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Va. Beach economic development director to depart

Taylor V. Adams, ‘s deputy city manager and director of , confirmed Tuesday night he will be leaving Virginia Beach after eight years. He will become the next and of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), he said Wednesday.

His last day is June 30.

Last summer, Adams was a finalist for the position of city manager in Salem, Oregon, a job that went to a Washington city administrator instead.
He began working for Virginia Beach in 2015 as a purchasing agent and was promoted to finance operations administrator before becoming interim director of economic development for the city in 2018. That year, his predecessor resigned amid an embezzlement scandal. In July 2019, he became the permanent director of economic development for the city and was named deputy city manager in 2021.
Before coming to Virginia Beach, Adams served as chief administrative officer and director of finance for Starkville, Mississippi, and worked for Mississippi State University, his alma mater, as purchasing manager. He also worked as a partner and operations officer for Benefits Concepts PA in Columbus, Mississippi, and as a business development officer and commercial credit analyst for the National Bank of Commerce.
According to Fox 11 in Reno, Adams was chosen by EDAWN’s board after a nationwide search that yielded more than 100 candidates. He will replace Mike Kazmierski, who is set to step down after 12 years on Aug. 1. EDAWN includes Reno, Sparks and Tahoe.

 

Charlottesville regional chamber names prez and CEO

Natalie S. Masri will assume the role of and of the on June 1, the chamber announced Tuesday.

She succeeds Andrea Copeland, who has served as the chamber’s interim president since February and will become the chamber’s chief operating officer.

Masri most recently founded Brave May LLC, a consulting firm focused on corporate social responsibility, ‘s economic empowerment, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. The Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center was a client of the firm.

“I am honored to lead the Regional Chamber of Commerce,” Masri said in a statement. “Having worked with chambers around the country as they tackle local challenges, I’m eager to apply those lessons in my home community.”

Masri held various roles with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 2004 through 2016, culminating in spearheading the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Center for Women in Business as a senior director of special projects.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary, in Canada.

Copeland began volunteering with Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador Corps in 2007 and joined the chamber staff in 2012 as director of member education services and of the chamber’s Charlottesville program until 2020, when she became the Committee Engagement Director.

Copeland holds an associate degree from Piedmont Virginia Community College and a bachelor’s from Old Dominion University.

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce has about 680 members, primarily located in Charlottesville and .

2,000 Amazon employees move into HQ2 during first week

About 2,000 employees moved into the first open tower at ‘s $2.5 billion East Coast in this week.

Floors 1-14 of Merlin, one of ‘s two 22-story towers in Metropolitan Park, the first phase of HQ2, opened Monday. The tech giant anticipates opening the remaining floors in phases, likely two floors at a time, with plans to have the 15th floor open before the end of June. The company has hired 8,000 employees locally so far.

“On the first day, in the afternoon, were bringing their kids in and their partners, I think to show off [the building],” said Rachael Lighty, Amazon’s head of public relations for policy and HQ2.

Amazon expects to have roughly 1,000 to 2,000 more employees move in by teams each week. The lower floors of HQ2’s second building, dubbed Jasper, should be completed in the next 30 to 40 days, around the end of June, according to Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s vice of and public policy. By the end of September or early October, all HQ2 teams will be invited into the towers’ 2.1 million square feet.

Under its current office policy, Amazon is “encouraging” employees to come into the office at least three days a week, but vice presidents set office policies for their teams.

HQ2 will house a variety of teams, including devices, Amazon Web Services and corporate functions like finance, legal, public policy, communications and corporate facilities teams.

“It is truly a headquarters. We have that diversity of roles within HQ2,” Sullivan said.

Met Park’s two towers can house more than 14,500 employees. Despite beginning large-scale layoffs in November 2022, Amazon has remained firm on its commitment to create 25,000 at HQ2 by 2030. The global e-tailer said in March that it was delaying HQ2’s second phase, PenPlace, but has been resolute that the delay is not a cancellation: “Our commitment remains unchanged,” Sullivan said.

Met Park will house 14 ground-floor retailers and also includes a 2.5-acre public park with walking paths, a children’s playground and a dog walk, as well as a dog park that will open once grass has firmly taken root.

