Heads in the cloud
Data centers are prime gets for Va. localities
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Compare economic development wish lists across Virginia, and you’ll find one item in common. It’s not a specific manufacturer, a large health care system, or even a lucrative brewery. It’s a data center — or two, or three. These massive warehouse-like structures, full of computers, servers, and other digital equipment, hold the keys to internet
Manifest destiny
Port continues cargo growth under new leadership
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Taking on a new job during a pandemic could spell rough waters, particularly if the job relies on global commerce. But the past eight months largely have been smooth sailing for Stephen Edwards, the new CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority, which oversees the Port of Virginia. Edwards came onboard in January,
Free space
Companies mull post-pandemic office space needs
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Six hundred. That’s how many Advance Auto Parts employees are bidding adieu to their desks, cubicles, printers, water coolers and commutes in Roanoke, the city where the company was founded in 1932. The giant auto parts retailer won’t be bringing back employees to its 275,288-square-foot office space at Crossroads Mall. They’ve all been working remotely
Play ball!
Sports teams and tourism destinations expect summer rebound
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Minor League Baseball is back for 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season. And there’s no question that this summer will look much different than a typical baseball season. But the Richmond Flying Squirrels are optimistic. The team kicked off its season May 4. All fans who had vouchers or credits for 2020
Help wanted
Hotels, restaurants confront post-pandemic staffing crisis
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Twenty years ago, John Zirkle was just starting out in the Virginia Beach hotel business as a houseman, stripping bed sheets and doing laundry. Fast-forward to today and he is general manager of the Doubletree by Hilton at Virginia Beach and president of the beach’s hotel association. Lately, though, Zirkle’s had to recall some of
A bend in the river
Danville’s economy rushes from trickle to flow
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An out-of-town trip to visit colleges with her daughter gave Christie Wall an idea that several years later she hopes will benefit her and her hometown. For fun, Wall and her daughter tried out an escape room — an interactive adventure game that requires participants to solve a themed puzzle or challenge in order to
Better times ahead
Lodging, tourism, travel industries look ahead to recovery
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Catrina Mullins can picture the scene: A stage, musicians and a grassy lawn. People leaning back in chairs or sitting cross-legged on blankets on the ground, tapping their toes to familiar tunes. Others open windows to listen to the sound from their hotel rooms, which look out onto the lawn. This is what an outdoor
Help wanted
Valley manufacturers face workforce shortage
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Meat, coffee creamer, frozen fruits and chocolate. These commodities represent some of the bread and butter business lines, literally, of Devon Anders’ mega storage and supply chain logistics company, which is based in Mount Crawford and has other state locations. The success of InterChange Group Inc. rises and falls on the health of the Shenandoah
Lending a hand
Small businesses, community banks mutually benefited from PPP loans
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There were days during the past six months that some employees at F&M Bank in Timberville worked through the night. At 3 a.m., they were uploading loan applications for clients onto the U.S. Small Business Administration’s online portal. During the day, the site was overloaded with others applying for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program,
Slowdowns ahead
Economic crisis may catch up to construction industry in 2021
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When the COVID-19 outbreak began in March, projects at Howard Shockey & Sons, a Winchester-based commercial construction company, kept moving forward. After all, construction is considered an essential business, and unlike some other states, Virginia did not restrict construction activity at the start of the pandemic. But while Shockey’s work continued, albeit with some hiccups