James Heffernan

Front Royal interim Town Manager Matt Tederick is overseeing the launch of the town’s new economic development authority. Photo by Will Schermerhorn

A tale of two authorities

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The town of Front Royal is moving forward with its own economic development authority independent from its cooperative EDA with Warren County, which is still reeling under the weight of a high-profile embezzlement scandal. Front Royal is the only locality in the state with two EDAs. The move was granted earlier this year in legislation…

In the big leagues

Port’s expansion projects put state in a leading position

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Virginia is strengthening its claim as a leading port on the East Coast.    The Port of Virginia is midway through a $700 million project to expand its two largest terminals, which will allow the port to handle an additional 1 million container units per year. The $320 million expansion of Virginia International Gateway in…

Inland empire

Ports in Richmond, Front Royal receive upgrades

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The Port of Virginia is investing in its two inland ports to boost capacity and maintain efficiency while handling greater volume from its Hampton Roads terminals. A record 2.93 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, passed through the Port of Virginia system in 2019, a 3% increase over 2018. “As we expand our primary terminals…

The Hershey Co. is investing $135 million to expand its Stuarts Draft factory. Photo courtesy The Hershey Co.

Banner year

With Merck and Hershey deals, valley hits investment record

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You’d be hard pressed to find an economic development official who had a better first year on the job than Jay Langston did in 2019. With Langston at the helm, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, a regional economic development group, announced a record $1.5 billion in business investment last year, anchored by Merck & Co.’s expansion of its longstanding pharmaceutical production facility…

James Madison University's Melissa Lubin and Blue Ridge Community College's John Downey. Photo by Norm Shafer

A continuum of learning

JMU, BRCC partner to secure Merck investment

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While grocery shopping one evening in February 2019, Melissa Lubin received a phone call from Jay Langston, the new executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership. A major employer in the region was looking to expand its operations, Langston told her, with more than 100 high-paying jobs and a multiyear investment that could reach $1…