Richmond extends deadline for small business, nonprofit relief program
The city of Richmond has extended the deadline for its Richmond Recovers Grant Program, giving small businesses and nonprofits until Oct. 19 to apply for grants ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office announced Tuesday. The city allocated $3 million of its federal CARES Act funding to the program, which has $1.68 […]
Hampton Roads State of the Region report offers sobering look at COVID-19 impacts
Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis & Policy’s 2020 State of the Region report for Hampton Roads offers a sobering look at how the pandemic has harmed the regional economy and left tens of thousands of Hampton Roads residents jobless. Employment in Hampton Roads fell dramatically, hotel occupancy continues to be outpaced by […]
Mount-It! to invest $7.45M in Prince George operation
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that mounting solutions distributor Mount-It! will invest $7.45 million to establish its first East Coast warehouse and distribution facility in Prince George County, creating 85 jobs. Mount-It!, which provides more than 500 types of mounting products, will be located in the former Quality Way building in Prince George County. Virginia […]
Va. offshore wind industry could create 5.2K jobs, study finds
The offshore wind industry could create up to 5,200 jobs in Virginia (with a majority in Hampton Roads) and an estimated $740 million in total economic activity during the next several years, according to an economic impact analysis conducted by Henrico County-based Mangum Economics and released Tuesday by the Hampton Roads Alli[...]
On the fast track
Six Hampton Roads-based companies, including two newcomers, landed on the Virginia Chamber’s 2020 Fantastic 50 list of the state’s fastest-growing privately owned businesses. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the winners were recognized during a virtual event held in May. To qualify for the Fantastic 50, nominees’ fiscal revenues had to exceed $200,000 and be less […]
This burg has grown
Three-term incumbent Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw recalls when her city moved at a slower pace, as did surrounding Spotsylvania and Stafford counties. All that has changed, profoundly. Fredericksburg’s population has jumped by more than 50% during the past 20 years, from 19,279 in 2000 to an estimated 29,036 in[...]
Chips on the table
On Election Day, Norfolk and Portsmouth voters will decide whether to hold ’em or fold ’em. The two Hampton Roads cities will consider separate Nov. 3 ballot referendums on large casino projects that promise jobs, tax revenue, increased area tourism and funds for school construction. “It’s new for Virginia, for sure,” [...]
By land, sea and air
Faced with challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, many Hampton Roads businesses and universities are looking to drones for help. Unmanned flight systems also are likely to drive economic development in the future. In May, when the fear of dwindling personal protective equipment was still fresh, the Herndon-based Cente[...]
The big dig
With construction beginning this fall to expand the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), relief is on the way for travelers weary of sitting in traffic jams along one of south-eastern Virginia’s most congested corridors. The $3.8 billion expansion is the largest project in the history of the Virginia Department of Transportatio[...]
Executive Insights
David C. White Executive vice president, Virginia Maritime Association What do you consider the most pressing issue facing the Hampton Roads region? The maritime industry is in the best position to drive the economic growth and job creation for the region. Capacity at the container terminals has been increased to move an additional 1 million […]
Mack medium duty trucks on the road again
Founded by two brothers 120 years ago, Mack Trucks Inc. is an iconic American brand and image — snub-nosed trucks adorned with bulldogs because of a nickname earned in World War I. And since Sept. 1, all of Mack’s medium duty trucks are being built in Roanoke County’s Valley TechPark. The company, part of Sweden’s [&hell[...]
Is Trump good for business?
President Donald Trump entered the White House in 2017 with no political experience but a lifetime spent in business. Nearly four years later, with the incumbent Republican president up for reelection against Democrat Joe Biden, a former vice president who has been in politics for 50 years, Virginia voters are asking themselves:[...]