FOR THE RECORD: January 2026

CENTRAL VIRGINIA 

CleanArc Data Centers is building a $3 billion data center campus in Caroline County. Located in Ruther Glen, the data center campus is expected to create 50 jobs once it’s operating at its full 900-megawatt capacity. CleanArc, a Las Vegas-based hyperscale data center developer and operator, held a groundbreaking for the project, dubbed VA1, in November 2025. The facility’s first 300 megawatts of grid capacity are expected to come online in the first quarter of 2027, with the second 300-megawatt increment following in 2030. The final 300 megawatts are expected to be online in the 2033-2035 window. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Dominion Energy’s $1.47 billion natural gas power plant in Chesterfield County received the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s approval in November 2025 despite opposition from neighbors and environmental groups. Dubbed the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center, or CERC, the project was submitted for SCC approval in March 2025. Dominion applied for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct a 944-megawatt natural gas plant, which would provide electricity at peak demand hours. It’s projected to be operational by June 1, 2029, according to
the SCC. The utility argued that the plant is needed “to provide system reliability.” (VirginiaBusiness.com)

A site plan filed in November 2025 shows that Google plans to build three data centers totaling 855,846 square feet in Chesterfield County. Although Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced in August 2025 that the California tech giant planned to build a new campus in Chesterfield, he and Google did not reveal many specifics at the time. The site plan says that the Google data center campus will be built on about 307 acres at 2700 Bermuda Hundred Road in multiple phases. According to planning documents, Dallas-based AECOM is the project’s designer, while Herndon-based Bohler Engineering will serve as the civil engineer and project applicant. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

The Lego Group in November 2025 held a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $366 million warehouse and distribution center in Prince George County. The 2 million-square-foot building will be the largest regional distribution center in Lego’s global network. The site is located at 8800 Wells Station Road, about 20 miles from the $1 billion manufacturing facility the Danish toymaker is building in Chesterfield County, which was about 35% complete in early October 2025. The toymaker expects to open the distribution center in early 2027 and to open its factory in Chesterfield, expected to create 1,760 jobs
over 10 years, in January 2027. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richmond is seeking a development team to transform the former Public Safety Building site into a mixed-use complex built around a new downtown bus transfer hub. The Greater Richmond Transit Co. (GRTC) and the Richmond Economic Development Authority issued a request in November 2025 seeking interested developers for the public-private venture. The project is expected to include a 10-bay bus terminal and could support more than 500 residential units, 30,000 square feet of amenity space and 28,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, according to an analysis the city provided in its request to developers. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

PEOPLE

The Henrico Economic Development Authority announced that it has appointed the county’s chief of staff, Cari M. Tretina, as its next executive director, effective Jan. 1. Tretina succeeds Anthony Romanello, who is stepping down from the role on Jan. 16 after more than six years leading the county’s economic development efforts. Tretina has been Henrico’s chief of staff since 2019 and became a deputy county manager in 2022. Tretina joined the county in 2013 and has held roles in Recreation & Parks, the Division of Fire and the county manager’s office. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

EASTERN VIRGINIA

Huntington Ingalls Industries is investing $28 million to create an aircraft carrier and submarine manufacturing plant in Hampton. The 150,000-square-foot building off Commander Shepard Boulevard has historically been used by HII as an assembly building but is now being gradually converted into a light manufacturing advanced technology facility for HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. Hampton Mayor Jimmy Gray made the announcement in December 2025 during his state of the city address. The facility will house industrial 3D-printing technology and about 300 employees, most of whom will be existing NNS workers transferred to new jobs. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Norfolk State University announced in November 2025 that billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $50 million to the university — the largest gift in the school’s 90-year history. Norfolk State will use the unrestricted gift, Scott’s second eight-figure award to the university, to support student scholarships, faculty research, athletics and strategic initiatives. In 2020, Scott donated $40 million to NSU, its previous record donation. The university expects to add the funds to an endowment to generate revenue for scholarships in perpetuity, with scholarships to be awarded beginning this fall. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Old Dominion University announced in December 2025 that it received a $15 million gift from philanthropist Joan Brock to establish a nutrition and lifestyle medicine institute. The Norfolk university says the Joan P. Brock Institute for Nutrition Science and Health will be a multidisciplinary hub, academic unit and research center that will bring nutrition and lifestyle medicine into medical and health professions education, basic science and translational research, clinical innovation and community health. ODU has formed a steering committee and launched a national search for the institute’s inaugural executive director, aiming to fill the position by this spring. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

