Archived News and Events
SportsQuest had six skaters at the trials in Michigan. Sonia Milan placed 11th overall but finished eighth in the women’s 1,000 and made a number of other top group finals.
SportsQuest is planning a sports complex in the Waterford area in Chesterfield County. Dr. Steve Burton is the CEO.
The mission of the Virginia Business Excellence Consortium is to provide a vehicle to help companies identify and obtain support in implementing advanced business practices to improve processes, operations and worker skill levels in Virginia.
The consortium achieves its mission through: site visits at member companies to see first hand how they are implementing a particular improvement initiative; training workshops or round-table discussions on topics of interest to members; speaker events; and sharing ideas, resources, and information on training and educational opportunities and to assist with member problem-solving.
There are three to four learning events per quarter and companies can send anyone in their company to any event. When space is limited, the director allocates spaces to ensure the broadest participation by interested member companies.
Being a member of VBEC provides member companies with the opportunity to:
Ø Develop a network of individuals in a variety of companies and industries that you can call on for advice and assistance in implementing business improvements
Ø Go behind the scenes of other businesses and see how they operate, how they are implementing improvements, what their challenges are and how they are addressing them
Ø Take advantage of expertise in other companies and leverage resources for training, learning and problem-solving
Ø Access to various external educational and training resources and speakers
Ø Discounts on training/educational programs offered by affiliate members, i.e., VPMEP and SPQA
Ø Dues Structure
For more information on the consortium and how to become a member visit their website at www.vbec.org
A Greener Solution, LLC has signed a 3-yr. lease for 86,000 sq. ft. in the former Waverly Textile Building on Ft. Darling Road. They will be hiring three people to start. Machinery and tool investment is estimated to be $300,000. They will be moving in and beginning tenant upfit in September with operations beginning in November. Initially the business will be baling loose Tyvek scrap film for shipment.
A Greener Solution (AGS) offers a full spectrum of custom-tailored programs and services designed to support corporate efforts to achieve zero waste targets and green operations objectives. Their goal is to help consumer product and industrial manufacturers enhance profitability through the identification and implementation of sustainable business practices.
AGS creates solutions customized to your specific needs and designed to streamline corporate compliance with ISO 14000 environmental standards. AGS can provide consulting services, manage recommended processes utilizing company employees, or develop and manage independent AGS programs on or off-site.
Every program and service they design incorporates a cost savings component. And AGS delivers measurable results, backed by extensive data and analysis as well as regular reporting.
Strategies and Services include:
For more information please contact either Neal Gutkin or Robert Render at (847) 379-9133
Chesterfield County government and the Greater Richmond Partnership have both launched redesigned web sites.
Chesterfield County, Virginia is a thriving, affluent, suburban community located in the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area.
The Greater Richmond Partnership is a regional economic development organization which the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and the City of Richmond, Virginia.
Virginia T’s, Inc. has completed the relocation of its warehousing operation to Chesterfield County. The company is leasing 208,000 square feet at 11200 Old Stage Road in Chester, Virginia. There are 101 full time and part time employees working at the location. Seventy-five of those employees transferred from the Petersburg location while 26 were new hires. The new investment to Chesterfield County is estimated to be $15,000.
Virginia T’s distributes imprintable sportswear. It offers wearable, headwear, and accessory needs. The company was founded in 1984 in Petersburg, Virginia. In 1992, the company added a location in Jacksonville, Florida, and in 2001 added one in Evansville, Indiana.
Virginia T’s offers competitive prices, features a wide variety of all the best-selling imprintables and has no minimums. The company has its’ own “in house” credit department to assist with financial matters in an accommodating and professional manner.
The company can be reached at 800-289-8099 or toll free fax 877-289-8099 or e-mail service@virginiats.com. http://virginiats.com
The pedestrian-friendly section of Westchester Commons named “Main Street” is now available for leasing. Anchored by Regal Cinemas on one end and Gold’s Gym on the other, the Main Street retail space is divided by tree-lined sidewalks and public gathering places. Books-A-Million has already opened it’s doors and Noodles & Company is expected to open soon.
