Pittsylvania site is top contender for $100M battery project
Updated 4:15 p.m. Nov. 28 The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill in Pittsylvania County is the top contender for a lithium-ion battery manufacturing project that could top $1 billion in investments and about 1,500 jobs, according to its CEO. Tennessee-based Microporous, whose legal entity is MP Assets, confirmed early Tues[...]
Va. could get $100M+ lithium-ion battery project
A $100 million-plus lithium-ion battery project could be coming to Virginia, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday, but a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said North Carolina could also be in contention. MP Assets will build a facility to manufacture separators for lithium-ion batteries, bringing 282 permanent jobs and at least a $100 […]
HII division to boost intel sharing for Five Eyes alliance
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ McLean-based Mission Technologies division has received a three-year contract to provide information sharing capabilities between the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. Newport News-based HII announced the award Nov. 21; information about the award was not disclosed. The Pegasus contract is administrated by the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concept, Development and Management Mission […][...]
Va. joins collaborative to launch air taxi industry
Virginia has joined seven other states in forming a collaborative to support the growth of the advanced air mobility industry. The Advanced Air Mobility Multistate Collaborative represents all aviation modes, including small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) and electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOL), which are both often referred to as air taxis, as well […]
Electra’s hybrid prototype aircraft takes first flight
This story was updated Dec. 1. A Manassas aircraft manufacturer that’s developing an electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft logged a significant milestone Nov. 19 when it completed its first hybrid-electric flight. Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch took off from Manassas Regional Airport and flew 23 minutes, reac[...]
Bonaventure acquires Norfolk apartments for $42M
Alexandria-based real estate company Bonaventure has acquired Monticello Station, a Class A apartment building in downtown Norfolk, for $42 million, the company announced last week. The 121-unit building at 328 Freemason St. has one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. S.L. Nusbaum previously owned the property, according to B[...]
Amazon HQ2 impact on housing market short-lived, report says
The June opening of Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion East Coast headquarters in Arlington County only had a short-lived impact on home prices, and it’s hard to pinpoint HQ2’s direct impact due to other factors affecting residential costs, according to a report released this month by Bright MLS Research. When Amazon announced [...]
Trader Interactive CEO Lori Stacy to retire
Trader Interactive CEO Lori Stacy will retire Dec. 14 and Chief Operating Officer David McMinn will succeed her in leading the Virginia Beach-based online marketplace for boats, recreational vehicles, motorcycles and other niche vehicles. Stacy, who has served as CEO since 2017, will take on the new position of chair of Trader I[...]
Private equity firm completes buy of Herndon’s Exostar
Arlington Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of Herndon-based cybersecurity company Exostar, the Chevy Chase, Maryland-based private equity firm announced Monday. The deal was announced in September, and financial terms were not disclosed. It comes a little more than three years after Exostar was acquired by Chicago-[...]
International logistics company to expand in Norfolk
Katoen Natie Norfolk, a subsidiary of Belgian international logistics service provider and port operator Katoen Natie, will invest $59.9 million to expand its Norfolk facility and create an estimated 76 jobs. Katoen Natie Norfolk will add a 450,000-square-foot warehouse and rail yard, and expand its existing rail spur, which will allow more room to load […]
Communities must rally to solve housing issues, Barkin says
Homeownership is becoming increasingly unattainable for too many workers, and communities are going to need to make innovative decisions to create more affordable housing if they want to attract talent, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President and CEO Tom Barkin said Wednesday during the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conferen[...]
Richmond to host 2026 national speech and debate tournament
The Richmond region will host a June 2026 national speech and debate tournament that’s expected to bring 10,000 students and visitors to the region. The National Speech & Debate Association, Richmond Region Tourism and the nonprofit Richmond Forum made the announcement Monday. “I know this will be one of the best tou[...]