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Virginia Fortune 500 company agrees to $11B buyout

Herndon-based company has agreed to an $11 billion buyout by Connecticut software and professional services company QXO after previously rebuffing a slightly lower offer from the same suitor.

The two businesses have entered into a definitive merger agreement with QXO purchasing the company for $124.35 per share in cash, according to a news release distributed Thursday. In January, Beacon scoffed at a previous offer from QXO that was 10 cents lower per share, stating the company founded by billionaire and serial entrepreneur Brad Jacobs in late 2023 had “significantly undervalued” the roofing and other building supplies distributor.

“Since QXO made its initial offer last November, we have evaluated strategic alternatives to enhance value for all of our shareholders,” Stuart Randle, Beacon’s chair, stated in a news release. “ Following our board’s comprehensive review, we concluded that this transaction is in the best interests of Beacon and its shareholders given the immediate premium and certainty of value in cash it offers, particularly in an uncertain environment.”

When launching QXO in 2023, Jacobs announced his intent for the company to become a leader in the building products distribution industry through and organic growth.

“Acquiring Beacon is a key milestone in our plan to create substantial shareholder value and establish QXO as a leader in the $800 billion building products distribution industry,” Jacobs, chair and CEO of QXO, said in a statement. “We will be applying our proven playbook to a platform ripe to deliver above-market organic growth and significant margin expansion.

In February, QXO, which counts President Trump’s son-in- Jared Kushner among its board members, announced it had obtained antitrust clearance in both the United States and Canada for its of Beacon.

QXO will cover the purchase price of Beacon with financing commitments and $5 billion in cash. The company announced Monday that it had raised $830 million in private placement from institutional investors., contingent upon closing the Beacon acquisition. The company plans to sell approximately 67.5 million shares of its common stock at $12.30 per share, according to a news release.

A spokesperson for Beacon declined to comment beyond the press release Thursday.

Founded in 1928, Beacon ranks No. 429 on the Fortune 500 list. The company has about 8,000 employees and operates more than 580 branches throughout all 50 states and seven provinces in Canada.

In 2024, Beacon reported net sales of $9.76 billion, a 7.1% increase over the prior year. The company has been on a growth streak of its own, opening new locations in multiple states and racking up a list of acquisitions, including an announcement earlier this month of the purchase of DM Figley Co., a California wholesale distributor of sealants, waterproofing and concrete repair materials.

Three Virginia business schools make top 20 Poets&Quants rankings

Four Virginia placed among the top 104 business schools in Poets&Quants’ 2025 rankings of undergraduate business schools, released Monday. Of these Virginia schools, three were in the top 20.

Poets&Quants for Undergrads, an online publication and forum dedicated to business schools, ranks schools by three categories: admissions standards, academic experience, and career outcomes. The final ranking involves the publication taking the index scores in each of the three categories and adding them for the final raw score.

The No. 1 school nationally remained the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

The ‘s McIntire School of Commerce came in 14th place. While this was a dip from last year, when the school ranked in fourth place, McIntire remained the top-ranking Virginia business school included in the rankings. The school took third place in the academic experience category.

Virginia’s second highest ranking business school was the ‘s of Business, which ranked 17th overall, up from 18th last year. In the 2025 ranking, Robins had one of the highest 2-year rates at 99.8%, an average of the rates for the classes of 2024 and 2023. Robins has been among the top 20 schools for four consecutive years.

“We are proud that this year’s rankings recognize our unwavering commitment to providing a dynamic undergraduate experience — one that is both academically rigorous and prepares our students for meaningful careers that make a positive impact,” said Mickey Quiñones, dean of the business school, in a statement.

The third highest ranking business school in Virginia by Poets&Quants this year was ‘s , ranked No. 20 overall. The school says this was a “significant leap” from last year, when the school ranked 48th overall and from 2023 when the school ranked 68th.

