News
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We know that sometimes you want to gather several years worth of information to help you make the most informed decision possible for your company, your people, and yourself. Here you can. Simply click on the links below to obtain PDFs of press releases dating back over the past four years.
Virginia ranked #3 state for innovation and #5 in growth and economic performance
http://www.freeenterprise.com/enterprisingstates/#summaryPosted 2013-05-03 | Full Article
8 Hampton Roads companies listed among "Fantastic 50"
The Fantastic 50 awards were announced April 25 in Chantilly. New Day Office Products Furnishings Inc. in Suffolk was recognized for the most growth in the retail-wholesale sector and was ranked fourth out of the 50. New Day is a full-service office furniture dealership, specializing in project management and interior design. Chosen companies must be privately held with headquarters in Virginia and must show sales between $200,000 and $100 million, according to the C...Posted 2013-05-03 | Full Article
Virginia Beach named a city of the future by fDi magazine
From Tidewaterbiz 11:11 AM EDT, April 30, 2013 VIRGINIA BEACH advertisement Virginia Beach ranked fifth overall in fDi magazine s Top 10 Mid-Sized American Cities of the Future. The city ranked ninth for economic potential and fifth for infrastructure, which includes factors like airports, download speed, ports and cargo volume, according to the results. Th...Posted 2013-05-02 | Full Article
Virginia earns 'A' grade from small businesses for 2nd year in a row
State improves in almost all categories Starting a business here is relatively easy. If navigating the federal system was as easy as Virginia, more people would create businesses and provide jobs. Consultant, Fairfax (San Francisco, CA) 4/19/0203: Thumbtack.com, in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has released the second-annual Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey showing that Virginia continues to be a top st...Posted 2013-04-17 | Full Article
Norfolk OKs $126 million hotel-conference center
Click here for full storyPosted 2013-04-10 | Full Article
Policom Corporation ranks Hampton Roads' economic strength 28th in the nation
Hampton Roads ranks 28th out of 366 MSA s in Policom Corporation s 2013 Economic Strength RankingsPosted 2013-03-26 | Full Article
Sequester a wake-up call for local business diversity?
Published on HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com) Sequester a wake-up call for local business diversity? Old Dominion University economist James Koch figures it s been a dozen years since he first sounded the alarm: Hampton Roads leaders had better start working to diversify the local economy because the Navy won t always be the region s sugar daddy. U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, can recall such discussions dating t...Posted 2013-03-19 | Full Article
Lipton brews $96 million deal to stay in Suffolk
The Virginian-Pilot March 11, 2013 SUFFOLK The brewing is staying in Suffolk. The parent company of the Lipton Tea plant just west of the city s downtown has pledged to invest more than $96 million to expand the facility. That investment from consumer goods company Unilever - announced at a local ceremony with Gov. Bob McDonnell today - means the city s nearly 60-year relationship with the Lipton plant will continue. That s fabulous news, Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk ...Posted 2013-03-11 | Full Article
Liebherr in Newport News adding 174 jobs
dailypress.com Liebherr in Newport News adding 174 jobs By Joe Lawlor, jlawlor@dailypress.com | 757-247-7874 5:28 PM EST, February 19, 2013 advertisement ...Posted 2013-02-25 | Full Article
Grandwatt Electric Corporation to open new facility in Suffolk
It is our pleasure to announce that Shenzhen Superwatt Power International Co., Ltd. (SWT), a China-based manufacturer, has selected Hampton Roads for its new U.S. location. SWT has chosen a site in the City of Suffolk for its operation, which will operate under the designation Grandwatt Electric Corporation here in the United States. The property includes a 30,525 square foot building located at 1013 Obici Industrial Boulevard. The company is a privately owned manufacturer of...Posted 2013-02-13 | Full Article
HREDA Annual Meeting Speaker: "Where the Money Is... in the Hampton Roads' Economy"
Bill Fruth of POLICOM Corporation shares his insight about Hampton Roads economy.Posted 2013-01-25 | Full Article
AMAC Leasing selects Southampton County for new operation
It is our pleasure to announce that AMAC Leasing LLC, a Virginia-based company incorporated in 2003 has selected Hampton Roads for its newest location. AMAC has applied for a rezoning and conditional use permit for a 20-acre parcel located on Route 460 between the towns of Ivor and Wakefield. The development of this project will include an aggregate distribution, ready-mix concrete plant and a bituminous concrete production facility. The project represents a $5M capital inves...Posted 2013-01-04 | Full Article
Policom Corporation ranks Hampton Roads' economic strength 25th in the nation
With a stronger economy than such cities as Portland, New York, Phoenix, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Boston, Hampton Roads was rated against 366 MSAs in the country and all urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or higher. To see the full list of rankings, visit the link: http://www.policom.com/metrorank.htmPosted 2012-09-11 | Full Article
ODU again rated one of nation's best colleges to work for
http://www.odu.edu/ao/news/index.php?todo=details todo=details id=32659Posted 2012-08-08 | Full Article
