April 2023 Top Five
The top five most-read daily news stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from Feb. 14 to March 13 included an update on the Lego Group’s Chesterfield County factory, which is expected to begin production in 2025. 1 | Lego to hire 500 Chesterfield employees by year’s end The Danish toymaker expects to create more than 1,760 jobs at […]
At max capacity
Supply chain and logistics executives used to joke that no one knew or understood what their jobs were — that is, until the COVID-19 pandemic upended how goods were transported to warehouses and ultimately to customers. “Until you start to look behind the scenes, you don’t know how all of this gets to your door […]
Feds say Chinese cranes used at Port of Va. could be spy tools
The Port of Virginia may have as many as 30 Chinese ship-to-shore cranes that have come under scrutiny from Pentagon officials over national security concerns, and the port has five more on delivery for next year. The cranes made by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., known as ZPMC, a state-owned company whose major shareholder is […]
M S International to open $61.6M Suffolk distribution center
M S International Inc. (MSI), a California-based flooring, countertop, wall tile and hardscaping products supplier, will invest $61.6 million to establish its East Coast distribution facility in Suffolk, a project expected to create 80 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. McDonald Development Co. will construct the 548,000-square-foot facility, which will be located at 2821 Holland [&hell[...]
Lowe’s to open distribution facility in Suffolk
North Carolina-based home improvement retailer Lowe’s Cos Inc. will establish a coastal holding facility in the city of Suffolk, adding 100 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. Lowe’s had more than $96 billion in sales in fiscal 2021 and it operates or services nearly 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores, employing more than 300,000 associates. […]
Coming home
As a kid growing up in Virginia Beach, “Scotty” Gray saw military aircraft so routinely that he wanted to become a pilot. Today he is U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Christopher (still “Scotty”) Gray, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, where he oversees an area that stretches from Wisconsin to North Carolina and includes 14 installations — […]
Executive insights
Virginia Business asked five Hampton Roads leaders to discuss how regional cooperation could directly impact their industries, how they’re coping with staffing shortages and what their hopes are for the region’s future. XAVIER BEALE Vice president of human resources and trades, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News Most Hampton Roads leaders say they’d like to see […]
Skanska wins $223M contract for offshore wind farm prep
New York-based Skanska USA won the $223 million contract to redevelop the 72 acres of the Portsmouth Marine Terminal that Dominion Energy Inc. will use as a staging area for its $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. The company announced the award on Tuesday. The CVOW calls for the construction of 176 wind turbines […]
Former Va. finance secretary Layne named port authority chair
Former state finance and transportation secretary Aubrey L. Layne Jr. has been named chair of the Virginia Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners, the Port of Virginia’s administrative body announced Wednesday. Layne is a veteran of Virginia government, having served as secretary of finance under Gov. Ralph Northam and secretary of transportation under Gov. Terry McAuliffe. […]
Coffee roaster to invest $29M to expand Suffolk facility
Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, the North American operating unit of the Italian coffee roaster Zanetti Beverage Group, will invest $29.1 million to consolidate and expand operations at its Suffolk roasting facility, a project expected to create 79 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. “Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA’s continued expansion in Virginia speaks volumes about the […]
Port of Va. partnering with Norfolk Southern
The Port of Virginia is part of a new partnership with Norfolk Southern Corp., Hapag-Lloyd and Union Pacific Railroad. The partners will provide expedited train shipping from the East Coast to the western U.S., Norfolk Southern announced last week. The partnership, called OceaNS Bridge Express, will start at the Port of Virginia’s Norfolk International Terminals […]
Tech manufacturer to add 32 jobs in Newport News
Newport News-based automated machinery designer Mühlbauer Inc. will invest $9 million to expand its Newport News operation, a project expected to create 32 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. Mühlbauer Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of German company Mühlbauer Group. The company will make upgrades to its Oakland Industrial Park facility and add production equipment. […]