In a news release, the Mason School acknowledged it previously faced challenges in meeting the crucial alumni response threshold for Poets&Quants’ 2022 rankings. It says that successfully meeting this benchmark for three consecutive years was a critical factor in its ascent in the rankings.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made, and this ranking is a testament to the hard work of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” Terry Hinders, associate dean of the undergraduate business programs at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, said in a statement. “This ranking is not just a number — it represents our community’s dedication in providing a world-class education and experience that empowers our students to succeed in an ever-changing global .”

The remaining Virginia school was The , which came in at 84th overall. The school came in at 34th in the “academic experience” category.

“This recognition highlights our faculty’s expertise, our focus on innovation and the success of our graduates,” UMW College of Business Dean Filiz Tabak said in a statement. “It showcases UMW as a top destination for students seeking a rigorous, hands-on business education with small class sizes, personalized attention and strong career outcomes.”

Poets&Quants collected admissions data through an institutional survey that each school completed between July 2024 and January 2025. New metrics added this year include 6-year graduation rate (weighted 20% of the category) and average high school GPA of the incoming class (weighted 15%).

The publication eliminated a metric used last year: The percent of incoming freshmen who were National Merit Scholars. According to Poets&Quants’ website, other admissions metrics include acceptance rate of the incoming class, average SAT/ACT scores, percent of incoming class that were in the top 10% of their high school class and the percent of the incoming class that are female, international, underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students.

The academic experience data comes from an alumni survey, also administered between July 2024 and January 2025. This year the publication surveyed students from the class of 2022, or those graduating between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The publication averaged the results of this year’s survey with the average from the two previous classes – giving 50% weight to the class of 2022 and 25% each to the other classes.

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts on signals US economy remains solid, for now at least

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes edged lower Thursday following another reminder that big, unsettling policy changes are underway because of President Donald Trump, along with more signals suggesting the U.S.  remains solid for now.

The slipped 0.2% after flipping between modest gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by 11 points, or less than 0.1 %, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.

Wall Street has been swinging for weeks on a roller-coaster ride, as veer on uncertainty about what Trump’s trade war will do to the economy. Stocks got a boost Wednesday after the head of the Federal Reserve said the economy remains solid enough at the moment to leave where they are.

More data arrived Thursday to bolster that view. One report said slightly fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected. It’s the latest sign of a potentially “low fire, low hire” job market.

A separate report said sales of previously occupied homes were stronger last month than economists expected, while a third said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region appears to be better than economists expected.

But Fed Chair Jerome Powell also stressed on Wednesday that extremely high uncertainty is making it difficult to forecast what will happen next.

It’s not just uncertainty about the affecting Wall Street. Accenture fell to one of the market’s larger losses Thursday even though the consulting and professional services company reported slightly better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Worries are rising about the hit Accenture may take to its revenue from the U.S. government as leads efforts to cut federal spending. The accounted for 17% of Accenture’s North American revenue last fiscal year, and its stock sank 7.3%.

The broad U.S. was likely due for its recent drop, which took it more than 10% below its all-time high in just a few weeks, after prices climbed much faster than corporate profits to make it look too expensive, according to Barry Bannister, chief strategist at Stifel.

He said the S&P 500 could bounce higher in the near term, particularly after Fed officials indicated Wednesday they see room to cut interest rates twice this year. Lower interest rates would give a boost to the economy, as well as prices for investments. The market has also traditionally had “relief rallies” after major, long-term upward runs for stocks cracked, Bannister said.

But he expects stock prices to remain under pressure as the economy’s growth slows more sharply in the second half of the year and as inflation remains stubbornly high. That could create a mild form of “stagflation,” which is something the Fed doesn’t have good tools to fix. The Fed could lower interest rates further to help the economy, but that would also push upward on inflation.

On Wall Street, Darden Restaurants climbed 5.8% after reporting profit for the latest quarter that matched analysts’ expectations. That was despite what the company behind Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and other restaurant chains called “a challenging environment.”

All told, the S&P 500 slipped 12.40 points to 5,662.89. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 11.31 to 41,953.32, and the Nasdaq composite fell 59.16 to 17,691.63.

In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1% after the Bank of England held its main interest rate steady.

