For the Record – December 2015

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
Henry County-based Bassett Furniture Industries plans to open a new upholstery manufacturing facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, early next year. The 86,000-square-foot facility will manufacture sofas, loveseats, sectionals and chairs. Part of the facility also will be used as a home-delivery hub for Zenith Global Logistics. Bassett expects to open the Texas facility in February, with employment eventually reaching 70 or more workers within the following 20 months. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Laurie Moran, president of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, said a group interested in developing a regional tourism program has been meeting for about eight months to discuss ways to attract people to the Dan River region. Moran said the group expects to develop a plan to support a tourism program and will bring it to both the Danville City Council and the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors in early 2016. (Danville Register & Bee)

The New College Institute in Martinsville will follow proper procedures in hiring its new executive director, board Chairwoman Gracie Agnew vowed in a November news release. Her comment came a day after the Office of the State Inspector General announced it had uncovered no evidence of institute officials doing anything illegal in hiring former executive director William Wampler. (Martinsville Bulletin)

A regional project by Preservation Virginia to repair and preserve some of the county’s old tobacco barns has been extended for a third year. Funded by Danville-based JTI Leaf Services, the project began in 2013, providing small grants to help stabilize and repair tobacco barns in Pittsylvania and Halifax counties in Virginia and Caswell County in North Carolina. The company provided $100,000 to the group for the first two years. (GoDanRiver.com)

VCU Health officials have unveiled the design of the new VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill. The 166,700-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in late 2017. The hospital will have 70 private patient rooms, including 10 intensive coronary-care rooms, three operating room suites, a 16-bay emergency department, obstetrics rooms, a cardiac catheterization lab, diagnostic imaging services and more. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Advance Auto Parts has announced the retirement of CEO Darren Jackson and an agreement with investor group Starboard Value, a major shareholder which complained about the company’s performance. President George Sherman will become interim CEO in January. Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith was named to the board, which expanded from 12 to 13 members. The announcements were made the same day Advance Auto released disappointing third-quarter results. (The Motley Fool)

Wytheville-based Hodges, Jones & Mabry accounting firm merged with Brown, Edwards & Co. on Nov. 1. About 15 employees with Hodges, Jones & Mabry will join the new firm, according to Brown Edwards spokeswoman Judy Duff. The merger coincides with a larger merger between Brown Edwards and Dent K. Burk Associates, which is based in East Tennessee. More than 60 employees with Dent K. Burk will join the new firm. (The Roanoke Times)

NorrisBuilt Fabrication LLC will invest $1.5 million to expand its welding and fabrication operation in Wise County, creating 24 jobs. Incentives included a $75,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and $75,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds. The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority’s board of directors also approved an $825,000 loan to the industrial development authority to assist with the project. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

TeleTech Holdings plans to invest $4.07 million to establish a customer experience center in Scott County. The move is expected to create 300 jobs. TeleTech is a publicly traded, business process outsourcing company based in Englewood, Colo. Incentives included a $100,000 Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund grant and $645,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity funds. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Virginia officials tested a self-driving car on a public highway for the first time in October, on a stretch of I-395 in Arlington. The car was transformed to drive itself by engineers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). State leaders are trying to attract companies to test their products on designated roads and at the Smart Road in Montgomery County run by the VTTI. The hope is that it will lead to job growth in high-tech fields. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Alpha Natural Resources planned to idle two coal mines in southern West Virginia and lay off 92 workers at the end of November. The Bristol-based company said it would idle the Edwight Source Mine and Independence Coal Co.’s Tunnel Mine on Nov. 30. The letter attributes the mines’ idling to adverse market conditions. The Edwight mine employs 79 workers and the Tunnel Mine employs 13 workers. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

SHENANDOAH VALLEY
 The Artisans Center of Virginia  announced in Oct ober the newest addition to the Virginia Artisan Trail Network System — the Top of Virginia Artisan  Trail in Winchester and Frederick County. The network aims to create economic development and increase tourism by showcasing local businesses and points of interest as a cohesive visitor destination. (The Winchester Star) 

