While it’s probably not an “official launch”, the Greater Richmond Partnership has begun posting videos on its YouTube Channel. Check them out at http://www.youtube.com/GRPVA
Here’s an example of one of the GRP videos.
Archived News and Events
Barbara DelVillar, Chesterfield’s Enterprise Zone Coordinator, has submitted the 2007 Local Enterprise Zone Program Annual Report to the Department of Housing and Community Development. The activity in both enterprise zones was significant.
In the Jefferson Davis Enterprise Zone, which includes the Hull Street Road subzone, there were 96 new or expanded businesses. These projects created 221 new jobs and invested more than $41.7 million.
In the Walthall Enterprise Zone, which includes the Midlothian Turnpike and Meadowdale/Meadowbrook subzones, there were 45 new or expanded businesses. These projects created 231 new jobs and invested more than $78.7 million.
Yukon Associates, LLC is building a 60,000 square foot manufacturing/
warehouse facility in Chesterfield on Port Walthall Drive. Colonial Marble Products, Ltd., of Petersburg, is the anchor tenant and will occupying 60,000 square feet. The company will be relocating 15 employees from the Petersburg facility.
The company has been creating quality MasterCast products since 1972 in Petersburg, VA. MasterCast is an umbrella term that describes a group of surfaces manufactured using a combination of polymers and natural stone elements such as marble, granite, gemstones, and other natural minerals. Common names for these types of surfaces are Cultured Marble, Cultured Granite, Cultured Onyx and Solid Surface.
The remaining 30,000 square feet of flex/warehouse space is available for lease. The estimated investment for the project is $4.8M.
Joan Tupponce has written an article in Metro Business section of the Richmond-Times Dispatch about a Virginia Pewtersmith.
Family pewter shop perfects its craft
Chesterfield firm finds success in increasing sales and helping the disabled
>>> Read story
Virginia Pewtersmith, which is located at 420 Southlake Boulevard in Midlothian, produces a wide variety of hand crafted pewter items. http://www.virginiapewtersmith.com/
Top 100 Best Places to Live
“Plentiful jobs, excellent schools, affordable housing – America’s best small cities have all that and more.”
The August 2008 issue of Money Magazine has ranked Midlothian, Virginia as one of the top 100 “Best Places to Live”.
The magazine writes,
“Founded as a coal-mining village centuries ago in the Virginia Colony, Midlothian has emerged as an in-demand suburb connected to greater Richmond.
The heritage is still visible, though, in the historic homes, taverns and railroad beds in town. The building of a major highway in 2004 spurred rapid growth in the village, including the ongoing construction of the Watkins Centre, a massive office complex and retail center two miles west of the village
But local residents have joined together to preserve the village’s historic buildings, and members of the Midlothian Garden Club have been known to grace the stone entryway into the village with flowers.”
The Chesterfield Observer is reporting that “Chesterfield is 15 percent more affluent than Henrico County“. The community newspaper has obtained and compiled the latest demographic data from Claritas. The Chesterfield Observer is currently presenting the information to business and civic groups around the county. More information about the report is available on its web site.
As reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch this morning, the Chesterfield County airport has a new manager. Tom Trudeau began work this week at the county owned facility located at the intersection of Route 10 and Route 288. The Department of Economic Development will be working closely with Tom and his staff to expand commercial development around the airport.
Tom has spent the last 14 years as the manager of the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport.
Zero’s Subs welcomes their newest location in Virginia with the opening of the Zero’s Subs at 13825 Village Place Drive, Midlothian in the Midlothian Village Square.
Zero’s Subs is one of the largest regional sandwich franchises in the U.S. with nearly 90 restaurants nationally and stores in New Zealand. Since its inception in Virginia Beach in 1967, Zero’s Subs has created a proven fast casual concept which offers high quality foods such as hot oven-baked subs, hearth-baked bread, Hormel meats, Buffalo Chicken Wings, innovative health conscious salads, wraps and pizza, all under one roof.
“As local business owners, we are committed to staying true to Zero’s mission of offering an alternative approach to fast food. We now offer a made to order salad bar with over 20 items, personal pizzas, Carolina BBQ, wraps and soups,” says Bob Babb, owner and operator of the Midlothian franchise. “We offer healthier products, made to order with quality ingredients and a level of service that has become Zero’s Subs banner of excellence.”
For more information and hours of operation contact Zero’s Subs at (804) 378-7827.
