Munters Group AB, a Sweden-based manufacturer of air treatment and cooling systems for data centers and other industrial applications, will invest $36 million to relocate its Buena Vista operations to Botetourt County, company and county officials announced Thursday.
Munters will begin construction in April on a 365,000-square-foot manufacturing facility expected to open in summer 2022 in the county’s Botetourt Center at Greenfield business park in Daleville. The new facility will house manufacturing, research and development, and sales of data center cooling systems and high temperature industrial process systems.
The company’s 200 employees from Buena Vista, where Munters has operated a plant for 23 years, are expected to transfer to the new location, which is about a 45-minute drive south and a few miles off Interstate 81.
“A move to the Roanoke region will allow for the expansion that is needed for the data centers business in the U.S. It also generates an opportunity for our employees to move into a new, upgraded facility suited to our specific needs,” said Michael Gantert, Munters’ president for data centers, in a statement. “Remaining in Virginia allows us to continue caring for our workers while opening doors for new team members to join the Munters family.”
Botetourt County and the Roanoke Regional Partnership worked with Munters to secure the relocation.
Munters Group AB produces air treatment and climate solutions for commercial and industrial applications. It employs 3,500 workers across 17 worldwide manufacturing centers, five of which are located in the United States. The company’s U.S. headquarters is located in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Blacksburg-based Torc Robotics has hired Eddie Amos, a former Microsoft and GE Digital executive and software developer, as its chief transformation officer, the company announced Thursday.
In a statement, Amos said his new job is to “translate the lessons learned in 35 years of software disruption into best practices for commercializing self-driving trucks.” Torc is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Trucks, a division of Daimler Group, that is working toward bringing automated trucks to the commercial market. In August, Torc announced it was planning to invest $8.5 million and create 350 jobs in Montgomery County, near its Blacksburg Industrial Park location.
Amos, who came out of retirement to join Torc, has been part of the GO Virginia Region 2 Council since 2019, helping with their efforts to bring more high-tech jobs to Roanoke and the New River Valley region.
He previously served as chief technology officer at Meridium, a startup company later purchased by GE Digital. After its acquisition, Amos was named GE’s senior vice president of digital engineering.
“The Torc team is one of the smartest sets of people I’ve ever worked with in my life,” Amos said in a statement. “The world’s going to be amazed at what this group of individuals is going to do.”
The number of initial unemployment claims filed during the week ending March 20 were 60% lower than they were this week a year ago when the COVID-19pandemic‘s impact first began to be reflected in Virginia’s unemployment statistics.
The Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that 17,560 people filed initial claims last week, an increase of 2,035 from the previous week. Continued claims totaled 58,233, a 2.9% decrease from the previous week but 36,605 higher than continued claims a year ago. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner wrote a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday, urging him to speed up benefits to Virginia unemployment claimants now that the federal $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan has been passed. The act includes compensation for long-term unemployed people, self-employed and gig workers, as well as a new category that targets people with mixed sources of income.
“It is my understanding that, following earlier passage of congressional legislation to extend these programs in December, constituents in Virginia faced many delays and communication problems with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC),” Warner wrote. “With the knowledge that these benefit systems were originally set to expire on Dec. 26, I worked with a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to pass a relief package shortly before Christmas because it was understood that loss of benefits at this time of the year would be particularly cruel. Now, several months later, I hope you can agree that for constituents still experiencing delays the lack of pandemic unemployment insurance is unconscionable.”
Citing constituents that have called his office with complaints, Warner asked in the letter for the VEC to report on its plans on how to disburse the new federal funding for unemployed Virginians, as well as how the commission plans to improve communication efforts with claimants and employers.
“From Newport News to Henrico to Alexandria, constituents are contactingmy officefrom every corner of the commonwealth with desperate requests for relief,” Warner wrote. “Some of them have waited three months, others have waited 11 months, and many are struggling to feed their children and keep a roof over their heads.”
More than half of the claimants who filed for benefits last week (and the prior four weeks) reported being in the accommodation/food service, administrative and waste services, retail trade and health care and social assistance industries, according to the VEC.
The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending March 20:
Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims last week was 684,000, a decrease of 97,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 2,920,162 initial claims during the same week last year.
