HP Hood announces $83.5M expansion in Frederick County
HP Hood, a nationally branded dairy processor, will invest more than $83.5 million to expand dairy processing operations at its Winchester-area facility in Frederick County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office announced Tuesday. The project includes upgrades to production and packaging equipment as well as construction of additional [...]
Clarke County limits solar development
Clarke County prioritizes agriculture. That’s what drives most of its policy-making as the county navigates the complexities of renewable energy development while preserving its farmland, explains County Administrator Chris Boies. In January, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved new regulations for utility-scale solar [...]
First National to acquire Prince George-based community bank
Strasburg-based First National has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Prince George-based Touchstone Bankshares in an all-stock transaction worth approximately $47 million, First National announced Tuesday. The parent companies’ merger combines community banks First Bank and Touchstone Bank to create a bank [...]
Alger leaving JMU to head American University
American University announced Monday that James Madison University President Jonathan Alger will be its next president, starting July 1. Alger joined the Harrisonburg public university in 2012. Alger will be the 16th president of AU, a private university in Washington, D.C., replacing President Sylvia Burwell. During his tenure,[...]
Modine will invest $18.1M in Rockbridge County expansion
Modine Manufacturing, a manufacturer of cooling equipment for data centers, will invest $18.1 million to expand its Rockbridge County operation, creating an estimated 211 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. Wisconsin-based Modine, which builds thermal management systems and components, saw $2.3 billion in net sales in fiscal year 2023, a 12% increase over the previous […]
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[...]
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[...]
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[...]
Logistics company expanding in Winchester
Third-party logistics warehousing provider WCS Logistics, a Winchester Cold Storage company, will invest $27 million to expand in Frederick County and create an estimated 15 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. WCS Logistics will build an 83,000-square-foot cold storage facility with the capacity for more than 13,000 pal[...]
Lighthouse Labs names new managing director
Debbie Irwin, the former director of the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, will be the next managing director of Lighthouse Labs, the Richmond accelerator announced Friday. She begins her new role Feb. 26. Irwin is leaving her role at SCCF, another entrepreneurial support organization based in Staunton, where she served for six[...]
SCCF exec director to depart
Debbie Irwin, executive director of the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, an entrepreneurial support organization based in Staunton, is leaving her role in March, the organization announced Tuesday. SCCF’s board of directors will begin a national search for her replacement. When Irwin leaves, Ryan Hall, director of growth[...]
Northrop Grumman breaks ground on $200M Waynesboro facility
Falls Church-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman broke ground Friday on its $200 million-plus facility in Waynesboro. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the planned facility, which will hold advanced electronics manufacturing and testing, in November 2023. Northrop Grumman anticipates creating an estimated 300 jobs [...]