The Midlothian Exchange has posted an article by Erika Maguire about the grand opening of Gold’s Gym at Westchester Commons on Midlothian Turnpike in the Watkins Center development. Erika writes,
Gold’s Gym, located in Westchester Commons on Midlothian Turnpike, is now taking the movie experience to the next level, substituting reclining chairs with treadmills and ellipticals.
Known as their cardio cinema, Gold’s Gym is now providing their members with full-length movies during their workouts. The movies, which change everyday, are played in a dimly-lit room filled with various cardio equipment for members’ enjoyment. Yet this feature is only one of the unique amenities offered by the gym…
>>> Read the entire story from the Midlothian Exchange here.
Identity Theft Seminar Offered Regarding FACTA and the New “Red Flags Rule”
Identify theft is one of the fastest growing crimes, and it is reported that 1 of every 4 Americans will suffer some form of identify theft.
The US government passed new laws recently that places responsibility squarely on the shoulders of companies to protect their employees’ and their customers’ personal information. Consequently business and/or business owners are liable to ensure that proper steps are taken to protect the identities of their employees and customers.
Starting August 1, 2009, millions of small businesses that extend credit or defer payments for goods and services will be subject to a new set of rules under the Fair and Accurate Transaction Act aimed at helping curb identify theft. The new rules — known as the FACTA Red Flags Rules — are basically federally mandated precautions certain businesses must take to protect customers from identity theft crimes.
Whether it is social security numbers, check information, credit card information, medical data, or the like, if it is mishandled, lost or stolen, it can have a serious impact on the business.
Legions of small businesses that will now be covered — including auto dealers, jewelers, furniture companies, mortgage brokers, doctors, dentists and many others — are still unaware of this looming regulatory issue. Business owners who are aware are most likely confused about what they’ll have to do. And forget about an extension. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the enforcing agency, already stretched the compliance deadline, originally set for last November.
The coming FACTA Red Flags Rules require covered businesses to create a process for detecting so-called “Red Flags” in identity verification, such as:
A number of consulting firms offer guidance on how to comply with the new FACTA Red Flags Rule. One such company is The Risk Management Group. Village Bank and The Risk Management Group will be holding an Identity Theft Seminar on June 30, 2009 at the Village Bank Community Room, 15521 Midlothian Turnpike. The Seminar runs from 7:30 – 8:30 AM and is free of charge. For additional information and to register contact Richard Swed at Richard@TheRiskMgmtGroup.com or call 804-840-2918.
Precision Recycling of Virginia leased 15,370 square feet in the Sustainability Park building at 13101 N. Enon Church Road in Chester. The total investment in capital is about $550,000 for machinery and equipment and its installation with another $450,000 in working capital. The proforma project total is approximately $1,000,000. There will be five full time employees and one part-time employee to start. Bill Richardson is President of Precision recycling Industries, LLC.
Currently glass collected in the curbside and drop off recycling programs has been a challenge for Central Virginia Waste Management Authority because there is no recycled glass processor in the central Virginia region nor within a 100 mile radius. The glass collected is hauled away and is used for drainage in landfills.
This new facility will accept glass from material recovery facilities and other glass collection programs. The glass will be mechanically cleaned removing paper, metals, and other contaminants. It will then be crushed and screened to size. Depending on the final market it will either be optically sorted by color preparing it for glass bottle plants.
UPS Freight has leased 85,018 square feet in Chippenham Square at 7415-7485 Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County.
The shipping company signed a six-year lease with occupancy in June.
Chippenham Square is a 184,894-square-foot retail center that was constructed in 1982 in Richmond’s Midlothian submarket.
Chesterfield County Economic Development assisted the company.
TopNotchRichmond.com is one of Chesterfield County’s newest businesses. The region’s new online referral resource business is locally owned and operated by a recently laid-off worker. By taking control of his career and pursuing his passion, Richmonders now have free access to tried, trusted and tested service companies.