Virginia’s Gateway Region, one of two regional economic development partners that receive funding from Chesterfield County, has produced a video report on recent activity in the area.
Renee Wyatt-Chapline, Executive Director of VGR, worked with Dominion Virginia Power to produce the video report.
Take Your Best Shot.
The Greater Richmond Partnership wants to see the Greater Richmond area through your eyes-or better yet, your lens. Where do you barbecue in Chesterfield? Do you buy tomatoes in Hanover? Which parks do you visit in Henrico? Do you have a favorite lunch spot in Richmond? What do you see that makes Greater Richmond unique?
We live here. We work here. We play here. Take your best shot…and enter to win. You could win some of over $2,000 in cash and prizes.
Visit www.MyGreaterRichmond.com for details.
The contest starts July 14th and ends August 23, 2008.
Virgina’s business climate continues to receive accolades from 3rd party sources. CNBC has ranked Virginia as the second best state for business in 2008. This was a slight decline from the #1 ranking last year. Still Virginia has maintained a “business friendly” environment with a very competitive cost of doing business and an innovative technology infrastructure and workforce.
Chesterfield Economic Development will use the ranking in its recruitment efforts. These types of objective evaluations help companies compare areas as they look to relocate or expand.
Chesterfield Economic Development has added several new features to its web site to easily share information with users and provide opportunities for comments and interaction. These new features are listed in the “stay connected” section on the ChesterfieldBusiness.com home page.
CED Business Blog
http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/blog
This blog provides an area for discussing issues and news items about the business community in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Users may comment on any story or article posted on this blog or subscribe to the posts via RSS.
CED YouTube Channel
http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/video
This is the official YouTube channel of Chesterfield Economic Development. Video content can be shared with others or embedded in other web sites. Users may post text comments or video responses about any video on the channel.
CED RSS News Feed
http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/rss
Chesterfield Economic Development now publishes Chesterfield Business News as a RSS feed thru FeedBurner. Users may subscribe via a variety of news readers or by standard email. The RSS feed may also be shared or embedded in other web sites.
CED Web Album
http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/photos
Chesterfield Economic Development is now sharing photos from around the county in the form of a Picasa Web Album. The keyword tagged photographs are geo-coded on a map to easily identify where each was taken. Others features include the ability view the images in Google Earth or as an automated slideshow. Users may also comment on any photograph or download a copy of a photo to their computer.
In addition to these new features, Chesterfield Economic Development also shares a calendar, (at http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/calendar ), which has detailed information about upcoming business related events. A click-thru translation of the entire web site into 12 different languages is also available. These features can also be found on the ChesterfieldBusiness.com home page.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently acknowledged Business First Greater Richmond and its partners with a 2008 Achievement Award. This submission was recognized in the community and economic development category for its regional approach to servicing the needs of existing businesses.
Sara J. Dunnigan, Vice President of Existing Business Services of the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc., states, “Our primary goal is to quickly connect existing businesses with the right information, resources and programs in ways that best support individual firms and also improve the business climate. This award affirms that our program is recognized as one of the best in its class.”
The Business First program was formally established in the fall of 2006 and builds on a 13-year commitment to focus on the needs of business through a proactive outreach effort. Partners include the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc., the Greater Richmond Chamber, and the economic development professionals in Chesterfield County, Hanover County, Henrico County and the City of Richmond. It is supported by volunteers from the business community and a network of resource partners who share a commitment to business success.
Business First Greater Richmond uses face-to-face interviews with business leaders and CEO’s, an innovative and award-winning approach, and smart technology to better understand and respond to issues facing business. Since the program’s launch, it has touched more than 800 businesses representing more than 50,000 jobs in the community. Interviewed firms have shared plans to create more than 2400 new jobs and invest $71 million dollars in the community.
Business First Greater Richmond has benefitted the community and companies in many ways including:
- Advocating for business on issues related to their expansion and growth
- Connecting companies to workforce training resources and future employees
- Assisting companies in identifying and selling to new customers in international markets
- Providing research, business planning and technical support
- Working with program partners to formulate strategies on how to best address regional business challenges
Chesterfield County submitted the application and received notice that Business First Greater Richmond will be honored at the annual NACo conference in Kansas City in July.
Business First Greater Richmond is a business retention and expansion program supported by the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. More information on the program is available at www.businessfirstrichmond.com.