Indexes fell more sharply across much of the rest of Europe, and German stocks in the DAX lost 1.2%. The drop was even worse in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng index fell 2.2% following heavy pressure on tech-related stocks.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.23% from 4.25% late Wednesday.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Applications for jobless benefits inch up, but layoffs remain low, labor market healthy

Slightly more Americans applied for benefits last week, but layoffs remain historically low.

U.S. filings rose by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending March 15, the said Thursday. That’s just less than the 224,000 new applications analysts forecast.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have remained mostly in a range between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years.

The four-week average, which evens out some of the week-to-week swings, inched up by 750 to 227,000.

It’s not clear when job cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency, or “DOGE,” will show up in the weekly layoffs report, though the Department’s February jobs report showed that the shed 10,000 jobs. That’s the most since June of 2022.

Economists don’t expect the federal layoffs to have much of an impact until the March jobs report.

Those layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through DOGE, spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk.

Senior U.S. officials set the government downsizing in motion late last month via a memo dramatically expanding ‘s efforts to scale back the workforce. Thousands of probationary employees have already been fired — though two federal judges last week issued orders requiring the rehiring of thousands of those workers.

Despite showing some signs of weakening during the past year, the remains healthy with plentiful jobs and relatively few layoffs.

The Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added a solid 151,000 jobs last month, and while the unemployment rate ticked up to a 4.1%, it remains a historically healthy figure.

Some high-profile companies have announced job cuts already this year, including Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Facebook parent company Meta.

The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of March 8 rose by 33,000 to 1.89 million.

US home sales rose in February as mortgage rates eased and more homes put up for sale

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in February as easing and more properties on the market encouraged home shoppers.

Existing rose 4.2% last month from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Sales fell 1.2% compared with February last year, ending a string of five straight annual increases. The latest home sales topped the 3.92 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. On an unadjusted basis, sales fell 5.2% from February last year, when the month included an extra day because 2024 was a leap year.

Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 20th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 3.8% in February from a year earlier to $398,400, an all-time high for the month of February. All told, the U.S. median home sales price is up 47% over the last five years.

“Home buyers are slowly entering the market,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “ rates have not changed much, but more inventory and choices are releasing pent-up housing demand.”

The U.S. housing sales began to slump in 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years.

While the average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly fell to a 2-year low last September, it didn’t stay there long, climbing to just above 7% by mid-January. Mortgage rates mostly declined since then, sliding to an average of 6.76% by the last week of February. The rate averaged 6.65% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

That’s more than double the 2.65% record low that the average rate reached a little over four years ago.

A lag of a month or two usually exists between when a contract is signed and when the home sale is finalized, so the recent pullback in rates may point to improved sales this month as the spring homebuying season gets going.

Still, Yun said a survey of NAR member agents showed that buyer traffic was down in February from a year earlier, while seller traffic was up.

”(The) market clearly needs lower to fundamentally lift it a little higher on a sustained basis,” Yun said.

Rising home prices and elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have frozen out many would-be homebuyers and discouraged homeowners who locked in ultra-low mortgage rates a few years ago from selling.

These trends have made it especially tough on first-time buyers, as they don’t have from an existing home to put toward a new home purchase.

Even so, they accounted for 31% of all homes sold last month, up from 28% in January and 26% in February last year. The annual share of first-time buyers fell last year to a record-low 24%. It’s been 40% historically.

Homebuyers who paid all cash for a home accounted for 32% of sales last month, up from 29% in January, NAR said.

Those who can afford to buy at current home loan rates or to sidestep them entirely by paying cash also stand to benefit from a wider selection of properties on the market.

There were 1.24 million unsold homes at the end of last month, up 5.1% from January and up 17% from February last year, NAR said.

That translates to a 3.5-month supply at the current sales pace, unchanged from January and up from a 3-month pace at the end of February last year. Traditionally, a 5- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

Yun said the months’ supply shows the housing market remains tight, adding he would like to see 30% more homes for sale for the market to be more balanced between buyers and sellers.

“In the spring and summer months, we will have more inventory,” he said.

