Brothers build Shenandoah hemp empire
Tanner Johnson, CEO of Pure Shenandoah LLC, says that his Elkton-based company is trying to bring hemp back to its Shenandoah Valley roots. After all, he explains, “back in the 1600s, this area was used heavily for hemp production and rope and clothing.” Johnson is one of four brothers behind Pure Shenandoah, which seeks to [...]
Eight over 80
What keeps a person working at an age when most of us are happy to let others take care of business? These overachieving Virginians, all over age 80, have remained hard at work mostly for one or more of three reasons. The first is being able to continue work with family. Retirement is rarely mandatory […]
Saving the day
Running from police, an unremarkable bad guy with sandy hair suddenly grabs a little girl and dangles the young hostage from the third floor of a mall atrium. As a gaggle of nonplused bad guys decked out in ’80s pastels and John Oates mustaches look on, the skylight above shatters. It’s Wonder Woman, swooping into […]
Virginia Tech aims to fill cybersecurity jobs gaps
The U.S. Department of Defense in January awarded Virginia Tech a $1.5 million grant to prepare students for careers in cybersecurity — a field facing a critical shortage of skilled professionals. The need for a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals is regularly emphasized whenever a major hack is uncovered. In Decem[...]
Dark fiber optic network coming to NoVa
A new 680-mile, regional fiber optic network will begin to take shape in Northern Virginia during the second half of 2021. The project is a joint venture between Annandale-based Tenebris Fiber, Kansas-based Diode Ventures and New York-based JLC Infrastructure. Construction on the new dark fiber network will begin later this year, the companies said, starting […]
Richmond supports restaurants with ‘Picnic in a Parklet’
Two Richmond restaurants will see their on-street parking lanes become outdoor dining areas this week to serve customers, spark business and encourage safer and socially distanced spaces. The dining areas are part Richmond city government’s “Picnic in a Parklet” pilot program, a partnership between the city and downtown booster Venture Richmond, according to a March […]
Va. finalizes $3.7B rail expansion agreement
Virginia will have more train service in the next decade, as Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday the formalization of a $3.7 billion rail expansion package in Virginia, the tenets of which were announced in late 2019. The state signed agreements with Amtrak, CSX and Virginia Railway Express at a ceremony Tuesday. According to t[...]
Volkswagen Group of America pulls ‘shocking’ April Fools’ prank
Calling it a “public declaration” of its priority on electric vehicles, Herndon-based Volkswagen Group of America Inc. unveiled a new company name, Voltswagen of America, accompanied by new branding, in a news release Tuesday. There was just one problem — the U.S. sales arm of the German automaker confirmed to news outlets Tuesday evening that […]
Tuition-free program for eligible community college students becomes law
Legislation creating a tuition-free community college program in Virginia became law Monday, as Gov. Ralph Northam held a bill signing ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College for the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” program, one of his signature initiatives. Known as G3, the program provides funding for tu[...]
Pittsylvania truck sales company plans $5.2M expansion
Chatham-based J&J Truck Sales Inc. will build a 45,000-square-foot facility off U.S. Highway 29 in Pittsylvania County, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday. The $5.2 million project, adjacent to the company’s existing operation, is expected to create 27 jobs and increase its ability to repair, refurbish and fabricate automotive-based equipment. Virginia beat South Carolina for the […]
Super Radiator Coils announces $9M expansion in Chesterfield
Super Radiator Coils will hold a shovel ceremony April 12 to mark the third expansion of its manufacturing facility in northern Chesterfield County — a $9 million project that will add 56,000 square feet and up to 50 jobs, according to a company announcement Monday. The company employs around 210 people at its plant on [&helli[...]
IFS purchases Axios Systems
Global enterprise software company IFS announced last week that it had agreed to buy Axios Systems PLC, a Scottish IT company whose North American headquarters is located in Herndon. Terms of the acquisition, expected to be complete in the second quarter, were undisclosed. IFS said March 22 that its acquisition of Axios, which provides cloud-based […]