16,654 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment, nearly a two-fold increase of 8,048 from the previous week. “While one week doesn’t constitute […]
Williamsburg engineering company acquired by Kansas firm
Williamsburg-based TAM Consultants Inc. has been acquired by Kansas engineering firm Terracon Consultants Inc. Founded in 2002, TAM is a 15-person professional services firm that provides building consulting and facilities engineering services for public- and private-sector clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region. TAM has offices in Richmond, Williamsburg and Newport News. TAM’s employees[...]
Va. jobless claims fall to lowest level since March
The number of initial jobless claims filed last week fell to its lowest level since the pandemic’s employment effects began to be felt in mid-March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday. Initial jobless claims in Virginia dropped by 29.7% last week compared with the previous filing week, according to the VEC, while continued claims fell […]