Arlington-based Leonardo DRS Inc., a subsidiary of Italian defense contractor Leonardo SpA, is hitting the brakes on its initial public offering, its parent company announced Wednesday. No future IPO date was announced.
The company attributed its decision to “adverse market conditions” that “did not allow an adequate valuation of DRS,” according to a news release. “DRS remains a core part of Leonardo’s business portfolio and the IPO will potentially be revisited when market conditions are more favorable and a successful IPO at an appropriate valuation for this strategic business can be achieved.”
The company added that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission but that it has not yet become effective, meaning that the securities cannot be sold until it goes into effect.
Earlier this month, Leonardo announced it would list a minority stake of Leonardo DRS on the New York Stock Exchange, with the IPO valued at $2.54 billion. Leonardo US would remain the majority shareholder of Leonardo DRS, and the company was expected to enter a proxy agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to allow Leonardo DRS to continue to compete and perform on classified programs.
Leonardo DRS is the largest U.S. subsidiary of the Italian defense/aerospace conglomerate and is a military defense tech contractor with $2 billion in annual revenue. The company works with customers including the U.S. Army, Navy and intelligence community. In 2020, the company won a $120 million U.S. Navy contract to provide engineering design and software testing for aircraft protection systems.
The city of Richmond has rejected three of its six casino proposals. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos and Wind Creek Hospitality are no longer in the running, the city confirmed Wednesday night.
In late February, the city announced that six casino projects had been submitted for consideration. Still under consideration are projects proposed by Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp., Baltimore-based Cordish Cos., and a partnership between Colonial Downs and Maryland-based media company Urban One Inc.
“The Pamunkey Indian Tribe was extremely disappointed to learn directly from the city of Richmond that its casino proposal would not receive any further consideration in the Richmond casino selection process,” Pamunkey Chief Robert Gray said in a statement Wednesday evening released ahead of the city’s announcement. “The timing of the decision, which comes before the public comment period has even concluded, seriously undermines confidence in the selection process and suggests a predetermined outcome has been reached. The timing of this decision also suggests that public and community input will not be seriously considered in this process.
“Further, it appears that the city of Richmond did not afford the Pamunkey Indian Tribe the optional preference in state law that recognizes the Pamunkey Tribe‘s ancestral heritage in the region. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe submitted the only 100% minority-owned, Virginia-based proposal. We were shocked to learn of our early dismissal from a process occurring in our native region and state, particularly in light of the fact that the tribe was one of the first entities — if not the first — to talk to the city about gaming before commercial gaming was legalized in the commonwealth.”
Wind Creek Hospitality released the following statement Wednesday evening: “We are disappointed to learn that Wind Creek Hospitality will not be considered for the Richmond casino project. We strongly believe that Wind Creek sets itself apart from other operators by not only building casino resorts, but by building up the communities our properties are located within. We wish the best of luck to the other operators and to the city of Richmond as they continue through the selection process.”
A rendering of the proposed Richmond resort and casino provided by Pamunkey Indian Tribe, now out of consideration.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office confirmed the narrowing of the field in a news release Wednesday night. “These proposals did not advance due to factors such as lack of site control, concerns about the feasibility of financial projections, lack of organizational experience and/or deficiency of the proposal,” according to the statement. “The top-ranked proposals stood out because the operators provided strong proposals with detailed financial and operational analyses to support their vision for a resort casino in Richmond. The evaluation panel will enter into the next phase of evaluation and begin negotiations with these operators, while continuing to engage the Richmond community.”
The mayor’s office named seven city employees and two Richmond City Council members earlier this year to serve as an advisory panel that will recommend one proposal, which will then be considered by the council and ultimately by city voters on the November ballot. The panel is expected to make its recommendation to City Council by late May or June, and has been holding virtual public meetings to answer questions and receive input from Richmond residents.
City Council is expected to select a preferred casino operator this summer but Richmond voters will have the final word in a November referendum, judging whether to grant approval to the casino to operate in Richmond. Voters in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth overwhelmingly approved casinos in each of those cities in November 2020 local referendums.
