$120M TowneBank-Village Bank acquisition approved by state, FDIC
Suffolk-based TowneBank’s $120 million acquisition of Midlothian’s Village Bank and Trust Financial Corp. has been approved by the FDIC and the Virginia State Corporation Commission, clearing the way for a completed deal in early April, the two banks said Tuesday. Announced in September 2024, the combined bank, which[...]
Randolph-Macon College names next president
Ashland’s Randolph-Macon College has chosen Michael E. Hill as its 16th president, effective Aug. 1, the college announced Tuesday. Hill is currently president of Chautauqua Institution, a western New York nonprofit educational institution for children and adults that runs extensive theater, music and other arts programmin[...]
Trump family business sues Capital One for closing accounts in 2021
Just after Capital One escaped a federal watchdog lawsuit that was suddenly dropped last month, it’s back in legal hot water, this time courtesy of President Donald Trump’s family business. On March 7, multiple entities connected with the Trump Organization sued the McLean-based bank for terminating more than 300 Tr[...]
Defense optics manufacturer to open Virginia Beach facility
Vidarr, which makes night vision goggles and other defense optical equipment, will invest $2.69 million over the next three years to open a manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach, a project estimated to create 40 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. The New Hampshire company’s manufacturing facility is moving into a 1[...]
Timmons Group opens Roanoke office
Timmons Group has opened an office on Norfolk Avenue in Roanoke, according to a Thursday announcement by the engineering, design and technology services firm, which has headquarters in Chesterfield County. Timmons has 20 offices, including the new Roanoke office and its headquarters, located across Virginia, North Carolina, Mary[...]
Henrico sends default notices to $2.3B GreenCity project developers
Updated March 10 The $2.3 billion GreenCity development in Henrico County appears to be in jeopardy, unless developers make an overdue payment by the end of the week. Henrico County has sent two notices of default — one in regard to the property purchase agreement and one relating to the development agreement — to the [&hell[...]
Norfolk casino hires general manager
Ron Bailey has been selected as vice president and general manager for Norfolk’s forthcoming casino, its operators announced Monday. He most recently was vice president and general manager of the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania, which is owned by Boyd Gaming, a partner in the $750 million Norfolk resort with the[...]
Former Va. ABC employee sues authority, claiming retaliatory termination
A former Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority employee has filed a federal lawsuit against the state authority, alleging his termination last year was in retaliation for reporting alleged harassment and discrimination due to his sexual orientation. Paul Watson, a former ABC senior business analyst who identifies as ga[...]
New $230M chocolate factory coming to Frederick County
Frederick County may not have won the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but it may have snagged something even better — a chocolate facility of its own. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday that Wisconsin chocolate manufacturer Clasen Quality Chocolate will invest $230 million to build a new production fa[...]
Northern Va. Year-in-Review: Region looks to tech, bioscience for expansion
The proliferation of data centers in Northern Virginia remains a perennial topic, and while they remained a headline among economic development deals for the region in 2024, they were not the only highlight as parts of the region look to tech and biosciences. Last year started on the coattails of two massive announcements that c[...]
Southwest Va. Year-in-Review: Regional cooperation nets manufacturing projects
Southwest Virginia is weathering the economic disruptions of the transition from coal and a pandemic-related shift to remote work by focusing on a collaborative approach to business attraction. Teamwork is yielding results with a bump in manufacturing deals, punctuated by the November 2024 announcement that Wrap Technologies wou[...]
Eastern Va. Year-in-Review: Region aims to lean in on energy, defense sectors
A new economic development plan for Hampton Roads seeks to build on the region’s strengths as a long-time maritime and defense industry center, while also focusing on the energy sector. With 17 cities and counties, the region has struggled to work together as one cohesive unit, leaders have said over the years, but the Hampton[...]