Intelsat to be acquired by SES for $3.1B
McLean-based satellite services provider Intelsat announced Tuesday that it has made a deal to be acquired by SES, a Luxembourg-based competitor, for $3.1 billion in cash. The deal is expected to close during the second half of 2025, depending on regulatory clearances and other factors, according to a news release. Intelsat [...]
Executive Insights: Cargo convo
Leaders from Virginia’s maritime sector share their views on offshore wind, supply-chain challenges, workforce recruitment and other factors impacting the industry. JEREMY BRIDGES President and chief negotiator, Hampton Roads Shipping Association Norfolk VB: You were vice president of labor relations for CMA CGM. What labor issues do you see arising in the next few years, […]
The insiders
The new leadership of The Martin Agency, a nationally prominent Richmond-based ad agency that counts GEICO and UPS among its clients, isn’t so new. Danny Robinson, who has been with the 400-person agency for 20 years and served as chief creative officer for the last three, succeeded Kristen Cavallo as Martin’s CEO this year,[...]
Shenandoah medical marijuana applications due April 30
While working as an occupational therapist, Stewart Bossman injured his back attempting to help a falling patient. That happened almost 25 years ago, but Bossman continues to deal with back pain. “I’ve had four back surgeries and one neck surgery,” he said, “so sometimes it’s just hard to take.” Bossman, 69, buys CBD[...]
Visit Alexandria appoints next president and CEO
A veteran tourism marketing executive from California, Todd O’Leary, will be Visit Alexandria’s new president and CEO, effective July 8, the tourism marketing organization announced Monday. Visit Alexandria’s board of governors has appointed O’Leary to succeed Patricia Washington, who announced her plans to retire in Dec[...]
Both sides of Va. recreational cannabis debate tout improved health and safety
RICHMOND — Three years, four sessions and one veto since the first legislative attempt, Virginia still does not have a recreational cannabis market. Potential investors say that makes it hard to plan for the future. Advocates and some politicians say the reasons the governor gave for his recent veto are only exacerbated by pre[...]
U.Va. opens School of Data Science building
Billed as a “school without walls,” the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science officially inaugurated its first dedicated academic building Friday, five years after the school started. “I was a little surprised and somewhat disappointed, if I’m being honest, when I came here yesterday for a[...]
Va. housing market dampens in March
The pace of sales in Virginia’s housing market slowed in March, declining 7.3% over March 2023, according to data released by Virginia Realtors Tuesday. In March, there were 8,075 home sales in the commonwealth, 634 fewer sales than this time last year. At the end of the month, there were 14,950 homes on the market, […]
Google investing $1B in Va. data center campuses
Google is investing $1 billion in expanding its Virginia data center campuses this year and is launching a $75 million Google.org AI Opportunity Fund, one of Google’s top executives and Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday at Google’s Reston office. “Today is a great day. We’ve got a $1 billion investment in the [...]
Wilbanks Smith and Thomas acquired
Norfolk-based Wilbanks Smith and Thomas Asset Management has been acquired by Cleveland-based registered investment adviser Clearstead Advisors. The companies signed the merger in February 2024. Financial terms of the acquisition, which closed April 1, were not disclosed. Clearstead rebranded WST’s advisory business as Clearst[...]
Artist housing developer considers Roanoke for first Va. project
Roanoke developer Ed Walker first tried to lure Artspace, a Minnesota-based nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, to Roanoke in the early 2000s when he was transforming a former 1925 cotton textile mill into downtown living spaces. Artspace essentially ghosted him back then. “It’s very, very, very, very dif[...]
Metro passes $4.8B budget for FY25
Metro’s board of directors on Thursday passed a $4.8 billion capital and operations budget for fiscal year 2025, which avoids massive service cuts, although fares will increase by 12.5% beginning July 1. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which oversees the Metrorail and Metrobus public transportation syst[...]