The Village News has also reported on the positive economic development activity over the past year. Here’s an excerpt from the story.
“Business growth in Chesterfield County is looking positive, according to Garrett Hart, Development Manager for Chesterfield County Economic Development. So far in 2008, new business projects have created over $75 million in capital investment and 500 jobs, twice the business activity of last year.
Among those new businesses contributing to Chesterfield’s business growth are industry giants Mazda, GlaxoSmithKline, and Trainor Glass. The move of such high-profile companies, Hart notes, is especially advantageous for the county, as it will help attract other companies to the area.”
Read the entire story at http://villagenewsonline.net/
The Chesterfield Observer recently ran an article about the amount of new economic development activity in Chesterfield over the past year. Here’s an excerpt.
“When your batting average is better than twice as good as last year, you want to share it. That’s the case for the Chesterfield Department of Economic Development.
In the fiscal year that started July 1, there has been $75 million in new investment in the county and 534 new jobs – more than double the corresponding period for the previous year of $31 million and 235 jobs.”
Read the entire story at http://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/news/2008/0618/news/006.html
This blog has been set up by Chesterfield Economic Development to discuss issues and news items about the business community in Chesterfield County, Virginia. We welcome your comments.
Signs Now Midlothian has opened a new retail shop in Harbour Pointe Village located at 13610 Hull Street Road, Midlothian, Virginia. The company will create 5 new jobs at their new location.
Signs Now is a new and innovative approach to the sign and graphics marketplace. By taking a consultative approach to developing the right solution, Signs Now eliminates the hassles associated with sign and graphics projects. They coordinate the design, manufacturing, and installation in a process that adheres to their customer’s timeline. Whether you’re covering a building, wrapping a vehicle, directing, informing, or advertising, Signs Now has a solution. Their unique digital solutions allow them to offer a variety of digital color products from small to large, indoors to outdoors.
“As local business owners, we are committed to providing the personal attention and professional service that you expect from a neighbor. At the same time, we are your local connection to a global network of over 300 digitally integrated Signs Now centers. We have the resources to execute sign & graphics projects of any scope”, says Hugh Rick, owner and operator of the Midlothian franchise.
An interactive catalogue of all of their products and services can be found on their web site at www.signsnowmidlothian.com. For more information contact Signs Now at 804-595-SIGNS (7446) or email to info@signsnowmidlothian.com.
Each year during the Commonwealth’s Business Appreciation Week, Chesterfield County honors local companies that contribute to the county’s economy and its citizens. The intent is to give recognition to organizations that consistently uphold the principles and standards of ethical business practices and that advertise and sell with integrity, and participate consistently in community, trade associations and local programs that better our county and region.
The Board of Supervisors and the selection committee recognized Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill as the recipient of Chesterfield County’s 2008 Business of the Year Award. Mark and Francine Landa, owners, were present at the Celebrate Chesterfield Business! Event held at the Highlands Golf Club. The Landa’s will receive their official recognition at the June 25th Board of Supervisors’ meeting at 3 p.m.
Mark and Francine purchased the business from Mark’s parents in 1982. They previously operated for over 50 years in a retail area in Colonial Heights. The new 33,000 square foot facility on Ruffin Mill Road sits on 25 acres of land and houses their retail operations, nursery and garden center. They currently have 38 full-time employees, 12 part-time and 20 seasonal employees at this facility. Their mission statement is “… to provide robust & healthy plant material, accurate horticulture advice and professional services to educate customers and insure gardening success.”
Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill was honored in 2007 by a national industry magazine as the Top Revolutionary Garden Center in the Southeast. They have donated to organizations like Christ & Grace Church, Virginia Tech and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Another community service project that they have initiated is growing over 6,000 mums for fall fund-raising projects for school and sports groups. The various groups take orders and deliver them, splitting the proceeds.
Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill is a family-owned business so they are very sensitive to family and work issues. They were awarded an honorary recipient of a 2007 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award by the Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists and the Virginia Psychological Association. Boulevard Flower Gardens was complimented on their dedication to staff involvement in organizational processes, as well as employee growth and development.
Congratulations to Mark and Francine Landa and all the employees of Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill! You may find more information on their web site: http://www.boulevardflowergardens.com
ITT Educational Services Inc. signed a new lease for 30,000 square feet at 300 Gateway Centre Parkway in Chesterfield County, VA. The educational provider will fully occupy the single-story office building, which is being expanded by 9,000 square feet. Construction is expected to be complete by November. $1.7 million was invested in the expansion and additional instructors will be added.