FSEDI forms partnership with The Hollingsworth Companies
FSEDI Enters Into Public Private Partnership with National Industrial Building Firm Project will bring additional assets for regional prospects (Franklin, VA) Today, the Franklin Southampton Economic Development Inc. organization announced the formation of a new public-private partnership with renowned building firm The Hollingsworth Companies. This public private partnership will create a program of industrial facilities preparation, marketing, and exe...Posted 2012-07-20 | Full Article
BookKeeping Express comes to Newport News
We are pleased to announce that BookKeeping Express, a national company providing professional accounting and bookkeeping services geared toward the specific needs of small businesses, has chosen the City of Newport News for its newest location! Founded in California in 1984, BookKeeping Express (BKE) eventually grew into a large national company with 150+ locations. It was purchased in 2007, and a year later debuted as a franchise model headquartered in Northern Virginia. Under the...Posted 2012-05-17 | Full Article
Transportation Survey
The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) is partnering with Transportation and Management Systems, Inc. (TEMS) to evaluate the potential for enhanced intercity passenger rail from Washington, DC to Petersburg, VA and Norfolk, VA. In this evaluation process, surveys play a vital role by providing data about the origins and destinations of intercity travelers, purpose of travel, and user preferences about travel time, travel costs and travel mode. HRTPO s survey will ...Posted 2012-04-23 | Full Article
Norfolk among hardest-working American towns
The City of Norfolk, Virginia has scored the #3 spot in a listing of the hardest-working towns in the country! Compiled by Parade Magazine, the criteria considered included average hours worked per week; employment rate; receptiveness to working during personal time; and number of dual income homes. Norfolk was singled out for its residents willingness to work on weekends and sacrifice personal time for work, as well as for its forward-thinking implementation of a light rail system last yea...Posted 2012-04-18 | Full Article
MCO Transport, Inc. expands operation into Chesapeake
The City of Chesapeake has been chosen as the newest location for MCO Transport, Inc., a transportation company providing local day and long distance container moves. The Chesapeake facility is located at 3064 Yadkin Road and comprises an office and three-acre truck court. Within the first twelve months of operation, MCO projects they will employ between 20 and 25 truck drivers as well as a terminal manager and a dispatcher. MCO Transport is a well-respected company in the transp...Posted 2012-02-28 | Full Article
INIT, Simtech Launch New Manufacturing Facility
2012 kicks off with opening of Superior Quality Manufacturing LLC (SQM) Chesapeake, VA / January 17, 2012 INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc., a leading provider of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) located in Chesapeake, Virginia, partnered with Simtech, LLC, a supplier of customized electronic products to launch a new business venture in the city of Chesapeake. Superior Quality Manufacturing (SQM) was established to produce a variety of electronic modules and dev...Posted 2012-01-20 | Full Article
HREDA Annual Meeting
The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, along with our sponsors, is delighted to host the region s leading businesses at our Annual Meeting Investor Luncheon on Thursday, January 12th at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. Please join us as we celebrate the successes of 2011 and look forward to even more economic growth in 2012! In addition, we are pleased to feature two keynote speakers: Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jon Wettstein, Vice Pres...Posted 2012-01-10 | Full Article
A Huge Success for Hampton Roads
The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance announced today that Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc., (GMCR) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffeemakers, will establish a production and distribution facility in Isle of Wight County. The company will invest $180 million over the initial five-years of the facility s operations. GMCR has agreed to purchase a 330,000-square-foot building on a 64 acre parcel of land in Isle of Wight County, where it expects to ...Posted 2011-10-28 | Full Article
ACE Hardware Establishing New Import Center in Suffolk
Hampton Roads, VA - Ace Hardware Corp., the largest hardware cooperative in the industry, will invest $14 million to establish an East Coast import re-distribution center in the City of Suffolk. The company selected a 336,000-square-foot build-to-suit location at the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Suffolk. This project will create 75 new jobs over the next 36 months, and service the company s existing East Coast regional distribution centers, including its operation in Prince George County....Posted 2011-09-28 | Full Article
Best Brakes Expands to Suffolk
Hampton Roads, VA - Another tenant has chosen Virginia Regional Commerce Park. Best Brakes, a full line brake rotor and drum supplier servicing many segments of the automotive industry, has leased 42,000 square feet of warehouse/distribution space at Virginia Regional Commerce Park in Suffolk, VA. Best Brakes is expected to be operational in their new facility by the fourth quarter of 2011. They will have an initial 25 employees. Headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, ...Posted 2011-08-04 | Full Article
Virginia is Back on Top!
