Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

byline: Courtney Mabeus-Brown

Buc-ee’s could open first Va. store in New Kent

A Texas-sized travel center could be coming to .

Buc-ee’s, which bills itself as having the cleanest restrooms in America and the “friendliest beaver,” has filed a conditional use permit with the county’s planning and zoning department for review and approval of a proposed sign, the county’s department posted on its Facebook page Monday.

According to the post, the Texas-based convenience store chain’s plans for construction of a 74,000-square-foot store with 120 fueling positions, 557 parking spaces, 24 Tesla electric charging stations and 10 bus and recreational vehicles parking stations at Exit 211 off Interstate 64. The company plans to employ more than 175 full-time with benefits at $16 to $18 per hour, and the center would be open 24 hours daily. Tractor trailers would not be permitted.

The location would be the chain’s first in Virginia and its anticipated 2027 opening is timed for completion of an ongoing project to widen I-64 in the county, New Kent Economic Development Director Matthew Smolnik told Virginia Business.

The company needs approval for its sign because it exceeds height standards set by the county, Smolnik added.

Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s is headquartered in Lake Jackson, Texas, and has 44 locations in Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas. The travel centers offer a variety of prepared foods, barbecue, custom-made sandwiches, fresh salads, baked goods, housewares, gifts, clothing and weekend getaway gear.

Smolnik said the company caters to local recreational needs, adding he thinks the New Kent location will sell fishing tackle, coolers and hunting gear. “I was told people can go Christmas shopping there.”
Buc-ee’s website says its New Braunfels, Texas, location holds the record for world’s largest convenience store at 66,335 square feet. Its New Kent location would top that if built to specs. The company did not respond to emails from Virginia Business on Monday.
According to the New Kent economic development department’s Facebook post, the company’s development team is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation as well as county planning staff to evaluate transportation improvements required by the project, inlacing coordination of design and construction efforts with the , implementation of overpass revisions and additions to serve the project and surrounding commercial development and project schedule coordination to be sure traffic improvement efforts are synced with the project’s completion.
Reaction to the county’s post was largely positive Monday, with more than 900 comments and 3,000 shares by late afternoon.
“New Kent is developing in the right direction,” someone said in one comment. “Congratulations, I can’t wait to see it.”

BAE Systems receives $245.6M Army contract

Falls Church-based will procure early-order material to support the future purchase of the ‘s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPV) under a $245.6 million cost-sharing contract announced by the Pentagon Friday.

Work will be performed by BAE Systems’ land and armaments sector in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2024. There was only one bid received for the work.

The AMPV is the Army’s program to replace the service’s Vietnam War-era M113 armored personnel carriers. The vehicles weigh between 75,000 to 80,000 pounds and reach speeds of up to 38 mph. The Army and BAE are working to accelerate production of the vehicles because about 200 M113s have been supplied to Ukraine, according to a January 2023 report by the Congressional Research Service.

BAE Systems Inc. is a subsidiary of England-based BAE Systems plc.

 

Divaris Group acquires N.C. mixed-use leasing, advising firm

-based has acquired North Carolina-based planning, advisory and leasing firm The , the firm announced Friday.

Financial terms and other details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The McGarey Group, led by President and CEO F. Denver McGarey, is now operating within Advisory, a division of Divaris Group. McGarey’s team will maintain its current roles, with its four employees transitioning to Divaris. McGarey Group has employees in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in San Diego.

“The McGarey Group has played a vital role in transforming numerous communities through landmark developments, spurring economic and social renewal,” Divaris Group Chair and CEO Gerald Divaris said in a statement. “Denver and his team have ambitious work ethic, unwavering commitment to integrity and an impressive track record of delivering exceptional results, enabling them to forge powerful strategic alliances across all areas of mixed-use development.”

Companies making up the Divaris Group include and Divaris Property Management Corp. The McGarey acquisition expands Divaris Real Estate’s services throughout the mid-Atlantic and to Arizona, Michigan, California and beyond, Divaris said. The McGarey Group has worked on 65 projects involving 41 million square feet across 22 states as well as in China and Japan. McGarey Group provides comprehensive planning, advising and core leasing of mixed-use retail projects, including projects involving professional and college sports teams.

