Lyon Shipyard, a full-service ship repair and industrial services provider, will invest $8.5 million to expand its operation in the City of Norfolk. The company plans to increase capacity to operate on commercial ships and vessels that service offshore wind farm operations. Virginia successfully competed with Maryland and North Carolina for the project, which will create 134 new jobs. The Hampton Roads Alliance was proud to work with the City of Norfolk and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure the project for Virginia.

Automatic Coating Ltd., a technologically advanced custom powder, liquid, and corrosion coating industry leader headquartered in Toronto, Canada, will invest $22.8 million to locate its U.S. operation in the City of Suffolk to support an existing contract with the U.S. Navy and expand with new industrial and commercial customers in the U.S. The company contracts with the U.S. Navy to use its patented process for corrosion coating on a wide variety of components including water tight doors, louvers, hatches, and scuttles. The Alliance was proud to work with its partners at Suffolk Economic Development and Virginia Economic Development Partnership on this project, which will create 50 new jobs.

Hermes Abrasives USA, a global leader in supplying industrial abrasive materials to support production finish, will invest $5.6 million and create 30 new jobs by expanding in the City of Virginia Beach. The Alliance was proud to support our partners at Virginia Beach Economic Development and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on this project, which showcases the strength of the region's international manufacturing cluster.

The Hampton Roads Alliance is pleased to announce that the prestigious Area Development Spring Consultants Forum will be held at the world-class Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront from June 10-12, 2024. This highly anticipated event, organized by Area Development, will bring together the nation’s top site selection consultants and economic development professionals for three days of networking and knowledge sharing.

Global technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton reaffirmed today its investment in Norfolk, building on more than 25 years in the Hampton Roads area with a continued commitment to regional growth and positive community impact. Booz Allen, which has 32,600+ employees worldwide, has had a presence in Norfolk since 1996 and today employs more than 1,000 people in the Hampton Roads area. Now, the company is establishing a Business Services center in Norfolk and bringing new growth opportunities.

The Hampton Roads Alliance, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, and Virginia Beach Economic Development hosted Presidents and officials of universities, community colleges, and technical colleges from Hampton Roads on a visit last week to Stuttgart, Germany — visiting with educational, business, and political leaders in the area.  The delegation, which included Hampton Roads mayors and business leaders, explored Germany’s dual-track vocational education and training (VET) program, a national workforce development pipeline.  The VET program supports roughly 1.3 million vocational apprentices per year throughout the country and operates as the main vehicle driving talent development within the landscape of Germany’s high-tech industries.

The Hampton Roads Alliance continues to evolve its mission and team to best leverage the incredible assets of this region. Today, the Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of Michael Evans as Director of Business Intelligence. Michael comes to the Hampton Roads Alliance after spending four years with the City of Virginia Beach where he served as a Budget & Policy Analyst. As Business Intelligence Director, Michael will be responsible for providing data and analysis about the Hampton Roads business environment to prospective and existing companies as well as Alliance investors.

Fugro, the world’s leading geo data specialist, will expand its Americas Center of Expertise for Offshore Wind in the City of Norfolk. The company’s Virginia operations have grown considerably over the past decade, in line with the boom in offshore wind projects on the U.S. East Coast. The expansion will create an additional 15 jobs in the state. Performing site characterization of offshore wind developments, Fugro provides critical information about seafloor and environmental conditions to guide safe and efficient project planning, design, and construction activities. 

ZIM American Integrated Shipping Services Co., LLC, a subsidiary of publicly held Israeli international cargo shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (“ZIM”), will invest approximately $30 million to relocate and expand its U.S. headquarters within the Hampton Roads region. Virginia successfully competed with other states for the project, which represents several hundred jobs over the next five years.