CNBC ranks the Commonwealth as the best state for business for the third time in five years. According to the report, Virginia is a perennial favorite with its strategic location, friendly business climate and diverse economy. It moved back on top this year thanks to marked improvements in a couple of key areas. Those areas include the Cost of Doing Business and Education categories. Find out more here.Posted 2011-06-29 | Full Article
Caspari Expands to Suffolk
Hampton Roads, VA Caspari, a respected manufacturer and distributor of exquisitely designed and printed paper products, has leased 60,762 square-feet of high-bay warehouse/distribution space at Virginia Regional Commerce Park in Suffolk, VA. They are the first tenant to occupy space in the park. Caspari is expected to be operational in their new facility by the end of second quarter 2011. They will have 32 employees and an initial capital investment of $750,000. Caspari will import prod...Posted 2011-04-21 | Full Article
Another Accolade for Virginia
Virginia Ranked Fourth Best State for Making a Living The job market is finally picking up some steam, providing hope to long-suffering job seekers everywhere. But if you re among the applying masses, you probably want to do more than just get a job. If you want to make a living -- in other words, make enough after tax and fixed expenses to prosper -- your chances of getting a job that pays enough to live in comfort varies dramatically based on the state where you live and work. Money...Posted 2011-04-13 | Full Article
BMZ, GmbH to Open U.S. Headquarters in Virginia Beach
BMZ, GmbH TO OPEN U.S.HEADQUARTERS IN VIRGINIA BEACH Batterien-Montag-Zentrum GmbH (BMZ) will open its U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach. The company, based in Karlstein, Germany, is Europe s leading supplier for rechargeable battery packs. BMZ also has manufacturing facilities in China, Poland and Germany. The new U.S. facility will handle North American sales, assembly, distribution and research and development of primarily lithium ion battery units for a variety of industr...Posted 2011-04-13 | Full Article
ESS Expands Offshore Wind Energy Development in Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is quickly becoming a hub for offshore energy development. ESS Group, Inc., a leading provider of environmental consulting and engineering services, will open a new office at the Peninsula Town Center in Hampton. ESS, headquartered in Wellesley, MA, provides services in the areas of energy (wind energy), land development, site investigation and remediation. The company has focused on environmental consulting in the energy sector and is curren...Posted 2011-04-05 | Full Article
Belgium-based Company Brings 225 Jobs to Norfolk
Hampton Roads, VA - Belgium-based Katoen Natie (KTN), a worldwide global logistics provider, will establish a warehousing and distribution operation in the City of Norfolk. KTN will invest $10.5 million to purchase a portion of the former Ford Motor Company Plant from Jacoby Development Inc. and will refurbish the 662,000 square-foot former body shop. KTN will invest an additional $1.5 million in new equipment. Fully staffed, the project will create 225 new jobs. Incorporated in 1854 as a...Posted 2011-03-22 | Full Article
Northrop-Gamesa partnership a 'tremendous vision'
By Peter Frost, pfrost@dailypress.com | 757-247-4744 9:32 AM EST, February 11, 2011 CHESAPEAKE For nearly two months, a cadre of shipbuilders from Northrop Grumman s Newport News shipyard have been working in unfamiliar territory on an unfamiliar product. In an office park in Chesapeake, about 20 shipyard engineers are working alongside a group of Spaniards to design and develop a prototype offshore wind turbine that could be installed off the Virginia coast by the e...Posted 2011-02-11 | Full Article
Hampton Roads Region Showcased on Delta Destinations In-Flight Video
Hampton Roads, VA The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance is pleased to announce that Hampton Roads will be showcased throughout the month of February 2011 on Delta Airline s in-flight video programming network Delta Destinations. The video will be aired on more than 17,000 flights and seen by approximately 2.6 million passengers worldwide. The Delta Destinations feature introduces the Hampton Roads region to a national and international audience of prospective busin...Posted 2011-02-08 | Full Article
Northrop-Gamesa wind-power venture chooses Chesapeake
Northrop-Gamesa wind-power venture chooses Chesapeake By Peter Frost, pfrost@dailypress.com | 247-4744 5:32 PM EST, January 31, 2011 CHESAPEAKE A team of engineers from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and Spanish energy firm Gamesa has started work on a project to design and develop a prototype offshore wind turbine in Chesapeake s Greenbrier area. Northrop and Madrid-based Gamesa began hiring in November and were nearly fully staffed by mid-January, said D...Posted 2011-02-01 | Full Article
NASA Langley researcher studies wind energy captured by flying turbines
