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 [...]
NW Harrisonburg sees revival with investment
Northwest Harrisonburg used to be a place to buy a tire. Beyond the 116-year-old City Produce Exchange building, which was converted into lofts in 2006, and the Local Chop & Grill House, which opened in the same building in 2009, there wasn’t much else to draw people to that corner of the city. That’s changing, […[...]
Buc-ee’s starts construction on Rockingham center
It won’t be too long before drivers on Interstate 81 in Rockingham County will see a sign bearing a friendly, hat-wearing beaver. Texas-based travel center chain Buc-ee’s started construction on its first travel center in Virginia with a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin was there, as well as Buc-ee̵[...]
Inn at Little Washington plans five-star upgrades
After more than 40 years of growing his three-Michelin-star restaurant, Inn at Little Washington chef and owner Patrick O’Connell is nearing his wish of offering guests “all the amenities of great hotels in Europe with the warmth of visiting a private home.” Expansion plans include adding a reception building, two new buil[...]
Tourism gains steam with scenic train tour
Virginia Scenic Railway’s new Shenandoah Valley Limited proved just the ticket for seasonal leaf-peepers and train enthusiasts, drawing thousands of visitors to Goshen this fall. The iconic Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611, known as the “Queen of Steam,” is one of the last extant mainline passenger steam locomotives b[...]
Northrop Grumman to establish $200M Waynesboro facility
Falls Church-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman will invest more than $200 million to establish an advanced electronics manufacturing and testing facility in Waynesboro, creating an estimated 300 jobs over the next five years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. “Northrop Grumman’s expanding Virgini[...]
Rockbridge tent manufacturer to expand, add 60 jobs
Natural Bridge-based fabric shelter systems manufacturer XFactor Solutions Global has leased 34,000 square feet to expand in Rockbridge County, with plans to create 60 jobs, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced Thursday. The company, which acquired the assets of Creative Tent International in October, will use the indus[...]
Dixie Theater renovation means show will go on in Staunton
Teens got their first jobs and couples experienced their first kisses at the former Dixie Theater in downtown Staunton. Now the vacant building, which opened in 1913 at 125 E. Beverley St., is a step closer to becoming a community cultural center, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the state Industrial Revitalization Fund, whic[...]
Shentel to acquire Ohio fiber company
Edinburg-based Shenandoah Telecommunications, better known as Shentel, plans to acquire Horizon Telcom for $385 million, the company announced Tuesday. Shentel will pay $305 million in cash and the rest in common stock. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2024. Ohio-based Horizon, founded in 1895, is a commercial fiber provider with […]
Thalhimer Multifamily adds management of five apartment communities
Thalhimer Multifamily has taken on management of five new properties, including two that expand the company’s reach into Culpeper and Front Royal. The company, a division of Glen Allen-based Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, announced the management agreement for Charlottesville-based Hearthwood Apartments; Morningside [...]