LG ELECTRONICS SELECTS ISLE OF WIGHT FOR NEW CHILLER PLANT | | |
Governor Abigail Spanberger announced that LG Electronics will establish a new HVAC systems assembly facility in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, creating 164 new jobs through more than $63.9 million in new capital investment.
The company will manufacture large-scale air-cooled chillers for industrial clients at the new 352,000-square-foot 460 Commerce Center located in Shirley T. Holland Intermodal Park. The investment is part of a significant expansion of LG Electronics' global HVAC business and will enhance the company's ability to serve customers throughout North America.
LG’s air-cooled centrifugal chillers incorporate refrigerant-free cooling technology, using cool outdoor air to lower the compressor cooling load and help conserve energy. LG's new Virginia facility aims to support a stable, responsive supply system for the rising chiller needs across North America, while serving as a strategic base for LG's regional expansion. Production at the facility is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
| | OCTOBER IS NATIONAL
MANUFACTURING MONTH | | Manufacturing is about more than making things. It's about jobs, investment, innovation, supply chains, and creating opportunities for communities to grow. This National Manufacturing Month, we're celebrating the manufacturers that are helping build Isle of Wight County's economy—one product, one job, and one investment at a time. | | NEW BUSINESS LICENSES: SEPTEMBER | | |
See the full list of new September business licenses:
PDF Format or Excel Format
New Business Highlights from September:
• Benthall's Towing & Recovery, LLC (Smithfield)
We extend a warm welcome to all of our new businesses.
Thank you for putting down roots to grow in Isle of Wight County!
| | OCTOBER BUSINESS NAVIGATOR SESSIONS
with Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center | | |
Business owners — what’s keeping you up at night? Marketing? Growth? Funding? What’s next? Bring it to the Business Navigator! Confidential. FREE. The only investment is one hour of your time.
October appointments are almost FULL!
SIGN UP FOR A SESSION HERE!
Can’t find a time that works for your schedule? Or are all the appointments booked? Email Nicole Talton at ntalton@iwus.net with your availability, and she'll see what she can do to fit you in!
And if you’re ready for business guidance NOW, you can connect with the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center anytime here!
Your business. Your questions. Your Navigator.
| 2026 HOME-BASED BUSINESS CONFERENCE | | |
Join entrepreneurs from across Hampton Roads for a day focused on turning visibility into opportunity! Supported by participating localities and the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center, the Home-Based Business Conference connects business owners with people, tools, and resources that can help them grow.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Hampton Roads Convention Center
This dynamic, one-day event provides:
- Networking, exhibitors, and local business resources
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Keynote: “Own Your Voice, Your Value, and Your Visibility” with Eva DeVirgilis
- Interactive sessions on visibility, AI, business relationships, and growth
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Business pitch competition featuring a $1,000 microgrant
- Conversations with fellow entrepreneurs and regional business support teams
The 2026 Home-Based Business Conference brings together practical strategies, fresh ideas, and local connections to help you move forward. Whether you sell products, provide professional services, create from your kitchen, or run your business from a laptop, this day is designed with you in mind.
REGISTER HERE!
| | 1% SALES TAX REFERENDUM
Important Information for Businesses & Residents | | The 1% sales tax is one of the funding options being presented to voters as part of the November 2026 referendum. We are sharing this information to help Isle businesses better understand the 1% sales tax and property tax options and how each may affect the community; it is intended for educational purposes only and does not represent an endorsement or opposition to either funding option. | | IWCS AWARDED NEARLY $2 MILLION GRANT TO EXPAND WELDING LAB | | |
Isle of Wight County Schools (IWCS) was recently awarded a $1.96 million grant to expand and modernize the division's welding lab at Smithfield High School, creating new opportunities for students preparing for careers in shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and naval defense.
The grant, awarded through the division’s partnership with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and on behalf of the Hampton Roads Maritime Training System, is aligned with workforce development efforts supported by the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) Program Office.
The project will double the lab’s current training capacity and allow the program to serve up to 120 students annually in Welding Levels 1-3 and the Isle Maritime Trades Academy dual-enrollment program. Grant funds will support the purchase of industry-standard welding equipment and training simulators, the installation of advanced ventilation, manifold gas delivery, and fire suppression systems, and the implementation of training programs aligned with American Welding Society (AWS), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) standards.
The welding lab expansion builds on the continued investment by IWCS in Career and Technical Education and the launch of the Isle Maritime Trades Academy in Fall 2025, a partnership with Paul D. Camp Community College and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. The academy is designed to create a high school-to-college-to-career pathway that prepares students for employment in the maritime and defense industries while expanding sustainable training capacity for high-demand skilled trades.
The project is expected to be completed within 14 months of the award date and requires no local funding match. Once complete, the modernized welding lab will feature advanced safety systems, industry-standard equipment, welding simulators, and expanded instructional space.
For more information, click here!
| | BEHIND THE BIZ: ISLE EDITION
AmeriCarePlus Tidewater | | |
Welcome to the popular Behind the Biz: Isle Edition—the series that spotlights the dreamers, doers, and difference-makers driving the local economy in Isle of Wight! This month, we're taking you to Carrollton get to know AmeriCare Plus Tidewater and the people behind the care they provide to local families.
AmeriCare Plus is a Virginia-based home care agency that helps people live safely and comfortably in their own homes. Their Tidewater office provides personalized in-home support throughout Isle of Wight County and the surrounding region, with services ranging from companionship and personal care to dementia care, respite care, post-surgical support, live-in care, and services for veterans.
Learn more about the important work AmeriCare Plus is doing right here in our community!
VIEW THE EPISODE HERE!
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INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE
89 Pagan Avenue
Originally developed by Bay Disposal as a waste transfer facility, this versatile industrial property features over 5 acres of stabilized yard area and infrastructure suited for contractors, distributors, logistics operators, and other industrial users. Improvements include a modern flex warehouse with a 23' clear height, an 11,000 SF high-bay, open-air steel transfer building with a 50' clear height, and a steel-reinforced concrete floor rated for loads up to 60,000 lbs. Formerly used to process and transfer waste, the building's heavy-duty construction presents a unique adaptive-reuse opportunity. Combined with significant outdoor storage and expansion potential, the property offers exceptional utility for a wide range of industrial operations.
VIEW THE PROPERTY HERE!
For more information, contact Chris Zarpas, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.,
at (757) 640-5437 or czarpas@slnusbaum.com.
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Search the County's available properties database
for more commercial or industrial properties.
If you own or represent a commercial property in
Isle of Wight County that is available for sale or lease, please CONTACT US, and we will add it to our database.
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Downtown Smithfield’s most enchanting night of the year returns Thursday, October 29th! Park your broom downtown for Witches Night Out from 4–8pm at participating downtown merchants, restaurants and attractions. Smithfield's charming shops and restaurants will be offering wickedly good deals, bewitching food and drink, and magical delights at every turn. Dress up in your witchiest attire and bring your coven for an unforgettable evening of fun! This is a free and open event and all genders are welcome.
THE AFTERPARTY
For those that want to keep the gathering going, head over to the 1750 Courthouse on Main St. for music, snacks, dancing, a cash bar and more from 8–10pm. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds go to the 1750 Courthouse. If you've never been to the afterparty, you definitely haven't gotten the full Witches Experience. Buy your tickets here!
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