Latest news with #VirginiaEconomicDevelopmentPartnership
Business Journals
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Amazon to build huge fulfillment center in Goochland County, creating 1,000+ jobs
Inc. on Wednesday announced plans for a massive robotics fulfillment center in Goochland County. The project intends to create more than 1,000 jobs. The facility, to be located at 2022 Ashland Road, is expected to open in 2027. It will span 3.1 million square feet on a 107-acre parcel. The fulfillment center, essentially a warehouse that stores smaller products like books and toys and completes orders for sellers with the help of robots, will be the fourth robotic center for the company in Virginia and its 10th facility in the larger Richmond area. In 2023, Goochland County secured state and regional funding to construct a diverging diamond interchange at Route 623 and Interstate 64, according to an announcement from the Virginia governor's office. That interchange will be located less than a mile from Amazon's new facility and is expected to improve traffic slow and safety. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Goochland County to secure the project, according to the governor's office. 'Amazon's continued expansion in Virginia is a testament to the collaboration between state, regional and local partners who are committed to smart, strategic growth,' Juan Pablo Segura, the state's new secretary of commerce and trade, said in a statement. 'This project is the result of long-term planning in Goochland County and strong infrastructure investments by the Commonwealth. Amazon's latest investment will bring significant economic opportunity to the region.' Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is putting the facility in a business district that Goochland calls the Rockville Opportunity Corridor. The area also includes the Luck Stone Rockville Quarry, the Martin Marietta – Anderson Creek Quarry, Vulcan Materials Co., Lanier Industrial Park and Midnight Brewery. Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $135 billion in Virginia, including infrastructure and employee compensation to employees, according to the governor's office, and has created more than 42,000 direct jobs in state.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Armed Forces Brewing Co. didn't tap state grants offered for Norfolk relocation
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that a military-themed brewery was coming to Norfolk's Railroad District in July 2023, the state offered the company more than $300,000 in grants and tax breaks. But Armed Forces Brewing Co., which closed its Norfolk taproom and production facility in March, never completed the grant process or received those funds, according to state agencies. And it's unclear whether the brewery, which is facing debt and lawsuit threats, used the tax breaks either. The brewery arrived in Norfolk in 2023, attracting controversy with its aggressive, testosterone-fueled marketing and brand ambassador Robert O'Neill, the Navy SEAL who claimed to have killed Osama bin Laden. When the brewery left earlier this year, CEO Alan Beal blamed what he called the 'local woke mob' for undermining efforts to successfully do business in Hampton Roads. Virginia has incentive tools it traditionally uses to attract companies to relocate to the state. It offered several of those to the previously Maryland-based Armed Forces: up to $24,500 in Virginia Jobs Investment Program grants through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, up to $213,600 in Enterprise Zone grants through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and up to $70,260 in manufacturing sales and use tax exemptions through the Virginia Department of Taxation. However, the grant money was never used. Armed Forces was eligible to receive $700 for each net new, full-time job created within 36 months, for a maximum amount of $24,500, said Virginia Economic Development Partnership spokesperson Pryor Green in an email. 'The company accepted the incentive offer but never completed necessary steps to finalize those incentives,' Green said. Armed Forces also failed to apply for any of the Enterprise Zone grants, which are awarded to companies that create jobs or improve property in certain targeted areas, according to Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development spokesperson Alexis Mehretab in an email. Related Articles It's unclear whether Armed Forces used the tax breaks offered by the state, because a representative with the Virginia Department of Taxation said specific tax situations were exempt from public records laws. In an April 4 SEC filing, Beal revealed the company was more than $1.7 million in debt and could file for bankruptcy protections or cease operations if money was not raised to cover the debt. In a May 5 email to investors obtained by The Virginian-Pilot, Beal said the company had raised more than $270,000 in the past few weeks, which was not enough to pay off all the debt. However, Beal said the company has a plan to use that money to move forward with restructuring the business. At least one Armed Forces investor is also exploring a class-action lawsuit against the company, according to reporting by The Virginia Mercury. The outlet also reported that the Norfolk City Treasurer padlocked the former Armed Forces property after failure to pay taxes. Third party building owner Ironbound AFBC Properties, LLC owes the city $13,444 in taxes, according to city records. Beal did not respond to a request for comment. In the May email, Beal said the company plans to pay a missing payroll to employees, move the headquarters to another city and begin brewing beer again with a contract brewery. Beal also said the company would pursue criminal and civil litigation, but did not offer further details on who the suits would be filed against. Beal said in the email that the company might not make it, but would try to survive. 