May 2022

Monthly News from Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads Alliance - - No Tagline.png

Note from the President

Doug Smith, Alliance President & CEO

This month Hampton Roads once again welcomed some of the nation’s top site selection consultants for the Consultant Connect conference from May 18-21. These professionals play a critical role in economic development as they help companies decide where to locate a new facility or expand an existing one.

In collaboration with our partners at The Port of Virginia and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership we provided the nine consultants in attendance an overview of the region from the stunning vantage point of Norfolk International Terminals; the crisp, clear day allowed these consultants to get a birds’ eye view of much of what Hampton Roads has to offer, from the Newport News Shipyard to Downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Town Center. Our locality partners joined us later in the day for a river cruise aboard the Freedom Elite, where consultants learned about what makes each city in Hampton Roads unique. Jerry Miller of The Miller Group also provided an overview of Fairwinds Landing and explained how the site will be transformed into a major hub for offshore wind and maritime staging and manufacturing.

These consultants travel all across the United States and hear why every city, town, or county has the best business environment and quality of life imaginable, so it’s important for us to ensure that Hampton Roads stands out in the crowd. By showcasing what makes this region so unique, from the waterways that connect us to the collaborative relationship that exists between our state, regional, and local partners, we did just that.

Your Ally in Economic Development,

Aerial-Photo-Fairwinds-Landing-768x591 image

Lambert’s Point Docks in Norfolk to Become $100M Maritime Center

In a deal predicted to bring more than 500 jobs and over $100 million in capital investment, the Lambert’s Point Docks property in Norfolk will become a maritime operations and logistics center to support local offshore wind, defense and transportation industries.

Port Secures All Necessary Federal Investment for Making Virginia the US East Coast’s Deepest Port

The Port of Virginia and the US Army Corps of Engineers signed the agreement committing the federal government to begin its financial investment in the construction effort to widen and deepen the commercial shipping channels and Norfolk Harbor.

Gilbert Bland to Receive Civic Leadership Institute Award

Urban League of Hampton Roads President and CEO Gilbert T. Bland will receive the Civic Leadership Institute’s 2022 Individual Darden Award, the Norfolk-based nonprofit organization announced.

c4dbe352-9f17-4f72-b662-9a430e7666be_1920x1080 image

WeTransfer Names Norfolk as No. 3 Emerging Creative Hub on Cities List

Norfolk, Virginia, landed the No. 3 spot on file transfer service WeTransfer's debut index of emerging creative hubs in the United States. The Mermaid City joined the ranks of nine other cities "packed with under-the-radar locales," including Atlanta, GA; Madison, WI; Boston, MA and Denver, CO.

Four VA Businesses to Receive Flood Solutions Funding

Four Virginia-based small businesses focused on coastal resiliency and flooding will receive funding to develop their products, Norfolk-based nonprofit RISE Resilience Innovations announced Thursday.

Chesapeake Residents Can Soon Use an Uber-style Service for Curbside Recycling

After the city of Chesapeake scrapped its citywide curbside recycling program, residents can soon subscribe to an “Uber-style” approach to curbside recycling.

Reinvent Hampton Roads Names New President and CEO

The first president and CEO of Reinvent Hampton Roads, Jim Spore, will retire June 15. Nancy L. Grden, executive director of the Hampton Roads Maritime Collaborative for Growth & Innovation and associate vice president of Old Dominion University’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, has been named the next president and CEO.

Senate Confirms Rear Admiral Ann Phillips as U.S. Maritime Administrator

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips USN (Ret.) to serve as the Administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. The Senate voted 75-22 in favor of confirmation, making her the first woman to hold the position.

Virginia Beach Approves New Subsea Cable Landing Site

Globalinx, headquartered in Virginia Beach, will build four subsea bore pipes in the Sandbridge area of the city. Virginia Beach’s current capacity of four subsea cables in the Camp Pendelton area was maxed out. Plans include subsea bore pipes with beach manhole infrastructure and full front haul conduits directly to the Globalinx CLS campus in Corporate Landing Business Park.

Inside Business Reveals Its Annual Power List and Top 25

Inside Business creates its annual Power List to showcase who’s who in terms of moving the needle for the economy in Hampton Roads, whether they be the decision-makers, the influencers and even some working behind the scenes. Alliance President and CEO, Doug Smith, is part of the top 25. Several Alliance partners and investors made the list as well!

JPMorgan Chase Opening First Hampton Roads Branches Later This Year

JPMorgan Chase, the biggest bank in the country by asset share, said it plans to eventually open 10 branches throughout the region. The bank will start by opening its first branch in downtown Norfolk in November. Chase plans to have two Norfolk branches and two Williamsburg branches open by the end of 2022.

Investor Spotlights

Ferguson Parent Company Moves Primary Listing to NYSE

The U.K.-based parent company of Newport News plumbing, HVAC and industrial product distributor Ferguson Enterprises LLC has transferred its primary stock listing from the London Stock Exchange to the New York Stock Exchange, Ferguson PLC announced.

Blue Point at the Riverfront

During the Suffolk State of the City on May 24, Mayor Duman spoke about a large, 18-acre mixed-use development in the Harbour View section of Suffolk called Blue Point at the Riverfront. New Realm Brewing Company will open a second Hampton Roads location in this development. The Miller Group is the developer.

ODU Ranked Among the Top 10% in the World for Reducing Inequalities

Old Dominion University has once again been recognized as a global leader for addressing inequality, tying for 65th in the world and ranking fifth among U.S. institutions for reducing inequalities in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for 2022.

Century-old Birdsong Peanuts to modernize Suffolk plant

Suffolk-based Birdsong Peanuts is investing $25.1 million to modernize it Suffolk shelling facility, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced. The company plans to refurbish and automate production lines at the Suffolk plant. It is also committing to additional growing opportunities for Virginia peanut producers.

Events

2022-0616StateoftheFortMonroeFLYERwOPNB-0502 image

We were thrilled to have Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS) meet with the Alliance and our Regional Economic Development Directors recently. The team of Amazonians provided an economic development overview and helped us to better understand Amazon's investments in workforce development. There are currently 12 Amazon sites in Hampton Roads and the potential for more. Across Virginia, there are 30,000+ full- and part-time jobs with an additional 96,000+ indirect jobs created on top of the direct hires. We look forward to continuing the regional discussion as Amazon continues to invest in Virginia and our Hampton Roads region. Thank you to our investor Kaufman & Canoles for hosting our meeting and to Senator Tommy Norment for joining us virtually to provide inspiring opening remarks.