With Wednesday’s news, the three remaining casino proposals are:
Bally’s $650 million, 1.6 million-square-foot casino with sportsbook, performance space, a hotel and dining and retail outlets on a 61-acre parcel of land south of the James River near the city’s western border, which also includes a $100 million one-time payment to the city. Former NFL linebacker Willie Lanier, a Richmond resident, and Reston entrepreneur Warren Thompson, the founder, president and chairman of Thompson Hospitality Corp., are also involved in the project.
Urban One’s $517 million ONE casino. Urban One owns and operates 55 radio stations and the TV One cable network, and it has paired with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, Colonial Downs Group’s owner and the Rosie’s Gaming Emporium franchise owner. This project, including a sportsbook, 150 hotel rooms, a 3,000-seat theater, 90,000 square feet of gaming space, and 12 bars and restaurants, would be built on 100 acres owned by Altria Group Inc. on Richmond’s South Side, a largely industrial area.
Baltimore-based The Cordish Cos., which owns casinos in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Florida, proposed the $600 million Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond resort on Richmond’s North Side, near The Diamond baseball stadium on the current Movieland theater property. The resort would include a hotel with 300 rooms and 30 suites, a 4,000-seat entertainment venue and 250,000 square feet of gaming space.
Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins released this statement Wednesday night: “ONE is honored and excited to be selected as one of three finalists to develop a resort casino project in the city of Richmond. We are convinced our selection is based on having the absolute best location in an industrial area off Interstate 95 in South Richmond; having the most diverse group of more than 50 investors providing opportunity for minority ownership and wealth-building in the Richmond community; and offering the most robust amenities, including 50 acres of green space for Richmond to enjoy, a music venue and a first-class casino and hotel.”
Bally’s President and CEO George Papanier said in a statement Wednesday night, “The Bally’s Richmond is truly a Richmond-first project, dedicated to supporting local businesses and minority organizations by driving job creation and developing sustained economic opportunities. We are confident that our proposal will provide incomparable economic benefits to the greater Richmond community, and we look forward to continuing our dialogue to prove to the city and its various stakeholders that Bally’s is for RVA.”
And Zed Smith, chief operating officer of The Cordish Cos., said in a statement Wednesday, “Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond will maximize jobs, tax revenues and community impacts for the city. The project will generate over $7.5 billion in overall economic benefits, $1.5 billion in tax revenue and over $200 million in incremental community benefit payments to the city over the first 15 years of the project. These payments will help fund critical community services such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, parks & recreation, workforce development and affordable housing.”
Out of the running
The Pamunkey tribe’s $350 million proposal, which included a 300-room, four-diamond hotel tower, a spa, pool, fitness center and several restaurants, was the least expensive of the projects submitted, and its proposed location was on the city’s South Side, off Interstate 95 and south of the Bells Road exit on 24.5 acres. Wind Creek, affiliated with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, proposed its $541 million casino on Richmond’s South Side as well, with 100,000 square feet of gaming space, a 67,000-square-foot entertainment center, a spa, indoor pool and seven food and beverage locations. Golden Nugget’s $400 million proposal was for the same property as the Bally’s proposal, north of Powhite Parkway and east of Chippenham Parkway.
The Pamunkey project was the only one submitted by a Virginia-based entity, and it was the tribe’s second casino proposal, with construction set to begin on its $500 million Norfolk casino this year.
Golden Nugget did not respond to emails seeking comment.
AT&T Inc. announced Tuesday it has been awarded a $231 million contract from the U.S. Department of Treasury to modernize its voice and data networks and provide cybersecurity protections. The contract was landed by AT&T‘s Public Sector organization, which is based in Fairfax County‘s Oakton area.
The 12-year contract was awarded through the General Service Administration’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions technology procurement program. Dallas-based AT&T will modernize network services supporting approximately 100,000 Treasury workers across 700 geographically dispersed sites.
“Hats off to the technology leadership and team at Treasury for making a deliberate and comprehensive commitment to network modernization,” said Chris Smith, vice president of civilian and shared services for AT&T Public Sector, in a statement. “We look forward to working with Treasury to help transform its communications capabilities and help ensure it is future-ready for further innovation.”