In a statement, McGarey called merging with Divaris “the most perfect fit.”

“This amalgamation of advisory, leasing, marketing, management, development and acclaimed transactional brokerage services gives our clients a tremendous advantage,” McGarey said. “Throughout this process, we had an unobstructed view to the sophistication of their verticality and, more importantly, to the remarkable character and integrity of the Divaris family and company.”

News of the acquisition comes less than two weeks after Divaris announced it had added 2.3 million square feet of new property management and engineering assignments following a joint venture with Washington, D.C.-based firm KLNB in which Divaris will manage property obtained by that company.

Founded in 1974 in South Africa and headquartered in Virginia since 1981, Divaris Group is an international real estate services, brokerage and property management company that manages and/or leases more than 37.3 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space throughout the nation. IDivaris Real Estate Inc. has offices Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, and Roanoke, as well as in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, Beverly Hills, California, and Washington, D.C.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated the location of The McGarey Group. The company is based in North Carolina.

Radford’s Highlander hotel names senior leadership

The Highlander, a $40 million boutique conference hotel opening this spring in , announced its senior leadership team March 1.

The team includes Executive Chef James Kirby; General Manager Rachel Pegues; Director of Sales and Marketing Ginger Clark; and Director of Food and Beverage John O’Conner.

Kirby is a graduate of the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University and previously worked for five years at The Inn at Little Washington, where he rose to sous chef. He has also taught culinary arts at Stratford University and worked in Washington, D.C., restaurants including the Blue Duck Tavern and L’Ardente. He also ran an organic farm in the Shenandoah Valley that catered to D.C. restaurants.

“I plan to use seasonal ingredients to highlight the special, regional cuisine we will offer at our new restaurant, Bee & Butter,” Kirby said in a statement. “We’re planning to work with local food producers in as many creative ways as possible — bringing an exciting but relaxed, new culinary experience to the area — one that is worthy of this new rooftop facility with its jaw-droppingly beautiful view but appropriate for both everyday dining and special family events.”

Kirby will work closely with O’Conner, who has worked at Colonial Williamsburg Resorts, managed Williamsburg Winery and led operations for ‘s Kabana Rooftop and Lounge.

Clark will oversee the hotel’s spring 2023 opening and its meeting and group sales operations. Clark spent the last seven years leading sales with Hilton properties in the Roanoke, and Radford markets.

Pegues is responsible for overarching hotel operations, including staff management and guest satisfaction and relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina. Pegues has worked with hotel management firm Aimbridge Hospitality for more than three years and previously served in general manager positions with Marriott International Inc., Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., and Hyatt Hotels Corp. properties. 

The will be owned and operated by a special-purpose entity created for the project for the benefit of and its foundation. University officials and their partners in the project broke ground in April 2021. Partners in the project include Chicago-based firm JLL, which specializes in structuring public-private partnerships and helped guide the project, -based general contractor S.B. Ballard Construction Co. and architect firm BLUR Workshop, based in Atlanta. Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality has been named manager of the property.

The conference hotel will have 124 rooms, including four suites, and a 4,000-square-foot conference space that will allow the university to host large-scale events it couldn’t accommodate previously. There will also be a 2,750-square-foot indoor rooftop bar and restaurant and a 1,650-square-foot rooftop terrace.

Fairfax’s econ dev leader honored by White House

Fairfax County President and CEO Victor Hoskins has a new accolade to add to his list of achievements.

Hoskins, who has served in his role in since 2019, received a lifetime achievement award from the , the county EDA said Thursday. The award honors Hoskins for his “lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service.” Hoskins’ award was signed by President Joe Biden and was presented to him by the U.S. India SME Council on Tuesday at the University of North America in Fairfax.

Hoskins was nominated for the award by the India council, a member organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for small and midsize businesses owned by Indian Americans and other Asian Americans. He has volunteered with several regional organizations, including the Connected DMV board and the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. He also is on George Mason University’s President’s Innovation Advisory Council.