General Dynamics subsidiary to build ninth Navy oiler

A subsidiary of -based has received a $736 million contract modification for detail design and construction of the ninth replenishment oiler in the ‘s John Lewis-class fleet, the Pentagon announced Monday.

San Diego-based National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. is expected to begin construction of T-AO 213 in the third quarter of 2025. The exercised option brings the total contract value up to about $5.5 billion, the company said in a news release. Work is expected to be completed by March 2028.

“NASSCO is proud of our ongoing dedication to deliver these ships to the fleet,” Dave Carver, of NASSCO, said in a statement. “We are committed to working with our Navy partners to ensure the continued success of the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program.”

The Navy awarded the subsidiary a contract to design and build the first six ships in 2016. The 742-foot vessels fuel Navy carrier strike groups at sea and have the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil. The first ship, the future USNS John Lewis, was delivered to the Navy last year, and an additional five are under construction. The Pentagon announced an $890 million contract modification green lighting construction for the seventh and eighth ships in the John Lewis-class in August 2022.

General Dynamics on Tuesday received an additional $1.1 billion from the Navy to continue building Virginia-class submarines.

 

VPAP names new director

Chris Piper, former commissioner of the Virginia Department of under Gov. Ralph Northam, will be the next director of the () after founder David Poole retires on June 30, the organization announced.

Founded in 1997, VPAP started as a joint effort by the state’s five largest newspapers to track campaign contributions and expanded its mission to share nonpartisan information with Virginians about . Poole took a leave of absence from his job as a Roanoke Times reporter to build a database, then recruited a board and got the organization started. In the decades since, VPAP has grown to become a resource for tracking money, trends and news in state politics.

Piper brings 20 years of experience in campaign finance, elections and government ethics and has helmed two state agencies: the Virginia Department of Elections from 2018 to 2022 and the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council from 2014 to 2016. He also served as deputy director of the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.

He will report to VPAP’s board of directors and lead its professional staff.

“When the board of directors undertook the task of finding a new executive director for VPAP, we knew we were facing a daunting task to replace the quarter of a century of excellence and trust that David Poole established,” Bill Leighty, chair of the VPAP board, said in a statement.

Piper attended Virginia Commonwealth University and lives in Henrico County. “I will do all I can to sustain VPAP’s fiercely nonpartisan brand,” he said in a statement. “Together, we can build upon this indispensable institution that is trusted across the political spectrum.”

Piper was selected from more than 150 applicants, according to VPAP.

Poole praised his successor: “I’ve worked with Chris for two decades. I am confident in his ability and his passion for the work. He’s a natural fit for a leader to build on what we’ve started.”

 

 

Auto parts manufacturer to expand in Emporia

Heyco Werk USA Inc., a subsidiary of Germany-based parts manufacturer Heyco Group, plans to invest $5.4 million to expand its operations in Greenville County, adding 21 , Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday.

The location produces precision plastic molder parts for the auto industry and other industrial markets. Heyco Werk USA produces products for all BMW sport utility vehicles around the world, and its expansion will meet needs of BMW plants in South Carolina, China and South Africa, Youngkin said in a news release.

“A diverse, steadily growing ecosystem of automotive manufacturers, innovators and customers is thriving in the commonwealth, and Heyco Werk USA benefits from strategic access to our specialized supply chains and strong base,” Youngkin said in a news release. “The Virginia operation has expanded Heyco’s production footprint to serve BMW plants worldwide, and we are thrilled the company will create more high-quality manufacturing jobs for the hardworking citizens of .”

Founded in 1937 in Remscheid, Germany, by Max and Ernst Heynen, Heyco Group supplies products and engineering services in metal and plastic processing technology. The company has eight sites worldwide, with approximately 1,250 employees. . established a facility in the U.S. in 2014 and has operated the Greensville County plant, in , since 2019. According to Heyco’s website, the company took over the Emporia plant from former production partner Beach Mold and Tool and in 2019 had about 100 employees and more than 20 injection molding machines.