 The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission  was recently awarded nearly $10,000 of grant money from the Virginia Tourism Corp. for Fields of Gold, an agritourism project. The project also is receiving $9,995 in matching funds from the commission and area businesses and departments. The money will be put toward enhancing the Fields of Gold website. The commission was one of 45 tourism projects across the state to receive funds. (The News Leader)

Washington, D.C.-based  ITFederal LLC  broke ground on a $40 million data center on part of the former Avtex plant site in Front Royal. The facility is expected to employ about 600 people. It is the first development on the site since the Environmental Protection Agency shut Avtex down in 1989 because polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the plant contaminated the groundwater in the area. (The Warren Sentinel)

The  U.S. National Security Agency  and Department of Homeland Security designated Lord Fairfax Communit y College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. The designation recognizes schools that excel in training students to become leaders in cyber defense. Only a small number of educational institutions in the nation have the designation. (News release)

A new heating, ventilating and air conditioning company opened in October in Verona, the first U.S.-based plant for the Italian company Provides. It invested $6.1 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing operation, Provides US Inc., which added 18 jobs. As the facility continues to ramp up production, 45 total jobs will be located at the Verona site, a news release said. (The News Leader)

Trex Co. said in October it is investing $15.4 million to expand its manufacturing operations. The project is expected to create 89 jobs in Winchester, where Trex is headquartered. Trex, which makes wood-alternative decking and railing, will invest $12.3 million in Winchester and $3.1 million in Frederick County for the expansion. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

EASTERN VIRGINIA
Toano-based Lumber Liquidators named John M. Presley as its new CEO. Presley was CEO of Glen Allen-based First Capital Bankcorp. and former chairman of Lumber Liquidators’ board of directors. Board member Nancy M. Taylor, the former CEO of Chesterfield-based Tredegar Corp., assumed Presley’s role of independent chairman of the board. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

New York-based Stellex Capital Management LP announced the completion of its acquisition of Marine Hydraulics International Inc., a privately held ship repair and overhaul contractor in Norfolk.  The company employs about 450 people and works on Navy vessels at its pier next to Lambert’s Point Docks. Stellex also acquired Ocean Marine Yacht Center, a service-and-repair facility for boats of all sizes in Portsmouth. Terms were not disclosed. (The Virginian-Pilot) 

The Port of Virginia reached a deal to extend its lease of Virginia International Gateway 50 years from the new signing date, which is expected to come within months, state officials said in October. The deal is subject to approval by the Virginia Port Authority board. The deal will give the port the option of buying the terminal at the end of the 50-year term, well after an expansion that’s expected to start in 2016 and take about three years, said John Milliken, chairman of the authority’s board. (The Virginian-Pilot)

Whole Foods Market opened its first store in Newport News at the Marketplace at Tech Center on Nov. 4.  Tech Center is located at the corner of Oyster Point Road and Jefferson Avenue. When built out, it will include a 50-acre Tech Center Research Park, the Marketplace at Tech Center and residential offerings on a 100-acre site. The $450 million project is projected to create more than 5,500 jobs in Newport News. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms was charged with five misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s Conflict of Interest Act for votes he cast that benefited borrowers of the bank where he served as a president, according to an email from the special prosecutor. The charges against Sessoms are punishable by a maximum fine of $500 each, prosecutor Michael Doucette said. A trial was set for Dec. 7, but that could change to accommodate Sessoms’ attorney, Doucette said. (The Virginian-Pilot)

CENTRAL VIRGINIA
 Liberty Property Trust  broke ground on a build-to-suit warehouse development for Associated Distributors LLC, a fine wine and spirits distributor, and a subsidiary of the Charmer Sunbelt Group in Sandston. The 198,000-square-foot building will include a 32-foot cross dock facility, a two-story office and trailer parking. The project is designed to achieve LEED certification. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