“Thank you to the U.S. India SME Council for nominating me for this great honor. It was gracious of you all to nominate me and I greatly appreciate that you deemed me worthy of receiving the honor,” Hoskins said in a statement. “I am speechless. I am tremendously humbled to receive such an incredible honor.”

Hoskins told Virginia Business he would hang his award in his Tysons office, adding that he sees “volunteering as a privilege and a personal investment in our communities.”

Before arriving in Fairfax, Hoskins led economic development in and helped to attract Amazon.com’s HQ2 East Coast to Virginia. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hoskins was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Washington, D.C., district office with a Director’s Partnership Award in 2022. Fairfax worked with 146 business that announced 12,647 jobs in 2022 and was home to the region’s largest economic development deal that year when Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. announced it was renewing the lease at its McLean global headquarters for another 15 years. The hotelier’s plans included a $50.3 million capital investment and plans to grow from about 800 employees to about 1,150 during the next five years.

Noblis promotes VP, chief people officer to senior VP

Reston-based Inc. is expanding the role of Vice President and Chief Officer Deborah Drake by promoting her to senior vice president, the not-for-profit federal contractor announced Tuesday.

Drake leads Noblis’ and organizational development, including talent recruitment, total rewards system and employee engagement.

“Over the past few years, Deb has helped to successfully lead some of our most critical initiatives, from meeting the evolving requirements of the COVID pandemic with a hybrid workforce plan to integrating employees from a recent acquisition,” Noblis President and CEO Mile Corrigan said in a statement. “I know she’ll carry this success forward in her expanded role to advance our people-driven strategic initiatives and keep Noblis a top workplace for our employees.”

Before joining Noblis in 2020, Drake served as vice president for human resources and talent acquisition at Herndon-based ManTech International Corp. from 2017 to 2020, according to her LinkedIn account. She also served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Herndon-based Sotera Solutions Inc. and as well as in human resource roles at other companies.  Drake earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mary Baldwin College and a master’s degree in administration/human resource management from Marymount University. She has a senior certified professional certification from the Society for Human Resource Management.

Noblis delivers technical and advisory strategies and solutions to federal government clients.

Boeing receives $1.2B aircraft development contract

Arlington-based Co. will develop two Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft for the under a $1.2 billion award announced by the Pentagon Tuesday.

The contract initiates prototype development activities of U.S. variations of the aircraft, which replaces the service’s E-3 aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle and is expected to be completed by August 2024. The Air Force plans to begin production in fiscal 2025, with the first E-7A expected to be fielded by fiscal 2027, the service said in a news release Tuesday. The Air Force plans to buy a total 26 of the aircraft.

“The E-7A will be the department’s principal airborne sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking, and reporting all airborne activity to Joint Force commanders,” Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in a statement. “This contract award is a critical step in ensuring that the department continues delivering battlespace awareness and management capabilities to U.S. warfighters, allies and partners for the next several decades. The E-7A will enable greater airborne battlespace awareness through its precise, real-time air picture and will be able to control and direct individual aircraft under a wide range of environmental and operational conditions.”

The E-7’s open systems architecture and agile software enable it to evolve and remain ahead of future threats, Boeing said in a news release. The E-7 can track multiple airborne and maritime threats simultaneously with 360-degree coverage using its Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array sensor. The E-7 is based on Boeing’s 737 airliner, and the company said its established supply chain will reduce maintenance and logistics costs while increasing mission readiness.

“The E-7 is a proven platform,” Stu Voboril, Boeing E-7 program vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “It is the only advanced aircraft that is capable of meeting the U.S. Air Force’s near-term airborne early warning and control requirement while enabling integration across the Joint Force.”

Air Forces in Australia, Turkey, South Korea and the United Kingdom each operate E-7 aircraft.

 

Torc to acquire Canadian computer vision firm

Blacksburg-based Robotics on Tuesday announced it will acquire Montreal-based computer vision company Algolux Inc.

A purchase price was not disclosed.