'We may not win our lawsuits, the criminal complaints we filed may never get prosecuted,' Beal said in the email. 'But we are going to continue to fight, because that's what we do, and that's what the U.S. military that we tribute would do.' Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345,
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Youngkin signs slate of 180 bills, including pro-business legislation, meant to help Virginia ‘compete to win'
RICHMOND — Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday signed his first slate of 180 bills passed by the General Assembly this year. Speaking at the Patrick Henry Building, he announced a package of pro-business bills he said will help Virginia 'compete to win.' 'I'm very pleased to be able to sign, among lots of bills that we've released today, some key pieces of legislation that represent this Virginia, a Virginia that is the very best place to live and work and raise a family,' he said. Youngkin signed bills that establish grant funds to provide financial support for semiconductor and lithium-ion battery parts manufacturers, which he said promise to bring more manufacturing to Virginia. He said the legislation would help support investments from companies such as Micron Technology and Microporous. Similarly, the governor signed legislation authorizing the build of the first commercial scale fusion power plant in Virginia. Officials announced the fusion power plant plans, to be built in Chesterfield County, in December, Wednesday's action was the first the Republican governor has taken on the close to 1,000 bills passed by the General Assembly, which adjourned Feb. 22. Some of the bills are cognates of each other, with identical legislation passed in the House and Senate. Youngkin has until Monday night to sign, veto or amend more than 800 remaining bills. He also signed a bill sponsored by Sen. Emily Jordan, R-Isle of Wight, that allows smaller localities to compete for grant funding through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Previously, the requirement was for localities to have at least 100 acres to apply for the Business Pad Ready Site funding. Virginia Politics | Virginia's legislative session is over. Here's what's headed to Youngkin. Virginia Politics | Here's the General Assembly's budget plans for Hampton Roads Virginia Politics | Here's what Hampton Roads legislators did in this year's General Assembly session 'Places with smaller footprints such as Portsmouth, Franklin City or smaller towns such as Smithfield or Windsor will have the ability to now compete when marketing their communities,' Jordan said. 'With a smaller square mileage, it was nearly impossible for certain localities to have the 100 acres or more required to even apply for the Business Pad Ready Site funding. Reducing the requirement to apply down to 35 land area square miles and 25 acres or more to apply will open doors for projects across Virginia.' Also included in the list of bills Youngkin signed was legislation introduced by Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, that would automatically pay people for unclaimed property, such as last paychecks, without having to file a claim with the state. Youngkin also signed into law legislation, proposed by Del. Cliff Hayes (D) and Sen. Christie New Craig (R) of Chesapeake, that clarifies when sitting Chesapeake City Council members must step down to run for mayor. The legislation came as a result of an oversight in the city charter that led to disputes in November's election. And the governor approved a bill that would direct health insurers that require preauthorization to respond to preauthorization requests in a timely fashion and if denied, explain why. Absent from the package was a bill, proposed by Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027. Democrats sent a similar bill to Youngkin last year, but the governor vetoed it, saying that he opposed a one-size fits all approach and that it could harm Virginia's economic competitiveness. Youngkin did not say explicitly Wednesday whether he would veto that bill, or any others, again this year, but he did say some 'familiar' bills would be back on the chopping block. Sen Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, said while she was glad some legislation had passed, she had hoped to know more about the fate of other bills. 'We're coming late in the day, as final actions are due to us by next week, and I have not received any clarity on the bills that will receive amendments or vetoes,' she said. 'It will be good to get some information on that.' Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881,