One reason the inventory of homes for sale has been rising is properties are taking longer to sell.

Homes typically remained on the market for 42 days last month before selling, up from 41 days in January and 38 days in February last year, NAR said.

Amtrak CEO abruptly resigns from the nation’s passenger railroad

NEW YORK (AP) — CEO Stephen Gardner abruptly resigned from his top post at the U.S. passenger railroad this week.

Wednesday’s announcement signaled that the leadership change came down to Amtrak maintaining support from U.S. . In a statement, Gardner said he was stepping down “to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.”

A successor for Gardner was not immediately named.

Gardner’s departure also arrives just weeks after billionaire  floated the idea of privatizing Amtrak, as well as the U.S. Postal Service, at a Morgan Stanley tech conference earlier this month.

Musk, who has been at the forefront of the Trump administration’s aggressive push to downsize the through the Department of Government Efficiency, reportedly called Amtrak “kind of embarrassing” — while comparing the U.S. carrier to passenger rails seen in other countries, such as bullet trains in China.

When reached for comment on Thursday, the Department did not provide further details specific to Gardner’s resignation. A statement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took aim at Amtrak’s Washington D.C. operations — calling on Amtrak’s leadership to “clean up Union Station” and “rid of our nation’s treasures of homelessness and crime.”

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported Wednesday that Gardner was asked to step down at the request of Trump, who previously sought to cut Amtrak’s budget in his first term.

When reached Thursday, Amtrak declined to comment on whether Gardner was asked to resign. But in Wednesday’s announcement, the Amtrak board stated that it looked forward to “working with President Trump and Secretary Duffy as we build the world-class system this country deserves.”

Gardner first got his start with Amtrak as an intern back in the 90s. He later returned and worked at the service for the past 16 years, holding the title of CEO since January 2022.

Amtrak struggled during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — with the railroad seeing plummeting ridership as people across the country stopped traveling and stayed home. But passenger numbers have recently rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.

For the 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported an all-time ridership record of 32.8 million customer trips. That’s up 15% from 2023 — and surpasses Amtrak’s previous record of 32.4 million passengers in 2019.

Ticket revenue for the 2024 fiscal year totaled $2.5 billion, a 9% jump from 2023. And Amtrak posted an adjusted operated loss of $705.2 million, also a 9% improvement year-over-year.

Average US rate on a 30-year mortgage rises slightly for the second week in a row

Associated Press (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year in the U.S. rose slightly for the second week in a row, a modest setback for prospective home shoppers as the spring homebuying season ramps up.

The rate rose to 6.67% from 6.65% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.87%.

Including this week, the average rate on a 30-year home loan has risen only twice in the past nine weeks, a welcome trend for aspiring homebuyers struggling to afford a home after years of soaring home prices.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has stayed under 7% for nine consecutive weeks, which is helpful for potential buyers and sellers alike,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week, pushing the average rate to 5.83% from 5.8% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.21%, Freddie Mac said.

are influenced by several factors, including bond market investors’ expectations for future inflation, global demand for U.S. Treasurys and the ‘s interest rate policy decisions.

After climbing to just above 7% in mid-January, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been mostly declining, loosely following the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The yield, which was nearing 4.8% in mid-January, has mostly fallen since then, reflecting worries about the economy’s growth and the fallout from the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on imported goods from many of the nation’s key trade partners. The yield was at 4.23% in midday trading Thursday.

Tariffs can drive inflation higher, which could translate into higher yields on the 10-year Treasury note, pushing up mortgage rates. That’s because bond investors demand higher returns as long as inflation remains elevated.

The Fed has been holding its key interest rate steady this year, after cutting it sharply through the end of last year. While lower rates can help give the a boost, they can also drive inflation higher.

On Wednesday, the central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged. It also signaled that it still expects to cut rates twice this year, even as it sees inflation staying stubbornly elevated.

While the Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions can ultimately influence borrowing costs for mortgages and other consumer loans.