Up in the clouds; the next renewable energy frontier may be over our heads By Cory Nealon, cnealon@dailypress.com | 247-4760 11:18 PM EST, January 24, 2011 HAMPTON Engineers can take wind swirling above mountainsides and the ocean and turn it into electricity. But what about using winds that are 10,000 feet above ground? Conceptually, the answer is yes. Mark Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center who studies wind power, goes a step further...Posted 2011-01-24 | Full Article
Reeling In More Big Players
Reeling In More Big Players HAMPTON ROADS, INSIGHT, MANUFACTURING, REGIONS | JANUARY 18, 2011 BY JESSICASWINK | 0 COMMENTS By Paul DiNardo, CPA Behind the scenes, the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance (HREDA) works to market Hampton Roads worldwide as the region of choice for business investment and expansion. HREDA serves as the region s lead economic development and marketing organization for promoting and recruiting new business to locations in Hampt...Posted 2011-01-18 | Full Article
Hampton Roads' economic performance ranked high globally
By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot November 30, 2010 Hampton Roads ranked in the top quarter of regions across the world, and second in the nation, in economic performance in the past year, according to a study released today. Hampton Roads was No. 36 out of 150 regions. Among U.S. cities, only Austin, Texas, fared better, at No. 26, in the report, published by the Brookings Institution, the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Alfred Herrhausen Society. The report a...Posted 2010-11-30 | Full Article
German maker of meters opens Chesapeake office
By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot November 3, 2010 CHESAPEAKE A German company that produces high-tech parking meters has opened its first U.S. office in Chesapeake. Hectronic will invest $2 million over the next three years in the Greenbrier office, according to a news release Tuesday from the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance. The Hectronic USA Corp. office employs three people and hopes to expand soon to five, said Brian Ford, a sales representative there. Hectronic cho...Posted 2010-11-03 | Full Article
A Stress Test for America
A Stress Test for America Portfolio.com by G. Scott Thomas Sep 07 2010 Many factors go into creating a stressful environment: high unemployment, commuting times, crime, pollution, and even limited sunshine. Millions upon millions of Americans are stressing out. Forty percent of the nation s workers say they experience stress on a daily basis, according to a Gallup Poll from June. That number climbs to 50 percent among the unemployed. And the problem seem...Posted 2010-10-15 | Full Article
NASA Langley engineers helped design miners' rescue pod
HAMPTON Clint Cragg spent Wednesday glued to his desk, but he didn't get much work done. He was too busy taking calls from the media and watching the live feed from Chile on his computer. Reporters wanted to know the same thing: How does it feel to see the miners coming up alive? It's a relief, Cragg said in an interview as rescuers pulled the 17th miner from the ground. The capsule is working the way we hoped it would. Cragg is an engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center, and he hel...Posted 2010-10-14 | Full Article
Gamesa and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Join Forces in Offshore Wind Technology
Madrid and New York, October 6, 2010 - Gamesa, a global technology leader in the wind energy business (through its U.S. based subsidiary), and the Newport News Shipbuilding operations of Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading American defence company and America's largest shipbuilder, have signed an agreement to work together on offshore wind technology. The agreement calls for the companies to cooperate on the launch of Gamesa's first G11X -5.0 MW offshore prototype, in the United States, ...Posted 2010-10-06 | Full Article
Hampton Roads' spirit takes flight in airline magazine
By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot September 27, 2010 Smile, Hampton Roads. You're in Spirit Magazine. Southwest Airlines' in-flight magazine has a 21-page spread titled Meet Hampton Roads in its September issue. There aren't that many opportunities to get this much exposure, said Pam Lingle, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. Southwest is the leading carrier at Norfolk International Airport and also the top U.S. carrier, with more than 101 millio...Posted 2010-09-27 | Full Article
Tech-defense company bringing 200 jobs to Suffolk
By Hattie Brown Garrow The Virginian-Pilot September 23, 2010 SUFFOLK A South Carolina-based defense contractor is moving into the northern end of the city, bringing 200 jobs over the next two years. ISHPI Information Technologies Inc. has leased 31,000 square feet of office, research and development space within Bridgeway Commerce Center on Harbour View Boulevard, the city announced Wednesday. The company will provide support to the Homeland Security and Defense departments, offering ser...Posted 2010-09-23 | Full Article
Colin Powell's America's Promise Alliance: Newport News, Hampton, Surry among the best places for young people in U.S.
