Va.’s Largest Companies: Emergency landing
As the U.S. economy showed signs of unexpected strength and inflation slowed throughout 2023, most of Virginia’s largest publicly traded companies held their own, with some riding high. Reston-based General Dynamics saw its highest-ever quarterly revenue, while Performance Food Group, headquartered in Goochland County, made th[...]
Economic Development: Keep on keeping on
In 2023, Virginia racked up another year of economic development wins in the manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, Gov. Glenn Youngkin continued his push toward producing more shovel-ready industrial sites in the state, one of his key priorities since taking office in January 2022. In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy anno[...]
United Way of SWVA spins off workforce programs
The United Way of Southwest Virginia is spinning off its workforce development programs by establishing a new nonprofit, EO, to oversee them, UWSWVA announced Feb. 20. EO, which stands for Endless Opportunity, is also Latin for “go.” The new nonprofit will manage what has been the UWSWVA’s $10 million portfolio of [...]
Norfolk looks to renovate Scope, Chrysler Hall instead of building new arena
Norfolk no longer plans to build a new arena after Military Circle Mall is torn down, and instead is seriously considering renovating two city-owned venues downtown: the 53-year-old, 10,000-seat Scope Arena and the nearby 52-year-old Chrysler Hall, a 2,500-seat theater. “The participation of the public dollar that we would nee[...]
Logistics company expanding in Winchester
Third-party logistics warehousing provider WCS Logistics, a Winchester Cold Storage company, will invest $27 million to expand in Frederick County and create an estimated 15 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. WCS Logistics will build an 83,000-square-foot cold storage facility with the capacity for more than 13,000 pal[...]
Lego delays Chesterfield production start to 2027
Lego Group will begin production at its $1 billion Chesterfield manufacturing facility in 2027, at least a year later than originally planned, the Danish toymaker announced Thursday. The company also named Preben Elnef as project lead and Gray | Hourigan, a joint venture between Lexington, Kentucky-based Gray and Richmond-base[...]
Trident Systems to add 50 jobs in Fairfax
Fairfax-based aerospace defense contractor Trident Systems plans to invest $3.7 million in an expansion of its Fairfax County operation, creating about 50 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. Trident Systems, which was acquired by Chantilly-based LightRidge Solutions in July 2023, produces space electronic systems for the Department of Defense, NASA and the intelligence community. The […][...]
Mack Trucks will expand Roanoke County facility
North Carolina-based Mack Trucks, a division of Sweden-based Volvo Group, will invest $14.5 million to expand its Roanoke County manufacturing operation, a project expected to create 51 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. Mack Trucks, a medium- and heavy-duty trucks producer, will add 72,000 square feet to its current fa[...]
Va. Beach makes economic development head permanent
Charles E. “Chuck” Rigney Sr. has worked in economic development all over Hampton Roads; in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampton. Last February, he joined Virginia Beach’s economic development team as a business development administrator and since June 2023, he has been the department’s interim director. Now h[...]
Hampton Roads Exec Roundtable adds four board members
The newly formed Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable elected four new board members at its January meeting, the organization announced Monday. William “Bill” Murray, senior vice president of corporate affairs and communication for Richmond-based Dominion Energy; Towuanna Porter Brannon, president of Virginia Peninsula[...]
Northrop Grumman breaks ground on $200M Waynesboro facility
Falls Church-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman broke ground Friday on its $200 million-plus facility in Waynesboro. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the planned facility, which will hold advanced electronics manufacturing and testing, in November 2023. Northrop Grumman anticipates creating an estimated 300 jobs [...]
Seeing the sites
Despite boasting a world-class port, a highly skilled workforce and easily accessible transportation infrastructures, Hampton Roads perennially comes away empty-handed in attracting large-scale industrial developments. Chalk it up to the region’s lack of shovel-ready sites, a situation that state and local economic development[...]