Kanye West does not qualify as a candidate in Va., court rules
A Richmond Circuit Court judge ruled Thursday afternoon that Kanye West is not a viable presidential candidate on Virginia’s ballots — although his name is on some that have already been printed. Judge Joi J. Taylor granted the injunction motion filed by two plaintiffs, Suffolk residents who said they were tricked into signing a form […]
McLean tech provider names cybersecurity director
McLean-based tech provider Saliense announced Wednesday it has hired Victor Florido as director of cybersecurity. With more than 18 years of experience, Florido was most recently the branch chief and senior cybersecurity adviser to the IT security services director of the General Services Administration. In his new role, he will[...]
Newport News federal contractor names director, innovative solutions
Newport News-based federal contractor and professional services company ITA International has promoted Lauren Campbell to director of innovative solutions, effective Aug. 20. Joining the company in 2017, Campbell previously served as program manager of small business innovation research (SBIR) where she oversaw SBIR technology. [...]
Loudoun County allocates additional $4.3M to small business grants
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has approved an additional $4.3 million in federal CARES Act funding to go to its COVID-19 Business Interruption Fund, which supports eligible small businesses impacted by the coronavirus with $5,000 grants. During the first three rounds of funding, Loudoun County disbursed $7.1 million to more than 1,000 businesses. “Even […]
Puritan Cleaners acquires HandCraft Cleaners
Richmond-based dry-cleaning business Puritan Cleaners has acquired HandCraft Cleaners, another Richmond-based, family-owned dry-cleaning company, the businesses announced Thursday. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “We are extremely pleased to welcome HandCraft Cleaners’ customers to the Puritan Cleaners family and are honored to have the opportunity to continue to provide them with convenient, superior service […][...]
Va. jobless claims during pandemic exceed Great Recession
While Virginia saw a slight decrease in the number of initial jobless claims last week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that the total number of initial claims filed since the beginning of the pandemic is greater than the combined totals filed during the 2007-09 Great Recession and the economic recession in [...]
Md.-based HVAC company to acquire two Richmond firms
Columbia, Maryland-based HVAC equipment manufacturer’s representative Havtech announced Thursday it will acquire Richmond-based companies Air Conditioning Equipment Sales Inc. (ACES) and Mechanical Systems Testing & Balancing Inc. (MSTB). Terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Founded in 1971, ACES is an HVAC manufacturer’s representative for the Central Virginia, Tidewater and Roanoke markets, while MSTB performs[...]
Michael Milken joins Focused Ultrasound Foundation board
Michael Milken, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in February over felony charges for securities fraud, has joined the Charlottesville-based Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s board, the organization announced Thursday. Milken (often referred to as the “junk bond king”) is credited with being part of the development [...]
Portsmouth casino to solicit minority ownership
Portsmouth’s casino development partner, Rush Street Gaming, announced Thursday that it will offer 5% or $5 million ownership (whichever is greater) of the proposed $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth to a local minority-owned business or private investor who is a person of color. “Rush Street has a track record of inclu[...]
Va. hotel revenues continued to improve last week
Virginia hotel revenues continued to improve last week, according to data released Wednesday by STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides weekly market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. For the week of Aug. 23 through Aug. 29, hotel revenues decreased by 38% and rooms sold declined by 27% compared to the same week […]
Fed says Fifth District economy continues to improve, but activity remains low
The economy of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve (which includes Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) has continued to improve in recent weeks, but activity has remained below pre-pandemic levels in most industries, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. The Beige Book is published […]
ABC reports record $1.2B in FY 2020 revenue
The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) broke its gross revenue record again during fiscal year 2020, reporting $1.2 billion in gross revenue, the ABC announced Wednesday. Last year, the state agency surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time. ABC’s profits of $545.3 million (an increase of $45.8 million over last year) will […]