By Joe Lawlor | 757-247-7874 The Daily Press September 21, 2010 Newport News, Hampton and Surry County are great places for young people, according to an organization founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The America's Promise Alliance says the three Virginia localities are among the 100 Best Communities for Young People. A celebration was planned for Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C. Newport News and Hampton have won four times in a row, and are among only 31 c...Posted 2010-09-21 | Full Article
Norfolk Southern's project opens route to Midwest
The Roanoke Times September 10, 2010 By Jeff Sturgeon BELSPRING Three years of work to raise the roof - or lower the floor - in railroad tunnels came to fruition when two black locomotives pulling a load of colorful shipping containers emerged from the 3,302-foot Cowan Tunnel north of Radford. Thursday marked the opening of the Heartland Corridor, an east-west rail route that shortens the transit time for cargo between the port of Hampton Roads and the Midwest. Norfolk Southern Corp., wh...Posted 2010-09-10 | Full Article
Hampton Roads Among Top 20 Mid-Size Metros For College Students
American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) names Hampton Roads among the top 20 mid-size metros for college students!! See Full AIER 2010-2011 College Destination IndexPosted 2010-09-08 | Full Article
Four local firms make Inc. 500 list
August 27, 2010 By Bill Cresenzo, Inside Business Four Hampton Roads companies have made the Inc. 500 list of the county's fastest-growing, privately held companies. Each year, Inc. Magazine compiles a list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private U.S. companies. This year the top 500 had aggregate revenues of $11.3 billion, down from $18.4 billion in 2009. However, median three-year growth stood at 1,231 percent, up from 880.5 percent last year. The four Hampton Roads companies that made the l...Posted 2010-08-27 | Full Article
Another record-breaking ship visits the Port of Hampton Roads
Another record-breaking ship visits the Port of Hampton Roads (Photo by Joe Becker) Nearly six months to the day after the largest container ship to ever visit the Port of Hampton Roads made history as it pulled into harbor, its record will be broken. The CMA CGM Figaro, a giant ocean freighter capable of transporting up to 8,500 TEUs, or twenty-foot container units, is expected to reach Hampton Roads at about 8 p.m. Tuesday night. The Figaro is slightly larger than the previous record...Posted 2010-08-24 | Full Article
Virginia takes the No. 1 spot - again
By Philip Newswanger Inside Business Posted: August 13, 2010 Virginia has reached the top of the charts again as the most pro-business state in the country. The commonwealth scored the highest, followed by Utah and Wyoming, according to the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2010. Virginia was ranked number one in 2003, 2007 and 2009. The report is done every year by Pollina Corporate Real Estate, a site consultant based in Park Ridge, Ill., a Chicago suburb. Vi...Posted 2010-08-13 | Full Article
Isle of Wight bags state award
Recycling program has collected 13,424 pounds of plastic bags By Allison T. Williams The Daily Press August 10, 2010 ISLE OF WIGHT Isle of Wight County has bagged a state award for its plastic bag recycling program. The Virginia Association of Counties recently gave its only environmental achievement award this year to the county for its Isle Be Green Program. Launched last year, the program which strives to reduce plastic bag consumption by offering multiple recycling sites arou...Posted 2010-08-10 | Full Article
Firm ranks Virginia No. 1 in the nation for business
By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot August 6, 2010 Virginia remains the most pro-business state in the country, according to a ranking released Thursday by Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc. of Chicago. Pollina also ranked Virginia tops in the nation in 2007 and last year. The real estate consulting firm said it considered 31 factors, such as taxes, human resources, energy costs and economic development efforts. Pollina clearly recognized the pro-business atmosphere and first-cla...Posted 2010-08-06 | Full Article
Hampton Roads ranks 42nd in exports
By BILL CRESENZO Inside Business Posted: July 30, 2010 Hampton Roads ranked 42nd in the nation for exporting goods in 2008, according to a report from a Washington, D.C., think tank. The report, from the Brookings Insitution, measures the export output for 100 metro areas in the U.S. It says that Hampton Roads had $6.72 billon in exports, most of it transportation equipment, which made up 38.8 percent of exports out of the area. The report measures exported goods and services - 8 .7 perce...Posted 2010-07-30 | Full Article
VA makes case for offshore wind
Virginia makes case to US for offshore wind demonstration center worth $60M to $80M By Steve Szkotak var articleUrl = location.href; var articleBreadcrumb = document.getElementById("breadcrumb").innerHTML; emailForm.articleURL.value = articleUrl; emailForm.articleBreadCrumb.value = articleBreadcrumb; Story Tools #sponsor table, #sponsor td { width:auto !important; } RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is making the c...Posted 2010-07-16 | Full Article
