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Pain beyond the pump
Record gas price impacts being felt across Va. industries
Ravi Patel watched as gas prices began their upward spiral and responded accordingly. To help offset fuel surcharges for deliveries, Patel, CEO of Sina Hospitality, placed larger orders for the linens, toiletries and other dry good items that his employees need to stock the Richmond-area hotels his company operates. “Kind of like everybody’s stockpile during COVID,”
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Code red
Hospitals face major staffing shortages
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Although many business sectors focused on moving on from the COVID-19 pandemic once vaccines became broadly available in 2021, Virginia’s health care industry has remained heavily burdened by continuing caseload surges and extreme staffing shortages. In September 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam voiced frustration at a news conference, saying, “It’s getting to the point where we
The great rethink
Work-life balance becomes an economic factor
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As we enter Year 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overwhelming question has become less, “When will we return to normal?” and more, “What do we want ‘normal’ to look like?” A year ago, as COVID-19 vaccines became more broadly available, many of us thought life in 2022 would be a lot more like 2019.
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Chambers of commerce
A sampling of statewide chambers and business organizations from around the commonwealth
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STATEWIDE Asian American Chamber of Commerce Tysons (571) 633-9754 asian-americanchamber.org Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Ashland (804) 344-1540 aabac.org Virginia Chamber of Commerce Richmond (804) 644-1607 vachamber.com Virginia Hispanic Chamber North Chesterfield (804) 378-4099 vahcc.com CENTRAL VIRGINIA Altavista Area Chamber of Commerce Altavista (434) 369-6665 altavistachamber.com Amelia County Chamber of Commerce Amelia (804) 608-6839 ameliachamber.org
Stronger together
Community banks gain scale from mergers
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Bank acquisitions and mergers, particularly among Virginia’s community banks, continued apace in 2021. Banks sought scale for efficiency and flexibility, as well as to acquire resources in anticipation of potential new government regulation. “The recurring theme in bank mergers is scale,” Bruce Whitehurst, president and CEO of the Virginia Bankers Association, told Virginia Business in
Eyes on the future
Education, health care donations set records
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In 2021, a year marked by continuing pandemic uncertainty and overloaded health care systems, philanthropists and corporations gave generously, supporting construction and research projects at Virginia universities and hospitals. Following 2020, a year that saw record-breaking donations to Hampton, Norfolk State and Virginia State universities by billionaire MacKenzie Scott, 2021 saw similarly generous gifts to
‘Behind the eight ball’
Officials rush to correct looming site shortage
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David Manley had a good feeling. The site visit was going well. During their spring 2021 tour of the Progress Park industrial site in Wytheville, the leaders of a manufacturer of nitrile gloves — those blue, disposable pieces of personal protective equipment that have become ubiquitous during the pandemic — seemed intrigued by the prospect of the
The big crunch
Uptick in demand stretches law firms
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Although the “Great Resignation” is hitting other industries harder, Virginia law firms are experiencing a tight labor market while also seeing increased demand for services. Alison McKee, a past president of the Virginia Bar Association and an attorney at Kaufman & Canoles PC in Virginia Beach, notes that “2021 was the busiest year in a
Take a hike
Outdoor activities drive visits to rural Va.
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Amid the ongoing pandemic, Virginians have escaped to the outdoors, enjoying the commonwealth’s varying recreational activities. “Since the pandemic started, people have wanted to get out of their homes and explore,” says Virginia Tourism Corp. Communications Manager Andrew Cothern, “and there’s so much to do in Virginia that outdoor recreation was a natural thing that
Kicking the can
Va. companies delay decisions about office space
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In April 2020, Savan Group LLC, a federal contractor specializing in digital transformation, information technology and management consulting, gave up its 10,500-square-foot office space in Tysons. Like many other companies, Savan Group shifted to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but by summer 2021, company President and CEO Veeral Majmudar was ready to look