Torc, a self-driving truck company, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG. Torc said in a news release that it is acquiring Algolux for its expertise in computer vision and machine learning. Algolux focuses on machine learning tools and software products to advance driver assistance systems and .

“Algolux’s technology, at the intersection of deep learning, computer vision and computational imaging, will help Torc strengthen key capabilities toward our commercialization of Level 4 autonomous trucking,” Torc CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt said in a statement.

Torc has worked with Algolux for more than a year on multiple perception concepts and methods to improve object detection and distance estimation, while evaluating synergies between the two companies. Perception technology is key to helping Torc’s autonomous system correctly identify objects in challenging conditions including low light, fog, or inclement weather. Algolux software is currently operating on initial Freightliner Cascadia test vehicles and is being included in Torc’s software development.

“Torc shares in our commitment to create robust technology to realize the potential of autonomy and help save lives, which is one of the many reasons why joining forces makes sense for our teams, ” Algolux President and CEO Allan Benchetrit said in a statement. “Algolux’s established team with deep expertise in artificial intelligence/machine learning talent and perception complements Torc’s already experienced engineering team.”

Algolux is headquartered in Montreal with offices in Palo Alto, California, and Munich, Germany. The transaction will close after the parties complete pre-closing activities, including required approvals.

Last week, Torc announced it hired Michelle Chaka as senior vice president overseeing safety and regulatory matters.

Building blocks

If you ask officials in about 2022, they might respond with a familiar slogan: “Everything is awesome.”

With almost 5,000 announced jobs and $1.6 billion in capital investment, the region had one of its best years
in the last two decades.

By October 2022, the region recovered 100% of jobs lost during the pandemic, says Greater Richmond Partnership President and CEO Jennifer Wakefield, but the recovery was lopsided. The IT, finance and insurance sectors continue to lag, she explains, “but we’re looking to attract more companies in these areas since they include high-paying wages.”

Heading into 2023, the region may look to build on megadeals such as the June 2022 announcement that Danish toy maker had picked Chesterfield County for a $1 billion manufacturing plant. (See related story, Page 15.) In September, San Francisco-based Plenty Unlimited Inc. announced plans to invest $300 million to build the world’s largest indoor vertical farm in the county, bringing 300 jobs to Meadowville Technology Park.

“We’ve never seen this volume of megaprojects before,” says Economic Development Authority Executive Director Anthony Romanello.

Richmond

In November 2022, Washington, D.C.-based data and analytics provider CoStar Group Inc. broke ground on an expanded research and technology campus on the downtown riverfront. The $460 million expansion will bring nearly 2,000 employees to the city. The project, announced in December 2021, is expected to be complete in early 2026. The company also purchased a 117,500-square-foot, $20 million office building across the river in the city’s Manchester area in May 2022.

“Having a new corporate campus shows that companies are still investing in office projects and creating jobs in Richmond,” says Richmond Director of Economic Development Leonard Sledge.

Between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, the city landed $552 million in capital investment, creating an expected 2,237 jobs. Those projects include an expansion by Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., which in March 2022 announced it would invest $97 million to expand its clinical research operations by nearly 150,000 square feet while adding 500 employees in the Richmond area during the next three years. The project is a joint one with , and while much of the investment will be there, including two labs, Thermo Fisher will add significant space to its operations in the city at the
VA Bio+Tech Park. 

Also in March 2022, Pennsylvania-based warehousing and logistics company A. Duie Pyle Inc. announced it would invest $20 million and add 75 jobs to establish three cross-dock service centers in Manassas, Roanoke and Richmond, where 25 of those jobs will be located.

Meanwhile, Richmond’s city government has been sparking some of the region’s largest projects ahead. In September 2022, Richmond selected the RVA Diamond Partners LLC development team, led by Thalhimer Realty Partners, to develop the Diamond District, a $2.44 billion neighborhood redevelopment project. Being built on 67 acres along the Interstate 95 corridor, the mixed-use project will include 2,800 residential units and a new baseball stadium for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, expected to open for the 2025 Minor League Baseball season.