Chesapeake, Suffolk named among Best Places to Live
By Lauren Roth The Virginian-Pilot July 13, 2010 Chesapeake and Suffolk have both been named to Money Magazine's 2010 list of Best Places to Live. Chesapeake was 85th and Suffolk was 91st out of 100 cities given rankings. The list chose best small cities from among 746 communities with populations of 50,000 to 300,000. The cities were compared on factors including housing affordability, median income, school quality, arts and leisure, safety, health care, diversity, the local economy an...Posted 2010-07-13 | Full Article
Hampton Roads firms score big in defense contracts
From the Daily Press, July 8, 2010 Here's a look at the highlights: Newport News -- General Dynamics Electric Boat will receive $171.9 million from the Navy for development and design efforts on the Virginia Class submarine program. Electric Boat is the lead shipyard in the development of the submarines, which are built in a partnership with Northrop Grumman Corp. s Newport News shipyard. With options, the contract could be worth up to $880.9 million. About 4 percent of the work will be p...Posted 2010-07-12 | Full Article
Hampton Roads in nation's top 15 for volunteerism
by LaSalle Blanks, 13NEWS / WVEC.com Posted on July 7, 2010 at 2:51 PM The region is the 13th best metropolitan area in the nation when it comes to volunteerism, according to the Corporation For National and Community Service. It makes you feel good to help out, said Jim Meehan, a volunteer at Norfolk Botanical Garden. Once a week, Jim is pulling weeds and picking up trash at the garden. He and other volunteers like the St. Pius Youth Group in Norfolk appreciate giving back to the...Posted 2010-07-07 | Full Article
10 Best Job Growth Areas in America
Despite a national economic slump, a handful of metro areas offer excellent prospects for both college grads and seasoned job seekers. Jobs may be hard to come by in the current economy, but both recent college graduates and more seasoned job seekers can greatly improve their odds by targeting one of America's top 10 job growth areas. NeighborhoodScout.com recently surveyed more than 350 metro areas in the U.S. to identify the top 10 large areas with the best job growth and lowest rates o...Posted 2010-06-24 | Full Article
Doug Williams named GM for Norfolk's new UFL
By David Squires dsquires@dailypress.com | 247-4639 ...Posted 2010-06-22 | Full Article
Doyon Government Group opens office in Newport News
By Josh Brown The Virginian-Pilot June 19, 2010 NEWPORT NEWS A government contractor based in Washington state has opened a local office and plans to hire 159 workers by the end of 2012, the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance announced Friday. Doyon Government Group, which this month opened a 4,600-square-foot office in the Newport News City Center with 11 workers, plans to add 14 more workers this year, the alliance said. The jobs will have an average salary of $65,000. The com...Posted 2010-06-21 | Full Article
Area High Schools Make the Grade
NORFOLK -- More than a dozen public schools in Hampton Roads and two in northeastern North Carolina are on Newsweek magazine's Top High Schools list. In all 1, 600 schools across the country, or about 6-percent of all schools, earned a place on the list. The magazine ranked the schools based on a ratio of the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2009 divided by the number of graduating seniors. VA BEACH: ...Posted 2010-06-17 | Full Article
Hampton Roads remains economically strong, diverse and a major force in the Virginia economy
By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot June 11, 2010 Local wages are below the national average, but poverty has inched down. More residents are receiving college degrees, but the region's population growth lags the nation's. These were among the findings in a report, Hampton Roads State of the Workforce: 2010, released Thursday by Opportunity Inc., a regional work force agency. Hampton Roads has been temporarily impaired by the recession, but it s economic foundation remains strong, ...Posted 2010-06-11 | Full Article
Education to Employment in Hampton Roads
Suffolk News Herald | Pruden Graduates First M S Class Some high school students spend their afternoons playing in simulated environments through their video games. Four students at the Pruden Center, however, have spent their afternoons developing their own simulated environments whether for modeling a weapon to see its potential effects or a building complete with textures and measurements. Austin Bolz, Benjamin Teters, Myles Napier and El Williams will be the first students in the area t...Posted 2010-06-10 | Full Article
Virginia Beach Boardwalk among Nation's Best
This three-mile-long boardwalk celebrates the ocean. It winds its way past a statue of Neptune, god of the sea; the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum and its crafted decoys; and the historic Old Coast Guard Station, which sells fun nautical gifts. Parents and kids love the four-seat surrey bikes, the small family-friendly parks, and the 15th Street Amusement Park, with its w...Posted 2010-06-08 | Full Article
Region's Unemployment Rate Falls to 7.1% in April