“We are honored to continue our partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia and extend our engagement at our Greensville County location as we build on the success of the last few years. Our production plant in Greensville County plays an important strategic role within the Heyco Group,” & Daniel Dittmar said in a statement. “With this latest investment, we set an important milestone for the future of our manufacturing operation and prepare the plant with new technologies, ensuring both the long-term success of our company and our position as an attractive and viable employer in Greensville County.”

The Virginia Partnership worked with Greensville County to secure the project for Virginia, and Youngkin approved a $135,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the county with the project. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Valiant wins $748M language services task order

-based contractor Integrated Services LLC will provide linguist and translation support to the U.S. Central Command under a $748 million task order with a ceiling value of up to $1.4 billion, the government contractor announced Thursday.

Under the contract, Valiant will provide comprehensive linguist and translation support in CENTCOM’s area of responsibility, a region that covers the Middle East, as well as supplementary support in the continental U.S. from CENTCOM’s Tampa, Florida-based .  The task order was awarded by the Contracting Command-Detroit Arsenal/Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). CENTCOM is one of 11 unified combatant commands under the Department of Defense.

“Valiant is honored to continue our 10-year partnership with INSCOM by expanding our linguist support services to 19 CENTCOM countries in support of the U.S. and our partner nations,” Valiant Dan Corbett said in a statement. “This award builds on Valiant’s successful strategy to expand and diversify our core markets and further expand our geographic footprint. We are proud to empower INSCOM’s critical missions by providing essential solutions against evolving global threats.”

Valiant’s 5,000 employees provide training, simulation, and readiness; mission and language support; advanced logistics and sustainment; intelligence and analysis solutions; global contingency and stability operations; and facility modernization, operations and maintenance to federal government clients, relief workers, global peacekeepers and disaster response teams. In addition to CENTCOM, Valiant provides language support in 17 other countries across U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command.

 

Navy awards $1.1B more for sub construction

General Dynamics Corp.’s Groton, Connecticut-based Corp. has received nearly $1.1  billion more from the to continue building Virginia-class submarines, and its teammate, , has received a $305 million chunk of that award to procure long-lead time material and components for the next two hulls.

The contract modification, announced by the Pentagon and -based Tuesday, brings the total contract value to $10.2 billion. It includes procuring materials and major components for the future submarines 812 and 813, which are part of the Block V in the Virginia class of fast-attack nuclear submarines. Shipbuilding announced its portion of the award, which it received from General Dynamics, Wednesday.

“These funds are critically important to stabilizing and providing predictability to the thousands of suppliers across the country who support the Virginia-class program,” Jason Ward, Newport News Shipyards’ vice of Virginia-class submarine construction, said in a statement. “The submarine industrial base is crucial to our shipbuilding success and we look forward to continuing to build these vital national security assets that will deliver to the U.S. Navy with the latest technology.”

Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Newport News-based , are the nation’s only two shipyards capable of building nuclear submarines. General Dynamics in 2019 won the largest-ever Navy contract for construction of the Block V of the Virginia class, which are capable of launching Tomahawk missiles. The two companies teamed up on a construction agreement to produce the class.

The Navy has said its submarine industrial base needs to hire as many as 100,000 workers in the next decade to keep up with the construction of its new submarines.

SAIC lands $249M Navy air warfare contract

Reston-based Science Applications International Corp. will continue servicing combat instrumentation platforms used by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division for training and test evaluation under a potential $249 million contract, the Fortune 500 contractor announced Tuesday.

Under the contract, will perform systems design and integration, hardware and software upgrades and modifications for combat environment instrumentation systems. The contractor will also provide services to support GPS-based range equipment, airborne electronic warfare systems, warning and countermeasures systems and range radio-frequency/electro-optical tracking systems and deliver test support and instrumentation for aerial drones and remote data sources. The work also includes field service support at more than nine test locations.

“SAIC’s expertise in systems integration and engineering provides solutions to support the U.S. ‘s testing and training needs,” Bob Genter, of SAIC’s and civilian sector, said in a statement. “We are excited to build on our progress and continue our work at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.”

Primarily based in California, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division researches, develops, tests, evaluates and sustains integrated, interoperable ware fighting capabilities.