December 2022 Top Five
The top five most-read daily news stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from Oct. 14 to Nov. 14 included an announcement of the acquisition of Charlottesville-based WillowTree Inc., which was founded in 2008 as a mobile app developer. 1 | Something in the Water will return to Va. Beach in 2023 Music superstar Pharrell Williams announced his […]
TowneBank president and COO retiring
TowneBank President and Chief Operating Officer Brad E. Schwartz will retire on Dec. 31, the Suffolk-based bank announced Wednesday. Schwartz will also step down as a director when his current term expires at the 2023 annual shareholder meeting. He will serve as a senior adviser through 2025 to assist with the transition. “Our Towne family […]
Bon Secours breaks ground on Suffolk hospital
Bon Secours broke ground Tuesday on its $80 million Bon Secours Harbour View Hospital, which is expected to be completed in 2025. The hospital will be 98,000 square feet and have a surgical focus, with 18 medical/surgical beds and up to four operating rooms. It will serve as an extension of other services on the […]
Youngkin tours Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center in Suffolk
Amazon.com Inc.’s 3.8-million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center in Suffolk opened in September, but the global retail colossus held an official grand opening at the facility Thursday, allowing Amazon officials to show off the center to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who attended the opening event and took a tour. The $230 million, four-and-a-half-story building in Northgate Commerce Park […]
TowneBank names president, regional banking director
TowneBank has promoted Brian Skinner to the newly created role of president and regional banking director for all of its markets in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, the Suffolk-based bank announced this week. “Brian is a dedicated member of the Towne family with a proven track record of leading both emerging and seasoned financial professionals […]
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. […]
TowneBank names new CEO
Suffolk-based TowneBank announced Friday that William “Billy” I. Foster III will become CEO, succeeding J. Morgan Davis, who is retiring. Foster, the bank’s market president for Central Virginia and the Carolinas, joined TowneBank as a regional president in 2004, leading the bank’s expansion into the Norfolk area. Before that, he was eastern region president for […]
TowneBank to acquire Farmers Bank
Suffolk-based TowneBank has agreed to acquire Windsor-headquartered Farmers Bankshares Inc., the parent company of Farmers Bank, the two companies announced Thursday. The deal is expected to close early next year. The $56 million deal, which would create a combined company worth $17.5 billion in total assets, loans of $10.9 billion and $14.5 billion, would add […]
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 […]
ACI expands Hampton Roads footprint
Richmond-based Atlantic Constructors Inc. is expanding its presence in Hampton Roads with a new 39,000-square-foot facility in Suffolk and 75 new jobs, the company announced June 2. Previously, ACI had three small offices in Hampton Roads, and the company has consolidated two of them into a larger, more modern facility, a company spokesperson said. The […]
Century-old Birdsong Peanuts to modernize Suffolk plant
Suffolk-based Birdsong Peanuts is investing $25.1 million to modernize it Suffolk shelling facility, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. The company plans to refurbish and automate production lines at the Suffolk plant. It is also committing to additional growing opportunities for Virginia peanut producers, a news release said. Additional details about those opportunities and whether the [&hell[...]
255-apartment complex coming to Suffolk
The Cathcart Group, a Charlottesville-based real estate developer, is building a 255-unit apartment community in Suffolk planned to open in 2023. The Gallery at Godwin will be on nine acres at 3061 Godwin Blvd. in Suffolk and will have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from $1,200 to $1,900. The complex will also […]