William & Mary is stepping into a new role as the nation’s academic hub focusing on the development of nuclear-powered submarines between the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia. The new AUKUS Center of Excellence will be a research and development hub for emerging technologies and supply chains. Kathryn Floyd, director of the Williamsburg-based university’s Whole of Government Center of Excellence, said in a November 2025 interview that U.K., Australia and U.S. officials will be determining over the next year specifics regarding W&M’s center. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

PEOPLE

Stephen A. Edwards stepped down at the end of 2025 as the Virginia Port Authority’s CEO and executive director to become CEO of ferry infrastructure company Hornblower Group, relocating to New York. Edwards had led the Virginia Port Authority, which manages the Port of Virginia, since 2021. During his tenure, the Port of Virginia completed a $1.4 billion capital investment program on time and on budget. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Regent University announced in November 2025 that it tapped longtime administrator and faculty member S. Ernie Walton as the new dean of the Regent University School of Law. Walton, who served as interim dean of the Virginia Beach private Christian university’s law school since July 2025, replaces Bradley J. Lingo, who left to become president of his alma mater, Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Walton was previously senior associate dean at Regent and an associate professor of law. Additionally, he served as director of the law school’s Center for Global Justice from 2013 to 2023. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Amazon.com plans to shut down a fulfillment center in Sterling at the end of January, impacting 247 employees, the company said in a letter to the state. Employees were informed of the decision to close the facility in May 2025, and about 125 had accepted transfers to other Amazon facilities as of mid-November 2025, a spokesperson said. All employees are eligible for jobs at other delivery and fulfillment centers, and those who went through “upskilling” programs were qualified for new positions at data centers. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Fortune 500 government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton announced in November 2025 that it will relocate its global headquarters from McLean to a new building in Reston. The company will occupy a 220,000-square-foot building at Reston Row Plaza, as well as multiple floors in an adjacent building of 322,000 square feet. Comstock Holding Cos. is leasing the property to Booz Allen, which expects to make its move in fall 2027, following an interior buildout. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

President Donald Trump in December 2025 said his administration would “rebuild” Dulles International Airport, pledging to make major changes to the 63-year-old airport. Dulles is already undergoing a massive transformation aimed at modernizing the airport, launched in 2023. One of the centerpieces of the $7 billion program is a 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot concourse. The three-level space, the size of three football fields, is expected to be completed this fall. However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy put out a request in December for private-sector proposals to build upon or entirely replace the existing airport. (The Washington Post)

McLean-based candy and pet care giant Mars received the European Union’s blessing to acquire Kellanova, maker of Pringles, Cheez-Its and other snacks, clearing the way to close the $36 billion deal in December 2025. The European Commission, the EU’s antitrust watchdog, concluded after a 90-day investigation that the acquisition would not raise competition concerns in Europe. In June the U.S. Federal Trade Commission issued its approval of the deal, but the EU’s probe delayed its completion from August to the end of 2025. Mars is Virginia’s largest privately owned company, and Kellanova’s brands will be part of the Chicago-based Mars Snacking unit. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

The former Washington Commanders training facility in Herndon, barely a block away from Fairfax County’s new Western High School, will be redeveloped as a pair of data centers. An affiliate of Starwood Capital Group has filed site plans and an initial air permit application for the “Word of Grace Data Center,” so named for the Word of Grace Christian Church, which sold the 8-acre property for $25 million in 2023. The Starwood affiliate was issued a permit in July 2025 to demolish the church building. The campus is virtually surrounded by Starwood Capital’s 60-acre Renaissance Tech Park, a 2.3 million-square-foot data center project that Amazon.com has locked down as the end user. (Washington Business Journal)

PEOPLE

After accusing George Mason University’s president of retaliating against the law school during congressional testimony last fall, the dean of Mason’s Scalia Law School is leaving at the end of the academic year, the university’s provost said in December 2025. However, Ken Randall, who joined the law school in 2020, is not stepping down because of his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, a spokesman said. Randall, whose five-year contract was extended through the spring, expects to serve as a tenured GMU law school faculty member after a sabbatical. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