 The Blue Ridge Economic Coalition  formally was announced in October. The coalition consists of Lynchburg and Central Virginia and counties as far south as Pittsylvania and as far west as Montgomery. The organization’s priorities include a dozen transportation-focused tasks, such as improvements to the Lynchburg Expressway and enhancing the regional transit service for the city. (The Lynchburg News & Advance)

 Starwood Retail Partners , the owners of Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond, unveiled a $50 million redevelopment plan in November to update the shopping center. It includes new entertainment experiences, enhanced welcoming and common areas, new shops and restaurants and improved accessibility for pedestrians and vehicles. Starwood, a Chicago-based shopping center asset management company, purchased the retail center in October 2014. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

 Wegman s will  hire 200 full-time employees at its Short Pump location. The 120,000-square-foot store, which is expected to open next year, will employ 550 people. Available positions include entry-level management, customer service, culinary and restaurant service. The supermarket chain also plans to open stores in Midlothian and Charlottesville next year. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richmond-based packaging giant WestRock Co. agreed to form a joint venture with packaging maker Grupo Gondi that will combine the companies’ operations in Mexico. WestRock will contribute cash in exchange for 25 percent equity in the combined business, which will operate as Grupo Gondi. The business will employ 6,800 people. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Boston-based Xpress Natural Gas plans to invest $7.8 million to open a natural gas supply operation in Appomattox County, creating 50 jobs. Virginia competed against Pennsylvania for the project. Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $100,000 state grant to secure the project. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved $100,000 for the endeavor. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Outdoor retailer L. L. Bean opened its second store in Virginia at Short Pump Town Center in Henrico County on Nov. 6. The 15,500-square-foot store is expected to employ 100 people. It will offer active and casual apparel and footwear, and outdoor gear including hiking, fly-fishing, kayaking and camping products. The Henrico County location will be the company’s 23rd retail store outside of its home state of Maine. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA
McLean-based  Booz Allen Hamilton  acquired the software services unit of SPARC, a Charleston, S.C., technology firm. Financial details about the deal were not disclosed. The SPARC unit has about 270 employees. The services group will continue to operate from its Charleston facility, where 65 Booz Allen employees are currently co-located. Booz Allen employs more than 22,200 people globally and had revenue of $5.27 billion for the 12 months ended March 31. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Falls Church-based  Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC)  settled on a name for its government services spinoff — CSRA Inc. This is a change from CSGov, the name given to the spinoff before the company announced the business would merge with Fairfax-based SRA International. CSC expected the deal to be completed on Nov. 30. (Washington Business Journal)

McLean-based publishing company  Gannett  agreed to buy Journal Media Group (JMG) for about $280 million. JMG owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, 13 other daily newspapers, 18 weeklies and their affiliated websites in 14 U.S. markets. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016. (USA Today)

 Leesburg Today  and Ashburn Today published the ir last issues Nov. 4. The newspapers ceased operations after being acquired by Leesburg-based Loudoun Times-Mirror. Northern Virginia Media Services, the previous owner, continues to publish newspapers in Middleburg and Fairfax and in Arlington and Prince William counties. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Sterling-based NeuStar Inc. agreed to acquire MarketShare Partners LLC, a marketing analytics firm, for $450 million. Los Angeles-based MarketShare Partners’ customers include MasterCard, Turner Broadcasting System, Intel, USAA, CarMax and Twitter. NeuStar says the company generates $57 million in annual revenue. Pending regulatory approval, NeuStar says, the acquisition will close before the end of the year. (Washington Business Journal)

Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman Corp. announced plans to streamline its operations and also appointed a chief operating officer. The company is combining its four business units into three, effective Jan. 1. Gloria Flach will become the company’s chief operating officer. Flach is currently corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector. (VirginiaBusiness.com)