Shentel to sell cell towers portfolio for $310.3M
Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) has entered into an agreement to sell its portfolio of cellular towers and associated operations to Vertical Bridge Holdco for $310.3 million in cash, the Edinburg-based company announced Friday, a move that appears to largely transition Shentel out of the last remnants of its cellular pho[...]
Tegna expands contract with Comscore
Tysons-based Tegna, the nation’s largest owner of NBC-affiliate TV stations, has reached a multiyear deal with Reston-based Comscore, which will continue providing media metrics and audience measurement services across the broadcaster’s local TV, major affiliate and digital businesses, the companies announced Friday. Fin[...]
Northern Va. Big Deal: Safari in Spotsy
A high school marching band, a giant seafood boil and an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 people helped celebrate the Oct. 20, 2023, groundbreaking for the $900 million, 1.38 million-square-foot Kalahari Resort in Spotsylvania County. The fifth African-themed resort from the privately owned, Wisconsin-based Kalahari Resorts &[...]
Shenandoah Valley Big Deal: Advance guard
Northrop Grumman’s $200 million investment to establish an advanced electronics manufacturing and testing facility in Waynesboro paves the way for long-term growth for the Shenandoah Valley, local officials hope. “It is a huge win for us,” says Jay Langston, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. “If No[...]
Roanoke/New River Year-in-Review: Meeting the demand
The Roanoke and New River Valley regions each had their most successful economic development year in recent history, according to John Hull, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. That’s thanks to $387 million worth of economic investments announced in 2023, potentially creating thousands of jobs. Roanoke Coun[...]
Shenandoah Valley Year-in-Review: Green valley
Just a couple years later, an $821,000 site development grant awarded to the Shenandoah Valley Partnership by the state’s GO Virginia economic development initiative has already been paying off, says Jay Langston, the partnership’s executive director. The grant, which paid for work including site evaluation and related envir[...]
Central Virginia Year-in-Review: Pumping the brakes
During the pandemic, companies began pumping the brakes on expansions out of fear of the unknown. But, using that same car-related analogy, by late 2021, they were flooring it, explains Greater Richmond Partnership President and CEO Jennifer Wakefield. And by 2022, they had kicked it into sport mode. “Now it’s shifted back i[...]
Eastern Va. Big Deal: Prime location
Doug Smith isn’t surprised Amazon.com has extended its reach in Hampton Roads. The Hampton Roads Alliance president and CEO says Amazon’s expansion in the commonwealth has been a constant since the global e-commerce behemoth announced in 2018 that it would locate its East Coast corporate headquarters, Amazon HQ2, in Arlingto[...]
Virginia 500 Spotlight: ANEESH CHOPRA
FIRST JOB: Bellhop at a Ramada Inn outside of Princeton, New Jersey MOST VALUED POSSESSION: My wedding ring HOW I UNWIND FROM WORK: Playing tag with the kids in the backyard HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: I was inspired by President Clinton to solve national problems through better use of technology. HOW I BALANCE MY […]
Central Va. Big Deal: Renaissance times
Henrico County’s near West End is seeing a renaissance. For decades, the area bordering Richmond around the Willow Lawn neighborhood has been home to mostly defunct commercial projects and old homes. But a $450 million project announced in December 2023 to renovate an old Elevance Health (formerly Anthem) campus promises to br[...]
Roanoke/New River Valley Big Deal: Banking on Roanoke
When Roanoke County economic development officials pitched Wells Fargo on expanding its customer support center operation in the county, they emphasized how well they’d taken care of the nation’s fourth-largest bank previously and how they would continue to do so. The pitch worked. Now the bank’s $87 million expansion will[...]
Southwest Va. Year-in-Review: A wide range
A local connection helped bring an impactful business project to Southwest Virginia. Daniel Kennedy, who was born and spent his early days in St. Paul, was instrumental in bringing home one of the largest manufacturing deals in years. Data center storage rack manufacturer Tate struck a deal in early November 2023 to occupy a lon[...]