After more than 22 years of being located in the City of Richmond, the law firm of Midkiff, Muncie and Ross P.C. has moved to the Arboretum Office Park off Midlothian Turnpike. The firm celebrated their new office location at 300 Arboretum Place, Suite 420, Richmond, Virginia with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 20th.
Charles Midkiff started the firm in 1987 with one paralegal and an IBM Selectric typewriter. The firm has grown from a solo practice to a firm 50 employees strong with 20 attorneys in the new Arboretum office and three attorneys in their office in Vienna, Virginia.
“We look forward to joining the Chesterfield business community and continuing our growth,” said Charles Midkiff, President.
Since 1987, insurance companies, government entities and licensed professionals in Richmond, Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region have relied on Midkiff, Muncie and Ross, P.C. for their knowledge of the law and aggressive representation in court. The firm specializes in insurance defense litigation and their reputation for successful results has become well known in the business and insurance communities. Other firm practice areas include subrogation, 1st and 3rd party coverage, auto liability defense, professional malpractice defense and government entity defense.
The 2009 First Choice Business of the Year was awarded to Super Radiator Coils.
(left to right) Art Warren, Chairman Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, Jay Stegmaier, Chesterfield County Administrator, and Ray Birk, Vice President of Operations Super Radiator Coils
Each year Chesterfield County honors local companies that contribute to the county’s economy and its citizens through the annual First Choice Business Awards. The intent is to give recognition to businesses that consistently contribute to the community by giving back to the residents of Chesterfield County through community service, that create and deliver products or services that are innovative to its customers, is a leader in valuing its employees, and upholds the principles and standards of ethical business practices.
This year’s First Choice Business Award winners were announced at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield Business! appreciation event held on May 11, 2009.
Bank of Virginia received the Community Impact Award. Bank of Virginia is a community bank headquartered in Chesterfield County with five area branch locations, four of which are located in Chesterfield County. Several bank employees regularly volunteer with the Community in Schools Program, serving as mentors, class readers, and as book and lunch buddies.
The Innovation Impact Award winner was Super Radiator Coils. Although Super Radiator’s core business is the manufacturer of heat transfer coils for the residential, commercial and industrial markets, they recently completed the construction of a Wind Tunnel. This machine will enable their engineering staff to further refine their computer design software to ensure accuracy and design the most cost effective solution for their customers.
ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center was the winner of the Employee Impact Award. ACAC has been in business for 25 years and in Midlothian for four. ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center is the gold standard for health and wellness facilities. At the heart of the organization is ACAC’s mission to change lives. While many health clubs cater to individuals who are already fit, ACAC’s priority is to reach out to inactive adults and their families. Senior and medically based programming and services are an important part of that objective.
The 2009 First Choice Business of the Year was awarded to Super Radiator Coils. Super Radiator Coils has been in business for 80 years and at their current Chesterfield location for 28. The company President is Rob Holt and Ray Birk is the Vice President of Operations. Super Radiator Coils designs and manufactures heat transfer coils for the residential, commercial and industrial markets. While these coils could end up in a person’s back yard as a condenser for an A/C system, it is just as likely that one of these coils could be used in a coal fired power plant or on an IBM super computer.
The Board of Supervisors at the May 27, 2009 meeting will recognize the First Choice Business Award winners.
For more information on this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield Business! contact Tina Shreve at (804) 318-8564, or email at tina@chesterfieldbusiness.com
Chesterfield Economic Development and this year’s master sponsor Atlantic Constructors, Inc. join the Commonwealth of Virginia in celebrating Business Appreciation Week throughout the Commonwealth. Coordinated each year by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Business Appreciation Week is scheduled for May 10th – 16th, 2009.