Helped by an increase of almost 6,900 jobs in the region, Hampton Roads unemployment rate retreated in April to 7.1 percent from 7.8 percent in March, the Virginia Employment Commission said Wednesday. The biggest employment gains occurred in the leisure-and-hospitality sector, which added 4,100 jobs in April, VEC said. The region s retailing sector grew by 1,200 jobs, while professional and business services added 1,000. Manufacturing, one of the few sectors in the region that retrenched bet...Posted 2010-06-02 | Full Article
Major International Defense Contractor Expected to Land in Hampton Roads
NEWPORT NEWS A major international defense contractor is expected to open marketing offices at City Center, according to officials. Bill Hudgins, a vice president at Harvey Lindsay commercial real estate, which is a part owner of City Center, said the contractor is expected to take up the entire fourth floor of Town Center One. At 15,000 square feet, the offices will be about the size of a chain drugstore. Town Center One, which opened last year, is the newest building at City Center. ...Posted 2010-06-02 | Full Article
Orion Air Group to Consolidate Operations to Newport News
Orion Air Group, a leading operator of business aircraft, will invest $4 million to consolidate its Virginia operations in the City of Newport News. The company, headquartered in Yorktown, Virginia, outgrew its current location and will develop a hangar and office space complex at Air Commerce Park located at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. The project will include retention of 57 jobs in York County and Newport News and create 51 new jobs within the next 12 mo...Posted 2010-05-27 | Full Article
Good News - Hampton Roads Economy Showing Signs of Improvement
A recovery in retail sales, along with stronger port traffic and home building, are fueling a gradual upturn in the Hampton Roads economy, a forecasting team at Old Dominion University said Tuesday. Full StoryPosted 2010-05-26 | Full Article
Isle of Wight County Contender for Distribution Center
ISLE OF WIGHT Isle of Wight County is one of two final contenders vying to land a $40 million distribution center, said county economic development director Lisa Perry. A pharmaceutical supply company has whittled its search down to two potential sites: one in the Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park, outside Windsor, and the other in North Carolina's Piedmont region, said Perry. She declined to identify the company, but said she expects a final decision to be handed down within weeks. The co...Posted 2010-05-24 | Full Article
Business Gateway at ODU
The mission of the ODU Business Gateway, unique in Virginia and one of only a handful in the country, is to provide companies large and small, not-for-profit organizations, military commands and entrepreneurs a dedicated resource to help solve business problems, expand capabilities, and create new ventures. ODU's Business Gateway will offer services matched to market needs, including business and entrepreneurial consulting and services, advanced manufacturing and technology solutions, training ...Posted 2010-05-20 | Full Article
NASA Langley to lead new technology program
Chief technologist talks NASA's future Bobby Braun met with reporters in Hampton Updated: Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 5:53 PM EDT Published : Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 5:53 PM EDT HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) - As the Space Shuttle program nears its final mission, NASA is plotting a new path forward. And its new chief technologist is helping to define the agency's direction. Bobby Braun met with reporters at NASA-Langley in Hampton Tuesday. While the Space Shuttle has been an amazing technological marvel an...Posted 2010-05-19 | Full Article
Port of VA and APM Terminals Reach Agreement
The terminal would be operated by a state agency, the Virginia Port Authority. Taking over APM's new, highly automated facility will vastly improve the efficiency of the port authority's operations, while delaying the state's need to spend billions to develop its own state-of-the-art terminal at Craney Island, said Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton. The deal further positions Virginia to become the leading port on the East Coast, the governor's office said in a news rel...Posted 2010-05-14 | Full Article
ODU launches Business Gateway
Old Dominion University is launching an initiative to connect the university s resources with government, companies and nonprofit organizations. The ODU Business Gateway will provide a single entry point for access to its intellectual capital and technologies. The mission of the group will be to provide companies, nonprofit groups, the military and entrepreneurs with an economic development resource. Full Story.Posted 2010-05-05 | Full Article
Cobham Composite Products Celebrates Opening in Suffolk
A new manufacturing facility in northern Suffolk is expected to employ more than 200 people by 2014 with salaries averaging $41,000. For now, Cobham Composite Products' 73,500-square-foot facility is running on a skeleton crew of 18 as it ramps up for production. It will make composite engine components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a composite fuselage for the U.S. Air Force's unmanned decoy, and rotor blade parts for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps CH-53K helicopter. Full Story.Posted 2010-05-04 | Full Article