Additionally, in December, the Richmond Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority received five development proposals for the City Center Innovation District, a 9.4-acre mixed-use downtown redevelopment project that will include demolishing the closed Richmond Coliseum and adding a hotel.

Henrico County

Henrico had not landed a $1 billion economic development project since Facebook announced a data center there in 2017. That changed in 2022 when the county saw a record six $1 billion-plus projects, says Romanello. Henrico saw total economic development investments of $264.2 million, adding 1,271 jobs, in fiscal year 2022, which ended June 30, 2022.

“What made 2022 unique was the number of advanced manufacturing and data center megaprojects that came to us,” Romanello says, “and we continue to work dozens of projects, from the megaprojects to small businesses and everything in between.”

Last year marked a year of expansions in the county as well.

Boston-based SimpliSafe, a producer of DIY home security systems, announced in July 2021 it was investing more than $3 million to expand its Henrico operations, adding 250 jobs. The company opened its first customer service call center in Willow Lawn in 2020; it opened a second location in Innsbrook last year. “They liked us so well, they doubled down and made a second investment,” says Romanello.

On the sweeter side, snack food maker Mondelez International Inc. opened a new distribution site in Henrico in November 2022, part of a $122.5 million investment and expansion in the county, creating about 80 jobs. The company produces brands such as Oreo, Ritz, Wheat Thins and Chips Ahoy!

Additionally, EAB, an education research, technology and marketing company, announced in June that it would invest $6 million and add more than 200 jobs in Henrico during the next five years, relocating and consolidating from two area locations into a 70,000-square-foot space on West Broad Street.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and friend at the June 2022 announcement event for Lego Group’s $1 billion Chesterfield County manufacturing facility Photo by Shaban Athuman/Richmond Times-Dispatch
via Associated Press

Chesterfield County

Aside from its massive, headline-generating Lego factory announcement, Chesterfield County scored big wins in agriculture and pharmaceuticals in 2022, tallying a record $1.47 billion in investments and 2,658 jobs during fiscal 2022.

Announcements from agriculture company Plenty Unlimited Inc. and nonprofit drugmaker Civica Rx in September 2022 added to the county’s gains. Plenty is slated to open the first phase of its 120-acre $300 million indoor vertical farming campus, billed as the world’s largest such facility, late this year or in early 2024. Civica is investing $27.8 million to construct a 55,000-square-foot laboratory testing facility in Chesterfield to support its Petersburg pharmaceutical manufacturing operation. The project expects to create 51 jobs.

Also in the works is a $108 million, 179,000-square-foot renovation and expansion of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, near Midlothian.

County

Hanover Director of Economic Development E. Linwood Thomas IV says the county has seen “significant demand in manufacturing and logistics space, and we are seeing emerging growth taking place in the bio and life sciences segments of our local and regional economy as well.” 

For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2022, the county added more than 1,960 jobs across all industry sectors and announced more than $243 million in new projects.

In February 2022, Walgreens Co. announced an investment of $34.2 million to establish a pharmaceutical micro-fulfillment center at Atlee Station Logistics Center. The project will create 249 jobs and is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of this year. That was followed by a July 2022 announcement from Toronto-based Unilock, which manufactures concrete paving stones and segmental wall products. The company plans to invest $55.6 million to establish a manufacturing campus in Doswell, adding 50 jobs. Construction is expected to begin this year. Finally, Pennsylvania-based Lutron Electronics announced in September 2022 that it will invest $28.3 million to build a 145,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, adding about 200 jobs.

and

Lynchburg continued to capitalize on its LYH Loves You branding campaign, which launched in summer 2021. The campaign, part of the city’s five-year strategic plan, aims to attract business investment and talent, says Anna Bentson, the city’s assistant director of economic development and tourism. In 2022, Lynchburg’s economic development authority directly supported expansions by Flowers Baking Co. and Bausch & Lomb, resulting in $65 million in investment and 94 new jobs.

Meanwhile, Charlottesville continues to see growth as an innovation hub for technology and life sciences, says Chris Engel, who directs the city’s Office of Economic Development.

In January, the University of Virginia announced it will build a $300 million biotechnology institute funded in part by a $100 million donation from Charlottesville investor Paul Manning and his wife, Diane. Expected to open around 2027 at U.Va.’s Fontaine Research Park, the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology will focus on translational medical research to produce new treatments — such as cellular and gene therapies, nanotechnology and immunotherapy — that are expected to treat many different diseases. UVA Health is recruiting researchers who will work for now in the system’s existing facilities.  

Playing defense

What’s in a name? Perhaps a lot if you’re riding on the coattails of and Corp.

The May and June 2022 announcements that contractors and would move their corporate headquarters to County generated plenty of buzz, but they didn’t dazzle like the 2018 announcement of Amazon.com Inc.’s multibillion-dollar HQ2 East Coast headquarters coming to Arlington. That may be, at least in part, because the Boeing and Raytheon announcements didn’t come with similar headline-grabbing capital investment or job-creation figures.

What the headquarters moves did do, however, is instantly make Virginia the center of the universe. With Boeing and Raytheon joining Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics Corp., Virginia is now home to four of the world’s five largest contractors and aerospace companies. (The largest, Lockheed Martin Corp., is based in nearby Bethesda, Maryland.)

The news also brought validation that the Washington, D.C., region is a marquee location for tech, aerospace, defense and adjacent industries.

“Anytime you get a major corporation locating your headquarters in town, that’s a bragging point. It seems to matter,” says Terry Clower, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis. “I don’t have a formula that tells you what the economic value of that is, but it’s one that … it makes sense, because it’s deepening and broadening your corporate network infrastructure for the region.”

And Arlington officials hope to build on these big headquarters wins.

“They’re kind of like the equivalent of the home run,” says Arlington Economic Development Director Ryan Touhill, who started in the role in November 2022, about the headquarters moves.

Neither Boeing, which was previously headquartered in Chicago, nor Raytheon, which called Waltham, Massachusetts, home, have discussed much about their moves publicly other than a desire to be located closer to government clients and industry partners.

Raytheon has about 130 corporate staffers in Rosslyn, a number that hasn’t increased, though the company has “slightly expanded its footprint,” says spokesperson Chris Johnson, who also cites the region’s multiple international airports as a factor for its move. And, while Raytheon CEO Gregory Hayes won’t be relocating to Virginia, Johnson has previously said Hayes is expected to spend a lot of time here.

Similarly, Boeing already had about 400 employees in Arlington’s Crystal City area, and its move didn’t involve any major job relocations. According to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Boeing’s relocation brought 150 new jobs and $5 million in investment. Connor Greenwood, a company spokesperson, could not confirm the accuracy of those figures, nor did the company respond to questions about plans for a research and technology hub it pledged to establish with its move.

Nevertheless, home runs like these headquarters moves can help Arlington hit economic development singles, doubles and triples by helping the county draw smaller, emerging companies that “benefit from the things that the larger companies attract,” Touhill says, adding that the county is “seeing a good amount of aerospace interest.”

In the wake of Boeing and Raytheon’s announcements, Arlington economic development officials increased outreach to target companies and industries, says Michael Stiefvater, acting director of Arlington Economic Development’s Business Investment Group. “We’ve done a bit of a campaign to reach out to companies in the aerospace and defense industry following those announcements,” he says.

Along with positive publicity from the announcements, the county has heard “good things” in its communications with site selectors, brokers and companies, Stiefvater adds. While that hasn’t translated into immediate deals, he chalks that up to uncertainty in the post-pandemic office market environment.

The county has, however, received “quite a few” requests for proposals from consultants, “which is a nice change,” Stiefvater adds. “It was really quiet, basically since the beginning of the pandemic through this fall, in terms of corporate headquarters deals.”

Those RFPs haven’t yielded results the county can announce yet, but Stiefvater says they’re a signal that “we’re in competition.

“I’m imagining, you know, Boeing, Raytheon certainly probably played a role in catching ‘s attention and hopefully got us on the short list or a final list.”