NoVa could feel pain if Trump cuts federal office space
Northern Virginia is sure to weather aftershocks if the Trump administration moves forward with plans to shutter half of the properties owned and leased by the federal government. “We’ll see some strong reverberations,” said David Tarter, executive director for the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and the master[...]
ASGN to acquire Chicago employment tech firm for $340M
Fortune 1000 IT and professional staffing services firm ASGN has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Chicago-based employment tech consultancy TopBloc for $340 million, the Henrico County-based company announced Tuesday. The transaction in cash and equity is expected to close in the first quarter of the year, subject to clo[...]
$1.6B Atlantic Union purchase of Sandy Spring Bank clears main hurdles
The parent companies of Atlantic Union Bank and Sandy Spring Bank have cleared the last major hurdles to the Richmond bank’s $1.6 billion all-stock purchase of Sandy Spring, headquartered in Maryland. The shareholders of Atlantic Union Bankshares and stockholders of Sandy Spring Bancorp approved the merger, first announced in [...]
Bassett returns to profitability in Q4, beats expectations
Bassett Furniture reported revenue of $84.3 million in the fourth quarter, an 11% decrease from last year, on Wednesday. However, a positive operating income of $900,000 means the company has returned to profitability after five consecutive quarters in the red. The Henry County home furniture manufacturer and retailer beat expec[...]
Henrico launches office buildings incentive program
During the pandemic, the office industry was “hit hard and quick,” says Jane DuFrane, senior vice president and Richmond market leader of Highwoods Properties, the Richmond area’s biggest landlord. But because office lease contracts last several years, “we didn’t feel the pain of COVID until those office leases started[...]
Done and Dome — Oceanfront venue to open in May
When Three Dog Night takes the stage May 4 at The Dome, the 1970s rock band will help open a new chapter in live performances at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront that it closed more than three decades ago. Known for hits such as “Joy to the World,” the band was the last group to play […]
Mary Baldwin plans $2.5M building renovation
Faculty, staff and students at Mary Baldwin University should see a major transformation in their oldest academic building thanks to a $1 million commitment from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation as part of the $2.5 million renovation of Carpenter Academic Hall. “What we need to do is align the actual architectur[...]
Could Boeing HQ move be in the cards?
In May 2022, Virginia officials were in a buoyant mood as Fortune Global 500 aerospace and defense giant Boeing announced it would move its world headquarters from Chicago to Arlington County, with then-President and CEO Dave Calhoun having conferred with Gov. Glenn Youngkin months ahead about the move. Nearly three years later,[...]
Some SWVA communities see younger population stabilize
In Southwest Virginia, the trend of outmigration among younger people appears to be slowing and even reversing in some counties. The decline in the population aged 25 to 44 in Wise and Lee counties has slowed during the first half of the 2020s compared with the early 2010s, according to University of Virginia Weldon Cooper [&hel[...]
Va.’s first onshore wind farm sells power to Google
Even as political winds shift in Washington, D.C., a long-delayed onshore wind farm in Botetourt County might finally be sailing to completion. Charlottesville-based Apex Clean Energy announced in December 2024 that it has reached a deal for Google to purchase the full capacity of Rocky Forge Wind, a wind farm the Charlottesvill[...]
Va. Chamber of Commerce reveals next president and CEO
Cathie J. Vick will be the new leader of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, starting April 1. The business advocacy organization with more than 30,000 members announced on Tuesday her appointment as president and CEO. Vick is currently vice president of corporate and government affairs at Transurban, one of the world’s larg[...]
Pharma company to invest $54.2M in Richmond R&D facility
Pharmaceutical company Haleon will invest $54.2 million to upgrade its research and development facility in Richmond and launch an internship program in partnership with state government and Virginia Commonwealth University, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. The physical upgrades at the facility, located at 1211 Sherwood Ave[...]