Navy to delay carrier relocation to Mayport
The Navy has delayed plans to move a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier to Mayport, Fla., by five years - from 2014 to 2019 at the earliest, U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye said Wednesday, postponing an economic hit that could cost Hampton Roads hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Full story.Posted 2010-04-22 | Full Article
Amerigroup makes Fortune 500
Amerigroup Corp. has broken into the Fortune 500, joining three other Hampton Roads companies. The Virginia Beach-based health insurer was No. 404 on Fortune s newly released list, which ranks U.S. companies by annual revenue. Amerigroup s 2009 revenue totaled $5.19 billion, up 17 percent from a year earlier. The company, which specializes in managed care for beneficiaries of Medicaid and other government-funded health-care programs, was 509th last year on Fortune s list of the nation s 1,000 ...Posted 2010-04-20 | Full Article
Big name speakers on tap for Hampton Roads conference
Several well-informed sources will weigh in on that question at the Joint Warfighting Conference at the convention center in Virginia Beach May 11-13. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak at lunch on the first day. He will be preceded by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele A. Flournoy. Other speakers include French Air Force Gen. Stephane Abrial, commander of NATO's Allied Commander Transformation, and Marine Corps. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of...Posted 2010-04-01 | Full Article
Auto Plant, Re-Energized
It has been difficult in the current real-estate downturn for even the ritziest trophy towers to find buyers. Demand for the least ritzy properties, like shuttered manufacturing plants, is so weak that many are expected to sit idle for many years. That makes the deal Ford Motor Co. reached with Jacoby Development Inc. striking. Late last year, Jacoby Development, a unit of privately held Jacoby Group Cos. in Atlanta, agreed to acquire a 109-acre former auto plant in Norfolk, Va., from Ford for ...Posted 2010-03-31 | Full Article
MetroMonitor
The MetroMonitor, an interactive barometer of the health of America s metropolitan economies, looks beneath the hood of national economic statistics to portray the diverse metropolitan landscape of recession and recovery across the country. It aims to enhance understanding of the local underpinnings of national economic trends, and to promote public- and private-sector responses to the downturn that take into account metropolitan areas distinct strengths and weaknesses. This edition of t...Posted 2010-03-29 | Full Article
USJFCOM
This year s Joint Warfighting Conference (JWC) from May 11-13 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center will feature several influential government and senior military leaders from both the United States and NATO to discuss important issues facing future joint warfighters. The panels include: Power Shifts: Who s Up? Who s Down? What s Changing? Fresh from the Fight: What Do Company Level Leaders See as the Threats? What Should Be Done to Secure the Homelands? ...Posted 2010-03-25 | Full Article
Craney Island
NORFOLK - The Virginia Port Authority will receive $11 million in each of the 2011 and 2012 state budgets to continue its development efforts of a future Craney Island Marine Terminal, the port's top official said Tuesday. Jerry A. Bridges, the port authority's executive director, said state Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton told him the money will be inserted into the state budget with a technical correction when the General Assembly reconv...Posted 2010-03-25 | Full Article
Job Recovery in Hampton Roads
On the morning of March 16th at Norfolk Waterside Marriott, a panel of those in the know will tackle these issues at the Cox and Inside Business Executive Discussion Series. Panelists are: Vinod Agarwal, PhD., Professor of Economics, Old Dominion University; Judy Begland, President and CEO, Opportunity Inc.; Deborah DiCroce, President, Tidewater Community College; Darryl Gosnell, President CEO, Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance; and Rodney Jordan, Think Tank Director, Joe Jordan...Posted 2010-03-09 | Full Article
Unemployment Rate
Hampton Roads Unemployment Rate Inches Up Again, From 6.6% in August to 6.7% in SeptemberPosted 2009-11-24 | Full Article
Best State for Business
Virginia Again Named As The Best State For Business In The Country.Posted 2009-11-24 | Full Article
Hampton Roads Economy
Hampton Roads EconomyPosted 2009-11-24 | Full Article
Top State for Business
Virginia Reclaims Title of America's Top State for Business in 2009Posted 2009-11-24 | Full Article
Technology in Hampton Roads
The Rise of Technology in Hampton Roads http://www.dailypress.comPosted 2009-11-24 | Full Article
Greatest Places Ranking
Three Hampton Roads Communities Featured On The American Planning Association's 2009 Great Places in America ListingPosted 2009-11-23 | Full Article
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads Rated as Having Third Strongest Gross Metropolitan Product (GMP) in the United StatesPosted 2009-11-19 | Full Article