ROANOKE / LYCHBURG / NEW RIVER VALLEY

In December 2025, Roanoke accounting firm Brown Edwards announced the acquisition of Lynchburg accounting practice Shelton & Co., which specializes in construction. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to a Brown Edwards spokesperson, the acquisition will add eight people from Shelton — including three certified construction industry financial professionals — to the firm, bringing its total to 56 partners, with an overall staff headcount of 465. In November 2025, Brown Edwards acquired Virginia Beach-based DesRoches & Co., adding 25 associates to the firm. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Cornerstone Building Brands, a North Carolina-headquartered manufacturer of exterior building products, plans to invest $4.9 million to expand capacity at its Franklin County campus, according to a Dec. 4 announcement by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The expansion is expected to create 50 jobs. Cornerstone Building Brands sells vinyl windows and doors, vinyl siding, stone veneer, metal roofing, metal wall systems and metal accessories. The company’s portfolio includes the brands Ply Gem, Simonton Windows and Doors, Mastic by Ply Gem and Mueller. With 18,800 employees, Cornerstone Building Brands has close to 100 manufacturing facilities and more than 100 warehouses. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Polyzent Trading, a startup manufacturer of plastic packaging products, has chosen Lynchburg to develop its first manufacturing site, with initial plans to invest $1.1 million in the facility, according to a Nov. 25 announcement by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The manufacturing facility in the White Rock Hill neighborhood planned to begin operations in December 2025, with an automated system capable of producing 40 to 50 tons of stretch film per month. Businesses use stretch film to transport goods on pallets. At full capacity, Polyzent Trading’s new facility in Lynchburg is expected to create 20 jobs. (The News & Advance)

Roanoke City Council’s annual requests for state legislators normally get final approval without a hitch. But at a Dec. 1, 2025, council meeting, one council member questioned why the city’s pursuit of a casino wasn’t included although it is an active endeavor that requires General Assembly approval. Currently, not one state legislator from the Roanoke or New River valleys supports even considering the idea. Mayor Joe Cobb said the casino plan is proceeding on a “different path” and that “the majority of council supports moving forward.” The General Assembly must approve a gambling license for Roanoke to proceed. (Roanoke Rambler)

Virginia Tech has surpassed its research spending target and is aiming for a new one, despite a federal executive branch philosophy seemingly centered on slashing funds for university research nationwide. In a November 2025 news release, the university cited a National Science Foundation study that showed Virginia Tech beat its 2023 $410 million target for what it calls “externally sponsored research expenditures” — competitive funding from federal agencies and other sources. The university has established a new goal of $600 million by fiscal year 2029 and remains on track to meet it. (Cardinal News)

PEOPLE

Appalachian Community Capital, a Christiansburg-based financial institution that supports small business and community development across the Appalachian region, named Daniel Wallace its next president and CEO. He will take over Jan. 2, succeeding Donna Gambrell, who is retiring at the end of the year after nearly a decade leading the organization’s growth. Wallace, who has almost 30 years of experience in rural business development and nonprofit leadership, joins ACC from Green Bank for Rural America, an ACC subsidiary he has led since its launch last year. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

SHENADOAH VALLEY

Medical marijuana access in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley was stalled in late 2025 after AYR Virginia’s parent company, AYR Wellness, entered into a major restructuring due to debt and sold its assets to senior noteholders. AYR Virginia is the entity that the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority selected in 2024 to cultivate, manufacture and sell medical marijuana in the northwest part of the state. The CCA has not explained how the ownership change will impact the CCA’s conditional permit to grow and sell medical marijuana in that region. Experts say transferring the license will take time, adding further delays to the region’s access. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Bingham & Taylor, a Culpeper-based manufacturer of underground infrastructure access solutions, announced in November 2025 that it had been acquired by Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, a North Carolina company, in conjunction with its Neenah Foundry subsidiary. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 1849, Bingham & Taylor operates a cast iron foundry in Culpeper and plastics injection-molding and blow-molding plants in Fredericksburg. The company will continue operating under its name, but Laura Thompson Grondin, CEO of parent company Virginia Industries, will depart. The manufacturer has about 250 employees, and no job losses are expected from the acquisition. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Iowa-based 10 Roads Express will shut down its Harrisonburg facility, leaving 70 local workers without jobs as the trucking company winds down operations amid steep revenue losses tied to major shifts at the U.S. Postal Service. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice the company will close its site at 888 Auto Motion Way by Feb. 28, with layoffs beginning as soon as Jan. 30. Positions at the Harrisonburg site included drivers, technicians, managers, supervisors and assistants. A spokesperson confirmed the entire company is closing nationwide, impacting about 2,000 employees. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Rockingham County officials and Massanutten Resort leaders broke ground in late 2025 on Bluestone Peak, a senior living community on Massanutten Mountain. The first 123 homes are expected to be delivered by the end of this year. Designed for active adults, the neighborhood will feature a community center and access to a five-mile biking and walking trail and the resort golf course. Leaders say the project will meet housing demands for people over age 55 and help ease local housing pressures by opening more homes for younger families and young professionals. (Daily News-Record)

