Monthly News from Hampton Roads
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Note from the President
Doug Smith, Alliance President & CEO
On July 28 & 29, the Alliance welcomed 13 managers from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to Hampton Roads for a 2-day familiarization tour. Twelve of the participants represent the business investment team while one works in the talent solutions division. The purpose of the event was to educate VEDP about many of Hampton Roads’ impressive technical assets including the Huntington Ingalls Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence and NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Tech Center Research Park and Jefferson Lab in Newport News and the William & Mary Integrated Science Center in Williamsburg.
To focus VEDP’s attention on the attractiveness of Hampton Roads for office operations, time was spent at Ferguson’s new corporate headquarters building in Newport News and the Dominion Enterprises building in downtown Norfolk. In addition, new real estate developments were highlighted by visiting Chesapeake’s Summit Pointe, Virginia Beach’s Town Center, and Norfolk’s Fairwinds Landing.
The 13 Hampton Roads localities represented by the Alliance were presented with the opportunity to highlight their communities during the opening breakfast held in James City County. The Alliance presented their new micro-site based regional overview while the localities shared information about their target clusters and new developments. A networking event was held at Wasserhund Brewing after the first day’s activities where the VEDP managers were able to interact with the Alliance’s local partners in a casual environment.
Response to the event was enthusiastic with many from VEDP stating that they learned a lot about Hampton Roads and appreciated the effort involved in planning a comprehensive tour that covered a lot of the regional footprint in only 2-days. The relationship between state and regional economic developers is a key part of the economic development pipeline and ultimately, the regional economy’s success. Through efforts like this fam tour, Alliance will continue to seek ways to nurture its partnership with VEDP and looks forward to working closely with their staff on future projects considering a location in Hampton Roads.
Your Ally in Economic Development,
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Alliance Decarbonization and Trade Mission to Quebec | In July, the Hampton Roads Alliance led a trade and educational mission to the Canadian Province of Québec to meet with companies and organizations that have paired commercial success with decarbonization efforts. | Taking the Reins: 42 Women Execs Who Set the Standard for Leadership | In Year Two of our Virginia Business Women in Leadership Awards, more than 300 nominations were received — exceeding last year’s nominations by more than 100. Ultimately, 42 women leaders were selected from large, midsize and small businesses and nonprofit organizations across Virginia to honor in 2022. | Wander Around Neon and Mermaids in This East Coast Waterfront City | |
Norfolk, sitting on a bay surrounded by water, has a full range of maritime associations. But you’ll also find a bustling waterfront, historic districts, a burgeoning foodie scene, and a stimulating arts neighborhood.
Throughout the city, the Tide light rail system conveniently connects downtown restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Here’s everything to explore around town for whatever floats your actual, real-life boat.
| The 15 Best Cities in the United States | The best cities in the United States, according to Travel + Leisure readers, offer a welcoming mix of history, delicious food and drink, and attractions for the whole family. Spot Williamsburg, VA at #12! | SANJO to Invest $3.2M to Expand North American Headquarters in Virginia Beach | The City of Virginia Beach announced that SANJO plans to invest $3.2 million to expand its North American manufacturing headquarters in Virginia Beach. The expansion will retain 10 jobs and create 40 new jobs with an average annual wage of $60,000 to $70,000. | Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Additional Key Administration Appointments | Governor Glenn Youngkin announced he has chosen additional key administration appointments. | |
Elevating Whole Health, Advancing Health Beyond Healthcare | Gail K. Boudreaux, President and CEO, shares her vision on the future of Anthem, Inc. and their name change to Elevance Health. Anthem, which will become Elevance Health on June 28, 2022, is a leading health company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves approximately 118 million people, including nearly 47 million within its family of health plans. | City of Williamsburg Announces New Economic Development Director | |
City Manager Andrew O. Trivette announced the hiring of Yuri Adams as the City of Williamsburg’s Economic Development Director. Adams has served as the interim director for the past year and as economic development specialist since 2017. She was chosen after a rigorous nationwide recruitment and selection process, according to a press release. The new role is effective immediately.
| Each year, CoVa BIZ Magazine asks the business community to nominate young professionals who are leading the way and making a difference in Coastal Virginia. As always, the honorees selected this year came from an impressive pool of nominations and were chosen for their demonstrated excellence not only in their professional endeavors but in their dedication to the broader community. | Virginia Peninsula Community College Celebrates Name Change with Rebranding Ceremony | Virginia Peninsula Community College publicly celebrated its name change from Thomas Nelson Community College with a public ceremony July 12 at its Hampton campus. The new name became official July 1. Founded in 1967, the college had briefly been referred to as Peninsula Community College before being named Thomas Nelson Community College. | New non-stop flights to Florida coming to Newport News airport | Avelo Airlines announced that it will begin offering non-stop flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando from the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport (PHF) in October. | |
The Best Supply Chain Company You Have Never Heard Of | Ferguson PLC, value added distributor of plumbing and heating products, came out with their third quarter results on June 14th. In the nine months ending April 30th they generated over $20 billion in revenues, grew by 27 per cent, and generated three quarters of a billion in operating profit. Despite their size, few people outside their industry have heard of them. | Port of Virginia Records Most Productive Month in History | |
The Port of Virginia has set a new milestone by handling more than 340,000 TEU in May as the Port Authority anticipates its best fiscal year performance on record.
Total TEU levels in May have surpassed the previous all-time monthly volume mark by more than 14,500 units – a record set in December 2021.
| Beam Signing Celebration at Tech Center | In a celebration to mark significant progress on Building Two at Tech Center Research Park, a beam signing ceremony was held last week with officials from Virginia Tech, W.M. Jordan, Newport News Economic Development Authority, and the City. This is the second of multiple planned research facilities in the park. | |
The Chartway Promise Foundation Presents $500,000 To CHKD for Pediatric Mental Health Hospital During 4th of July Celebration | During the 4th of July Celebration at Mount Trashmore, Chartway’s president & CEO, Brian Schools, presented CHKD’s director of philanthropy & donor relations, Katie Fletcher, with a $500,000 donation from the Chartway Promise Foundation for its new mental health hospital for children. | Mark Olmstead and David Ervin Promoted to Executive Vice President! | Mark Olmstead has been a leader at MEB for 39 years, joining the company a few years after he graduated from Virginia Tech. David Ervin joined the MEB team in 1993, after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Building Construction. |
ODU Named a National College of Distinction for the 2022-23 Academic Year
| Old Dominion University has been named one of the nation's Colleges of Distinction for the 2022-23 academic year. ODU also received "Field of Study" badges for its business, education, engineering, nursing and career development programs. It was also recognized for its efforts in equity and inclusion and military support. | |
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