Sign In
Free Newsletter
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 Ham[...]
Roanoke/New River Year-in-Review: 2024 was about laying groundwork
Not every year can be 2023. That’s the verdict from economic development watchers in a wide stretch of Virginia, ranging from Lynchburg west through Roanoke and Salem to the New River Valley. In 2023, this region experienced a burst of business announcements with a total investment of at least $387 million and expectations[...]
Northern Va. Big Deal: Digital Gateway lawsuits head to appeals court
When the massive Prince William Digital Gateway data center project was approved by county supervisors in December 2023, the project was hailed by some as an economic boon that could support 30,000 new construction jobs and infuse more than $500 million in annual tax revenue in the next two decades. Others saw the project as [&h[...]
Shenandoah Valley Big Deal: Dairy producer again expands in Frederick County
Dairy company HP Hood has nearly completed the $83.5 million expansion and upgrade of its Frederick County plant, which will allow it to increase production and meet future customer demand. A new machine to fill and seal milk containers was installed and went into production in December 2024, and a new warehouse and processing r[...]
Shenandoah Valley Year-in-Review: Manufacturing, tourism drive region’s growth
The year 2024 turned out to be a surprising but positive one for the Shenandoah Valley region. “We had more activity than anticipated in terms of lead generation and opportunities,” says Jay Langston, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. The food and beverage sector remains the region’s main industr[...]
Southwest Va. Big Deal: EO hub offers regional workforce development
The workers and managers at Food City in Abingdon can see the future by stepping out and looking to their left toward a former Kmart. The old Kmart has been redeveloped by EO, a nonprofit that spun off from the United Way of Southwest Virginia, into the 87,000-square-foot Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub. Constructio[...]
Southern Va. Big Deal: Microporous’ mega project
Microporous’ decision to invest $1.35 billion to build a battery component plant in Pittsylvania County is a mega deal not just for the region but for the state. “The company will create over 2,000 jobs in multiple phases and the potential is there for, frankly, additional job creation beyond that,” says Matt Rowe, the[...]
Central Va. Big Deal: Petersburg voters say ‘yes’ to a $1.4 billion casino
Petersburg voters know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em. In November 2024, more than 80% of voters approved a casino referendum, giving the green light to Cordish Cos.’ $1.4 billion Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, which will be built on an undeveloped, roughly 90-acre site off Interstate 95 in Pete[...]