The Midlothian Exchange has posted an article written by Eric Millirons that describes the economic value of the Chesterfield County Airport to our community. Eric writes,
Cloistered behind a large stand of evergreen trees, off of State Route 10, just north of Route 288, the airport is one of Chesterfield’s truly hidden economic gems. It ranks fourth in the number of planes based at a Virginia airport. While state studies have shown that its economic impact is in the millions of dollars, there are more discernable factors that display its importance. Looking only at the personal property tax paid on the 130 or so planes based at Chesterfield, the result is over $400,000 for the county’s General Fund coffers. When this information is coupled with the employment generated by the county and Dominion Aviation employees, numbering in excess of 100 with over 90 percent of them being county residents, its worth to our economy becomes even more evident.
>>> Read the entire story from the Midlothian Exchange here.
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Beth Danziger of NBC 12 reported yesterday about the opening of Westchester Commons at Route 288 and Midlothian Turnpike later this week. Her report included an interview with Chesterfield Economic Development director Will Davis.
Read the story and view the video on the NBC12.com web site >>>
The Richmond-Times Dispatch had an article in the Metro Business section yesterday about the opening of Westchester Commons this week. Times-Dispatch writer Louis Llovio reports on the transition of of the area from a rural to urban area.
When John Watkins looks out across the wide open landscape that used to be his playground, he doesn’t see Westchester Commons, one of the largest retail developments in the Richmond area.
The Republican state senator from Powhatan County points over a half-built row of retail stores. “That is where my parents lived. Where I grew up.”
Then he turns to another spot a few hundred yards north, this one between two buildings. “That’s where my house was. Where I raised three kids,” Watkins said.
The land has changed since Watkins was boy.
Acres of trees spread out as far as the eye could see back then. He and his cousins camped out in the woods and had the run of the place.
His family had owned the property since 1876. Watkins Nursery operated there before moving to Amelia County.
Now, the land has been stripped of those trees and is becoming one of the Richmond area’s newest shopping centers.
Westchester Commons is the retail component of the Watkins Centre development at state Route 288 and Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County.
Watkins Centre was zoned in 2006 for 1.3 million square feet of retail space and 2.1 million square feet for offices on 640 acres.
Read the entire article on the Times-Dispatch web site >>>
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Each year, Chesterfield County honors local companies that contribute to the county’s economy and its residents. The intent is to give recognition to businesses that consistently contribute to the community by giving back to the residents of Chesterfield County through community service, or create and deliver products or services that are innovative to its customers. Other criteria include that a business is a leader in valuing its employees, and upholds the principles and standards of ethical business practices. Past winners have included, Boulevard Flower Gardens, Getloaded.com and BluePrint Automation Inc.
On behalf of Chesterfield County, the Department of Economic Development, the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce, and the Chesterfield Business Council are inviting nominations for the 2009 First Choice Business Awards. Companies may nominate themselves and/or be nominated by any individual or group within the community. All nominated companies will receive a formal application form to be completed by the nominee.
Winners will be chosen by a selection panel, which will consist of business leaders and county staff selected for their business and community knowledge. The selection panel will then interview businesses that meet the general eligibility criteria before final winners are chosen.
The winners will be recognized at Chesterfield County’s Celebrate Chesterfield Business! event. The Board of Supervisors also will also recognize this year’s First Choice Business Awards winners at their May meeting. Celebrate Chesterfield Business! is the county’s annual business appreciation event held each May during the commonwealth of Virginia’s Annual Business Appreciation Week – May 10th through May 16th.
Nomination forms may be submitted online at www.chesterfieldbusiness.com
Southern Design and Mechanical, Inc., a supplier of products and consulting services to industrial process industries, has located in the BizWorks Enterprise Center on Jefferson Davis Highway. The company supplies pump, seal and valve applications to a variety of industries including chemical processors, power generation, pulp and paper, water and wasterwater, steel manufacturing, bio-energy and pharmaceutical. They occupy 1,250 square feet in the center and plan to invest $75,000. They currently have 3 employees.
BizWorks is a non-profit small business incubator offering office and warehouse space to new businesses and those transitioning from a non-traditional environment, such as their garage or dining room.
BizWorks cultivates new and emerging businesses by providing:
The Center can provide you with the opportunity to start and grow your business in a supportive, cost effective and professional environment within an approximately 50,000 square foot building, consisting of office, manufacturing/warehouse and storage space.
