Milestones: Virginia companies going the distance

Businesses celebrating big anniversaries in 2026

Anna-Louise Jackson August 2, 2026//

Newport News Shipbuilding marked its 140th anniversary this year. A division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, the shipyard is Virginia’s largest industrial employer. Photo courtesy Huntington Ingalls Industries

Businesses celebrating big anniversaries in 2026

Anna-Louise Jackson August 2, 2026//

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While the first few years in business are notoriously challenging for entrepreneurs, even milestones that seem achievable are still relatively uncommon.

Consider this: For Virginia-based companies established at any time between the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, the 20-year survival rate hovered around 20%, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And beyond longevity, businesses that thrive for decades or even centuries are worth celebrating for what they give back to their communities. After all, what might Smithfield look like today without ham or Newport News in the absence of its storied shipyard?

Regardless of industry, businesses that make it over the long haul usually share a willingness to evolve in the face of change while remaining focused on founding values. Here are the stories of how nine prominent Virginia-based companies celebrating milestone anniversaries have adapted and grown their businesses over the past 20 to 140 years.

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