SpaceLink is building a space relay network of satellites in medium Earth orbit that will provide secure, continuous, high-bandwidth communications between its clients’ low Earth orbit spacecraft and the ground. Clients could include commercial space stations and satellite servicers. The company also has operations in Silicon Valley and Huntsville, Alabama.
“The new headquarters office is another indicator of how our business strategy is gaining momentum,” SpaceLink CEO David Bettinger said in a statement. “The Northern Virginia location provides a hub for activities that serve a broad range of spacecraft operators who need continuous connectivity in near Earth orbit.”
On Wednesday, Virginia Tech announced that it was replacing its Office of Economic Development with a new Center for Economic and Community Engagement, as part of its commitment to improving the lives of others.
The new university-level center will engage with internal and external partners to drive economic growth, address workforce needs and interact with people statewide. Part of the new center’s mission will be to promote greater opportunities for education, health and job creation for communities across Virginia.
The center will be led by John Provo, who has run the Office of Economic Development since 2010.
“Economic development and civic engagement are central to Virginia Tech’s service to the commonwealth and our land-grant mission,” Cyril Clarke, VT executive vice president and provost, said in a statement. “The Center for Economic and Community Engagement will partner with communities to facilitate full participation of our citizens in economic development.”
Liberty University has hired the Alaska Republican Party’s chairman, the Rev. Glenn Clary, for the newly created position of vice president of strategic partnerships and alliances, the Lynchburg-based Christian university announced Tuesday.
Clary became chairman of Alaska’s state GOP in 2018. He also has worked as a pastor at Anchorage Baptist Temple. Alaska’s most influential Baptist church, Anchorage Baptist Temple was founded by acting Liberty President Jerry Prevo, who retired last year as its senior pastor after 47 years.
“I’ve known Glenn for over 40 years, and he is a man of integrity, energy and commitment to Christ,” Prevo said in a statement. “He assisted me for many years at Anchorage Baptist Temple, providing invaluable counsel and skill in the leadership of the church, helping us to grow into one of the largest churches in the state of Alaska. Glenn will bring that same drive and commitment to the task of fulfilling our mission here at Liberty — to train champions for Christ.”
Prevo was chairman of Liberty’s board of trustees when he was appointed acting president of the university in August 2020, following the highly publicized resignation of Jerry Falwell Jr., the school’s controversial previous president and chancellor.
Liberty announced Wednesday that it planned to return to normal campus operations in the fall. “With national and state data showing suppression of the spread of the virus, we are encouraged, foremost, that our prayers are being answered,” Prevo said. “If the data continues on this positive trajectory, and as local and state guidelines continue to be lifted, our campus will welcome students back in the fall — and we will do so without restrictions.”
With more than 127,000 students enrolled, most of them online, Liberty is Virginia’s largest school by enrollment and is the nation’s second-largest online university, behind the University of Phoenix.
The Ashburn-based NFL’s team owners are expected to approve a waiver next week that would allow Snyder to take on an additional $450 million in debt to pay the minority co-owners $875 million for their holdings. Snyder has been feuding with co-owners Dwight Schar, Robert Rothman and Frederick Smith, who bought into the team in 2003 but tried to sell their stakes last year, the Times reports. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, an NFL spokesman said the sale and the league’s investigation into sexual harassment and misconduct are “two separate matters,” and that an investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson is continuing.
In December, The Washington Post reported that the team paid a female former employee $1.6 million in a confidential settlement in 2009 after she accused Snyder of sexual misconduct. According to the leaked report, the alleged incident occurred on Snyder’s private plane. December’s news came after bombshell allegations by 15 women who said they were sexually harassed when they worked for the team during Snyder’s tenure as majority owner since 1999. Several Washington Football executives were fired in the wake of the August report.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decided a few days later, at the end of August, that the league would take over the investigation into the team, which launched its own third-party probe.
Also last August, Snyder went to court and accused Schar of spreading negative information about him to potentially force him to sell his majority stake in the team, which he purchased in 1999. In July 2020, the team bowed to corporate pressure and announced it would drop its former name, the Redskins, which was broadly seen as discriminatory and derogatory against Native Americans, and said it would choose a new name after months of discussion and public input.
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