Richmonders launching large hemp processing facility in South Boston
Blue Ribbon Extraction, a company started by two Richmonders, is investing $3.26 million to establish Virginia’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and cannabidiol (CBD) oil extraction facility in South Boston, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The project will create 22 jobs and the company plans to source about $70 million in hemp — more than […]
Va. hotel revenues still down by more than 60%
Even as Phase Three of Virginia’s reopening plan looms on the horizon, Virginia hotels are continuing to see revenues dropping. in the second week in June by 64% compared to the same time a year ago, according to findings released Thursday by Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Rooms sold were […]
Tech names VP of campus planning, infrastructure, facilities
Virginia Tech announced Thursday that Christopher H. Kiwus has been named vice president for campus planning, infrastructure and facilities, a position in which he oversees the university’s six-year plan for approximately 30 projects totaling nearly $3 billion. Kiwus had been Tech’s associate vice president and chief facilit[...]
Tech names president, CEO for Corporate Research Center
Virginia Tech announced Thursday that Brett Malone will become the next president and CEO of the university’s Corporate Research Center (CRC), effective July 1. Malone succeeds longtime CRC President and CEO Joe Meredith, who retired in February after 27 years in the position. A “triple Hokie” (earning his bachelor[...]
Northam releases Phase Three reopening plan details
Virginia isn’t ready to enter Phase Three of the state’s Forward Virginia reopening plan yet, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday, but when it happens, it will bring some big changes back to public life — like allowing social gatherings of up to 250 people. “We are not entering Phase Three this week. While statewide[...]
386K+ remain unemployed in Va. during pandemic
UPDATED 4 P.M. FRIDAY | More than 386,000 Virginians are still unemployed following the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the number of initial jobless claims across the commonwealth continues to decrease. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced Thursday that 849,486 initial unemployment claims have [...]
Virginia gets new digits
On Wednesday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) announced that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator has assigned a new area code, 826, to relieve future exhaustion of the 540 area code, which is expected to occur in 2022. Residents and businesses in the affected region will not lose their existing 540 phone numbers under […]
$2.48M in state research grants awarded to tech firms, universities
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that $2.48 million in grant funding from the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) will be dispersed among small technology businesses and universities to be used to commercialize research in sectors including clean energy, cybersecurity, data analytics, life sciences and unmanned systems. “These entrepreneurs and innovators are on the front lines […][...]
Chicago company acquires Reston-based PagnatoKarp
Reston-based wealth management firm PagnatoKarp has been acquired by Chicago-based Cresset Asset Management, the companies announced Wednesday. A transaction amount was not disclosed, but with the acquisition of PagnatoKarp, Cresset now has $9.5 billion in assets under management. PagnatoKarp had $2.3 billion in assets under management prior to the acquisition. “PagnatoKarp was born during the Great […][...]
Eastern Mennonite University president to serve second term
Eastern Mennonite University President Susan Schultz Huxman has been appointed to a second five-year term, the Harrisonburg-based private liberal arts university announced Tuesday. Huxman began her first term on Jan. 1, 2017. The university board of trustees unanimously approved the appointment, which will be effective Oct. 1 [...]
Allianz Partners names new CEO
Henrico County-based travel insurance company Allianz Partners announced Wednesday that Elena Edwards has been promoted to CEO of the German company’s United States business unit. The company employs approximately 1,000 people in the Richmond region. She succeeds Michael J. Nelson, who left the company for another travel indus[...]
Va. Economic Developers Assoc. announces award recipients
The Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) announced Tuesday the recipients of its 2020 Community Economic Development Awards (CEDA): the city of Harrisonburg for its Bricks & Clicks Initiative and a regional economic development collaboration among Pittsylvania County, Danville and the Southern Virginia Regional Al[...]