“The Hampton Roads Alliance (the Alliance) congratulates ZIM on its growth plans and its decision to continue to headquarter its United States operations here in the Hampton Roads region,” said Doug Smith, Alliance President and CEO. “The Alliance had a hand in recruiting ZIM to the region 22 years ago as the company relocated is headquarters operations from New York City to Hampton Roads. At that time, the company selected our region to best meet their customers’ needs and position the company for future growth. It appears Hampton Roads was the right location choice then and now. ZIM’s decision to re-invest in Hampton Roads speaks volumes to the region’s strategic location and competitive advantage offered to the shipping and logistics industries.”

The Hampton Roads Alliance is pleased to celebrate the announcement of new projects at Fairwinds Landing which will transform the underutilized Lambert’s Point Dock cargo terminal into a hub for offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, and maritime logistics. Two major projects, an operations base for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project and naval shipbuilding operations by Fairlead Integrated, have committed to leasing portions of the site, bringing with them over 700 new jobs and $140 million in capital investment.

The Hampton Roads Alliance announced today that the February unemployment rate in Hampton Roads has dropped to 3.2%, below the first quarter national average of 3.8%. "We've worked hard to create an environment that is conducive to economic growth and job creation, and this drop in the unemployment rate is a testament to the regions collective efforts." said Doug Smith, President & CEO.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that than $1.4 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant awards are coming to Hampton Roads for a demonstration site for clean energy transition to green hydrogen. The cities of Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach will work with the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (VTCRC) to scale-up the clean energy industry in Hampton Roads through green hydrogen production.

The Hampton Roads Alliance continues to evolve its mission and team to best leverage the incredible assets of this region. Today, the Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of two outstanding new team members: Olivia O’Bry as Director of Operations and Ethan Crouson as Director of Business Intelligence.

ARDX®, a government healthcare management and technology consulting firm, will invest $2.4 million to relocate and expand in the City of Norfolk. ARDX will transfer operations to increase staffing and establish a new Division of Health Equity, which will improve access, quality, and outcomes of service delivery to the nation’s most vulnerable populations. The project will create at least 15 new jobs for the region.

Nakano Warehouse & Transportation Corp., a Tokyo-based transportation and warehousing company, will invest $14 million to establish a new warehouse and distribution facility in the city of Chesapeake in Greenbrier North Commerce Park. Virginia successfully competed with South Carolina for the project, which will create 25 new jobs. “The Hampton Roads Alliance is thrilled to join Chesapeake Economic Development and VEDP in welcoming Nakano to the region,” said Douglas L. Smith, President & CEO, Hampton Roads Alliance. “Hampton Roads’ strategic location and Chesapeake’s large cluster of international companies, and in particular Japanese firms, make Chesapeake the perfect choice for Nakano’s first East Coast location. Anchored by the Port of Virginia, the Hampton Roads distribution and logistics activities are growing at a record pace, and we have no doubt that Nakano will help continue that trajectory of success.”

The Hampton Roads Alliance continues to evolve its mission and team to best leverage the incredible assets of this region. Today, the Alliance is pleased to announce the hiring of two outstanding new team members: Jared Chalk as Chief Business Development Officer and Cliff Copley as Business Development Director. In addition, Steve Harrison, currently serving as Interim Chief Strategy Officer, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer.

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, one of the largest vertically integrated coffee companies in North America, will invest $29.1 million to consolidate and expand operations at its roasting facility in the City of Suffolk, creating 79 new jobs. Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA is among the nation's largest coffee roasters, with nationally recognized retail brands including Hills Bros.®, Chock full o'Nuts®, Segafredo Zanetti®, Kauai Coffee®, MJB®, and Chase & Sanborn®. In its state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Suffolk, the company produces proprietary and private label coffee, tea, and drink mix for customers in all retail and food service channels throughout North America and around the world.

 High Liner Foods, Newport News, a leading North American value-added frozen seafood company, is expanding and will continue to invest in modernizing its facility in Newport News with new equipment and product lines. Founded over 120 years ago in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, High Liner Foods’ retail branded products are sold throughout the United States and Canada under the High Liner, Fisher Boy, