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Buc-ee’s could open first Va. store in New Kent
A Texas-sized travel center could be coming to New Kent County. 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&[...]
Fairfax’s econ dev leader honored by White House
Fairfax County Economic Development President and CEO Victor Hoskins has a new accolade to add to his list of achievements. Hoskins, who has served in his role in Fairfax County since 2019, received a lifetime achievement award from the White House, the county EDA said Thursday. The award honors Hoskins for his “lifelong c[...]
Norfolk tech startup plans $1M expansion
Norfolk-based digital magazine startup Magazine Jukebox Inc. (MJB) will invest $1 million to expand, moving from a coworking space into an office, and will create an estimated 20 jobs. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the expansion Tuesday. “We are proud that Magazine Jukebox, an emerging leader in the technology services sector,[...]
Chambers of commerce
STATEWIDE Asian American Chamber of Commerce | Tysons | (571) 633-9754 asian-americanchamber.org Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce | Ashland | (804) 344-1540 aabac.org Virginia Chamber of Commerce | Richmond | (804) 644-1607 vachamber.com Virginia Hispanic Chamber | North Chesterfield | (804) 378-4099 vahcc.com CENTRAL VIRGINIA Altavista Area Chamber of Commerce | Altavista | (434) 369-6665 […][...]
Crying wolf?
It’s “the most predicted potential recession in memory,” Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President and CEO Tom Barkin quipped in January, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe. During the first half of 2022, surveys of consumers and CEOs showed they were worried about a recession coming on the heels of a 40-year peak in inf[...]
Building blocks
If you ask economic development officials in Central Virginia 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 Richmond region had one of its best years in the last two decades. By October 2022, the region recovered 10[...]
Filling the steel gap
Metallurgical coal may be an unknown to the general population, but it’s very important to the manufacturing of steel and also valuable in the current economy. In August 2022, Australia-based Coronado Global Resources Inc., which produces metallurgical coal, announced a $169.1 million expansion of its Buchanan Mine Complex in [...]
Building momentum
From olive oil to space rockets, 2022 saw a variety of companies seeking to invest — or reinvest — in the Hampton Roads region and Eastern Virginia. That kind of diversity of industries augurs well for the region’s economy, says Vinod Agarwal, professor of economics at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business[...]
Here to stay
Composite decking and railing manufacturer Trex Company Inc. has called the Winchester community home for more than 25 years, so when it came time for the company to construct a new global headquarters, Winchester was top of mind. “Trex was already based in the area, so they were familiar with the city and approached us [&hell[...]
Filling in
Industrial real estate is a hot commodity in Southwest Virginia. “It’s hard to find available space of anything that’s above 15,000 to 20,000 square feet,” says Jonathan Belcher, executive director of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA), which represents Lee, Wise, Scott, Buchanan, Russell, Taze[...]
DroneUp takes off
Virginia Beach’s DroneUp LLC is riding the leading edge of the unmanned aerial vehicle industry wave. Founded in 2016, the company, which specializes in commercial drone delivery, flight services and software, has grown its ranks from three to 530 employees. Retail giant Walmart Inc. is a new partner, and DroneUp is close to c[...]
A time to build
The Shenandoah Valley Partnership had more economic development activity than “anyone anticipated in 2022,” says Jay Langston, the partnership’s executive director. During the calendar year, the partnership saw close to $140 million in investment and 520 jobs. In Fishersville, Amazon.com Inc. is building a $120 million, [...]