ITT Technical Institute is a leading private college system offering technology-oriented programs. ITT Tech offers career-focused degree programs as well.
Chesterfield County Economic Development assisted in the expansion.
Chesterfield County joins 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 11th – 17th, 2008.
This year’s Business Appreciation Week theme is “The State of Small Business.” The Commonwealth and Chesterfield County recognize the efforts of each business – corporate leaders and small business owners alike – for their continuous work and dedication.
“Local businesses contribute to the strength of our local economy and provide enhanced quality of life for our residents,” said Chesterfield County Administrator James J. L. Stegmaier. “I am privileged to officially thank every business in our community during Business Appreciation Week.”
Chesterfield County Economic Development along with DuPont Spruance, the Master Sponsor, will host Celebrate Chesterfield Business! for local businesses in honor of Business Appreciation on May 14th. An invitation to the event is required. If you are interested, and are a Chesterfield County business, please contact Economic Development.
Other sponsors for this year’s event include Village Bank, Dominion Virginia Power, Townes Site Engineering, Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, Alliance Engineering, Altria and Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce.
Chesterfield County will also present the Annual First Choice Business Awards. Last year, BluePrint Automation was the 2008 Business of the Year. Village Bank was Community Service Award winner and GetLoaded.com won the Business Innovation Award.
For more information on this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield Business! contact Lori Perez at (804) 318-8567, or email at lori@chesterfieldbusiness.com
Trainor Glass Company purchased the 100,000 square foot former GCX building at 2001 Ware Bottom Spring Road and is in the process of up fitting it for their operations. The glazing contractor fabricates and installs glass products and aluminum framing systems for commercial and industrial applications, focusing on building exteriors and tenant interiors.
Total investment, including purchase of the building tenant up fit and equipment, is approximately $5.3 million. Twenty-five new jobs will be created in addition to the 72 jobs that are being transferred. The business will officially be open at the end of June 2008.
Trainor Glass ranked 5th in Glass Magazine’s June 2007 issue naming the top 50 glazers in the United States. The company is headquartered in Illinois and has been in operation since 1953. Trainor Glass has state of the art operations around the U.S. including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey/New York and Texas. http://www.trainorglass.com/
Ace Recycling announced that they would be operating an indoor materials recovery facility at The Sustainability Park in Chester. The project is expected to create approximately 30 new jobs and represents an investment of more than $6 million. The company will be modifying a 69,000 sq. ft. building to achieve a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Ace Recycling is a processor specializing in construction and demolition debris recycling, which commonly includes cardboard and paper, carpet, concrete, dirt, metal, plastic, wallboard and wood. Many of those materials can be reused and recycled. All of the activities will be conducted indoors, including the receipt of the material, sorting and separating debris, secondary processing, and loading outbound trucks.
Ace Recycling will be permitting its operations through the Department of Environmental Quality, a requirement for new materials recovery facilities. The company is hoping to have the facility operational by summer.
Chesterfield County’s ability to fight and prevent fires is reducing fire-insurance premiums paid by businesses and homeowners.
The Chesterfield County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services is pleased to announce an improvement to its public-protection rating. The rating is determined by the Insurance Service Office and used by insurance companies to calculate insurance premiums.
Effective Dec. 1, 2007, the county’s rating improved from a 5 to a 4 on a 10-point scale. The rating applies to the county’s urbanized areas and is expected to shave approximately $1 million overall from area fire-insurance premiums. Home and business owners are encouraged to contact their insurance companies to determine their potential savings.
The improved rating places the Department of Fire and EMS among the top 13 percent of departments rated by the Insurance Service Office, which is funded by insurance companies and maintains extensive information on more than 46,000 jurisdictions that provide fire-response services. A jurisdiction’s participation in the organization’s Public Protection Classification Program is voluntary.
In determining the county’s improved rating, the Insurance Service Office evaluated procedures of the Department of Fire and EMS, the county’s fire alarm and communication systems and its water-supply system. In addition to determining a rating, the evaluation helps jurisdictions determine opportunities for improvement, which can lead to further-improved ratings and even lower insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses. Improved ratings also work to attract economic development as fire-protection is a key consideration of new businesses considering locating in an area.
For more information, contact Battalion Chief Stuart Dalton of Chesterfield County Fire and EMS at (804) 717-6102.