“In the near term, we expect mortgage rates to remain in a fairly narrow range, between 6.5% and 7%, which should support the spring housing market,” said Mike Fratantoni, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The family of an airplane safety whistleblower is suing Boeing over his death

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — The family of a former Boeing quality control manager who police say killed himself after lawyers questioned him for days about his whistleblowing on alleged jumbo jet defects sued the airplane maker Thursday.

subjected John Barnett to a “campaign of harassment, abuse and intimidation intended to discourage, discredit and humiliate him until he would either give up or be discredited,” lawyers for the family wrote in a wrongful filed in federal court in South Carolina.

Barnett, 62, shot himself March 9, 2024, in Charleston after answering questions from attorneys for several days. He lived in Louisiana.

“Boeing had threatened to break John, and break him it did,” the attorneys wrote in court papers.

Boeing has not yet responded in court filings.

“We are saddened by John Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family,” the company said in a statement this week.

Barnett was a longtime Boeing employee and worked as a quality-control manager before he retired in 2017. In the years after that, he shared his concerns with journalists and became a .

Barnett said he once saw discarded metal shavings near wiring for the flight controls that could have cut wiring and caused a catastrophe. He also noted problems with up to a quarter of the oxygen systems on Boeing’s 787 planes.

Barnett shared his concerns with his supervisors and others before leaving Boeing, but according to the lawsuit they responded by ignoring him and then harassing him.

Boeing intentionally gave Barnett inaccurate, poor job reviews and less desirable shifts, according to the lawsuit. Barnett’s family argues the company publicly blamed him for delays that angered his co-workers and prevented him from transferring to another plant.

Barnett eventually was diagnosed with PTSD and his mental condition deteriorated, his family said.

“Whether or not Boeing intended to drive John to his death or merely destroy his ability to function, it was absolutely foreseeable that PTSD and John’s unbearable depression, panic attacks, and anxiety, which would in turn lead to an elevated risk of ,” the lawsuit said. “Boeing may not have pulled the trigger, but Boeing’s conduct was the clear cause, and the clear foreseeable cause, of John’s death.”

The lawsuit doesn’t specify the amount of damages sought by Barnett’s family but asks for compensation for emotional distress and mental anguish, back pay, 10 years of lost future earnings as well as bonuses, health expenses and his lost life insurance benefits.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

Constructing change

The industry has long been perceived as a male-dominated field, but is not just a moral imperative — it’s a strategic advantage. While the National Association of Home Builders reports that currently make up approximately 10.8% of the U.S. construction — an increase from 9.3% in 2002 — there is still significant room for growth.

Earlier this month, the construction industry celebrated Women in Construction Week, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of women in the field and promoting opportunities for future generations. As we continue through Women’s History Month, it is crucial to not only reflect on the progress made but also acknowledge the work still needed to build a more inclusive and equitable industry. By fostering an inclusive workplace, supporting mentorship initiatives and championing women in leadership roles, we are committed to shaping a future where women in construction are not just welcomed but empowered to thrive.

The business case for diversity

Diversity within the workforce is not merely a matter of ; it is a strategic advantage. Companies that embrace diverse perspectives are better equipped to innovate and adapt in a competitive marketplace. In construction, where problem-solving and creativity are paramount, the inclusion of women can lead to more comprehensive solutions and improved project outcomes. A comprehensive study by McKinsey & Company, published in May 2020, analyzed data from over 1,000 large companies across 15 countries. The findings revealed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to those in the bottom quartile. Furthermore, the study highlighted that the greater the representation of women, the higher the likelihood of outperformance. These insights underscore the tangible benefits of fostering gender diversity within leadership roles.

The construction industry, with its inherent need for innovation and efficiency, stands to gain significantly from increasing gender diversity — not just in workforce numbers but in leadership and decision-making roles as well. By cultivating an inclusive culture that actively supports the recruitment, retention and advancement of women, companies can secure a competitive edge while contributing to a more resilient industry.