The Greater Richmond Partnership has developed an online centralized career resource center, RichmondJobNet.com, organized to simplify the job search process using a comprehensive listing of area job boards, tools and tips for job seekers including resume, cover letter and interview preparation. Resources for those interested in starting their own business are available as is a comprehensive career event calendar including job fairs and educational opportunities.
Chesterfield County’s southern regional economic development partner, The Virginia’s Gateway Region, has teamed up with Dominion Virginia Power to create a quality of life video showcasing some of the amenities the region has to offer. Quality of life is important to prospective companies as they look to expand or relocate their business.
The Richmond-Times Dispatch has an article in the Metro Business section today about international companies doing business in the area. Several companies located Chesterfield County are among those referenced by Times-Dispatch staff writer John Reid Blackwell.
Foreign-based food companies seem to have a particular taste for the Richmond area.
Fiorucci Foods, an Italian meats company, has had a plant in Chesterfield County since the late 1980s. So has Maruchan Inc., a maker of those instant noodles that so many college students depend on for quick, inexpensive meals.
Goya Foods Inc., an international seller of Latin American cuisine, opened a $5.1 million distribution center in Prince George County in 2006 to ship some of its more than 1,500 products to markets in the Southeast, where demand for its products has been growing.
Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Inc., a Canadian-based company, announced plans in April to open a coffee-roasting facility in Ashland that will employ 85 people.
Last week, Sabra Dipping Co., a kosher, vegetarian food manufacturer, broke ground on a $59.3 million food-processing plant just north of Colonial Heights. Sabra is a joint venture between PepsiCo and Strauss Group, Israel’s second-largest food and beverage company. The plant is expected to employ 260 people when it opens by mid-2010.
For food companies, it is often more practical and economical to manufacture products closer to their end markets, said Will Davis, Chesterfield’s economic-development director.
“A $60 million investment and 260 jobs, even in an up economy, is a home run,” said Pat Gottschalk, Virginia’s secretary of commerce and trade. “Frankly, in a down economy, it is a grand-slam home run.”
The entire Richmond area benefits from geographic advantages.
“Richmond was a very good location for us, because it is next to the port, and we import everything from Austria to Norfolk,” Roos said. “It is a very central location.”
Read the entire article on the Times-Dispatch web site. >>
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Sabra Dipping Co. held a ground breaking ceremony on Tuesday, January 14, 2009 to celebrate the start of construction on its new $60 million manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade Patrick Gottschalk joined Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairman Art Warren in welcoming Sabra CEO Ronen Zohar to the new site in Virginia. Mr. Zohar spoke kindly about the cooperation and assistance provided by economic development officials as Sabra searched for a location for the 110,000 square foot facility that will employ 260 workers. He said the company looked forward to becoming a part of the community.
Supervisor Warren welcomed Sabra to the county and pledged to work closely with the company to help as they construct the new plant over the next year. Secretary Gottschalk forwarded a message of appreciation from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine for Sabra’s decision to choose Virginia. He called the project a “Grand Slam Home Run” in today’s tough economic environment .
The new state-of-the-art food processing plant will produce the award-winning Sabra branded dips and spreads including the country’s best-selling Sabra hummus and vegetable dips.
John Reid Blackwell has written an article in today’s Richmond-Times Dispatch about the economic development effort that went into helping Sabra Dipping Co. select Chesterfield County for its new food manufacturing facility. The company will hold a ground breaking ceremony today to kick off construction of the 110,000-square-foot plant in the Ruffin Mill Industrial Park.
In the article, Blackwell writes,
The international flavor of food companies in the Richmond area was a key ingredient in attracting the region’s newest maker of cultural cuisine, local economic developers said.
State and local economic development officials worked for about a year to land an investment by Sabra Dipping Co., a maker of kosher, vegetarian foods such as salads and hummus.
Read the entire article here on the Times-Dispatch web site. >>
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