Modine, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and ventilation solutions, will invest $19.6 million through 2029 in planned capital expenditures to expand its operation in Buena Vista, creating 57 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced in November 2025. As part of the expansion, Modine will move the headquarters of its heating division from Wisconsin to Buena Vista, where the company has operated a manufacturing facility since 1963. The investment will fund construction of a facility that will include warehouse, office and testing space. It will also cover new machinery costs and equipment transfers to support growth in Modine’s heating business. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richard Moore, executive vice president and part owner of Verona-based bonding company Nexus Services, was sentenced in November 2025 to 80 months in federal prison for $3.1 million in employment tax fraud. He pleaded guilty in January 2025 to two counts related to not accounting for and paying employment taxes. Moore, who lived in Augusta County, withheld funds for employment taxes to the IRS but did not give the money to the government between 2015 and 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Moore spent millions of dollars of Nexus funds on himself, according to court documents. His purchases included more than $500,000 on luxury cars, including three Ferraris, three Maseratis, two BMWs and a Mercedes-Benz. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA 

In a December 2025 notice sent to the state government, food sanitation contractor Fortrex announced plans to lay off 68 workers once it ceased operations in Martinsville on Dec. 5, 2025. Based in Georgia, Fortrex provides sanitation services to food production facilities. The company has been contracted to Martinsville’s Monogram Food Solutions since August 2009. Monogram Food Solutions will continue operations but will receive sanitation services from another company. The letter states that some eligible employees will have the chance to transfer to other Fortrex locations. (Cardinal News)

Richmond-based Froehling & Robertson, a geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting and materials testing services firm, announced Dec. 2 the opening of a new branch in Danville. The location was selected, according to the firm, because the region is enjoying significant development. Craig Melton will serve as branch manager and will lead the location’s operations. A Danville native, Melton, an engineer, has more 25 years of industry experience. Since its founding in 1881, Froehling & Robertson has grown from a single chemical lab to a multidisciplinary, minority-owned firm with offices across Virginia and in Maryland and North Carolina. (News release)

Halifax County Industrial Development Authority has a new tenant lined up for the former Pacific Headwear building, IDA Executive Director Brian Brown told the Halifax County Board of Supervisors in December 2025. Brown said he could not reveal the new tenant for the 32,000-square-foot facility. However, the IDA has officially signed a contract for the purchase of the building in the J. Aubrey Houghton Industrial Park. Pacific Headwear closed in August, impacting 48 workers. The company had occupied the facility in the South Boston industrial park since 2005. (The Gazette-Virginian)

In December 2025, Henry County Industrial Development Authority approved the $4 million sale of the shell building on Beaver Creek Drive, moving forward with an economic development initiative known publicly only as “Project Aerial.” According to the agreement, the buyer intends to develop a manufacturing facility at the site. The IDA originally sold the 95,500-square-foot shell building to German sink manufacturer Schock in 2021 for $1 million, tied to promises of an
$85 million investment and 355 new jobs. But in 2024, the county repurchased the building for the same price after Schock faced setbacks with the project. (Martinsville Bulletin)

Martinsville-based Hooker Furnishings is selling its Pulaski Furniture and Samuel Lawrence Furniture case-goods brands to Canada-based Magnussen Home Furnishings for approximately $4.8 million, according to a Dec. 1, 2025, announcement. Hooker Furnishings also will shed approximately $4.8 million in Home Meridian International (HMI) showroom lease liabilities and related expenses, as Magnussen will assume the lease of the High Point, North Carolina, showroom. Hooker will retain the Samuel Lawrence Hospitality brand. Stump & Co., a North Carolina-based firm that advises on mergers and acquisitions in the furniture and furnishings industries firm, served as financial adviser to Hooker. (Furniture Today)

On Nov. 21, the Charlottesville-based Southern Environmental Law Center filed a protest with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about Mountain Valley Pipeline’s proposed project to run a gas pipeline from Chatham into North Carolina, citing a report by London Economics International that it’s not needed. Known as Southgate, the project would tie into the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline that starts in West Virginia and ends near Chatham. The project would transport natural gas to delivery points in neighboring Rockingham, North Carolina. In turn, that would serve Duke Energy and Public Service Company of North Carolina Energy. (Danville Register & Bee)