Challenges persist

Despite progress in increasing female representation, women in the construction industry continue to face significant challenges, including workplace harassment and microaggressions. A comprehensive study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, based on a survey of over 2,600 tradeswomen, found that discrimination, harassment and a lack of respect contribute significantly to high turnover rates among female construction workers. The report, A Future Worth Building: What Tradeswomen Say about the Change They Need in the Construction Industry, revealed that 26.5% of surveyed women reported high levels of workplace harassment. Additionally, a 2024 article highlighted that 88% of women in the sector have faced microaggressions at work, with 41% of these incidents involving supervisors or managers. Such experiences not only deter women from entering or remaining in the industry but also emphasize the urgency for cultural change.

Addressing these systemic barriers through stronger policies, leadership accountability, and workplace education is critical to fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment where women can thrive.

Driving industrywide change

Creating a more inclusive construction industry requires collaboration between companies, industry leaders and advocacy organizations. While many companies are committed to fostering an equitable workplace, broader change is also being driven by national organizations that provide education, mentorship and advocacy for women in construction. These initiatives are instrumental in breaking down barriers and ensuring that women not only enter the industry but also have the support they need to succeed.

Several key organizations are leading the charge:

● National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC): Established in 1953, NAWIC provides members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training and public service. The organization plays a critical role in advocating for policies that support women in the trades and creating a strong professional network.

● Home Builders Institute (HBI): A leader in workforce development, HBI offers free education, training, and job placement services to help individuals, including women, build successful careers in construction. By equipping workers with the skills and confidence needed to thrive, HBI plays a vital role in increasing the number of women entering and staying in the field.

● Commercial Women (CREW) Network: CREW is dedicated to advancing women in commercial real estate, including construction, development, and investment. Their industry research, including benchmark studies, provides insights into gender gaps and opportunities to advance women in leadership roles.

● Urban Land Institute – Women’s Leadership Initiative (ULI-WLI): ULI’s Women’s Leadership Initiative promotes the advancement of women in real estate and land use, supporting career growth, leadership training, and networking opportunities. Their programs help women build connections and gain visibility in the industry.

By working alongside these organizations and implementing internal initiatives, construction firms can take meaningful steps toward lasting industry transformation.

Brian K. Revere is president of . A subsidiary of The Breeden Co., Breeden Construction is a privately owned, nationally recognized general contracting company specializing in multifamily communities.

Trump Town owner found not guilty of assault, indecent exposure

A judge Monday found Donald “Whitey” Taylor, owner of ‘s Trump Town retail store, not guilty of misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and assaulting three store employees.

“It was very rewarding,” Taylor said of the verdict. “These ladies were just looking for money.”

Requests for comment from the ‘s Commonwealth’s Attorney and to attorneys representing the former employees were not returned.

Judge Allen (A.J.) Dudley had questions about the ‘s credibility, according to The Roanoke Times.

In 2020, Taylor, who also owns Franklin County Speedway, transformed a former church in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Boones Mill into a store filled with merchandise celebrating the 45th and 47th president of the United States. With a long history of serving as one of the Roanoke Valley’s more colorful characters, Taylor ran an unsuccessful campaign for Boones Mill mayor last year.

In October 2024, three Trump Town workers took out charges against Taylor for misdemeanor simple assault and assault and battery through the magistrate’s office.

Taylor believes his former employees timed filing the charges against him to ruin his mayoral candidacy.

With 113 votes, Victor E. Conner became the town’s mayor. Taylor received 17 votes. There was one write-in.

In one of the complaints, a former employee wrote that on or around Sept. 26, 2024, Taylor called her to the back of the store, where, she alleged, he exposed himself and asked her to perform a sex act. The woman also noted that on Oct. 13, Taylor grabbed her buttocks. “He has repeatedly sexually, mentally, emotionally and physically, verbally harassed me,” the woman alleged in the complaint.

In November, Taylor swore out warrants against the three employees, charging each with felony embezzlement. Those charges were later dropped.

Despite his and political battles, business remains brisk at Trump Town, according to Taylor. He doesn’t expect demand for merchandise related to The Donald to drop any time soon.

“He’s already built a legacy,” Taylor says of Trump. “His legacy will last forever.”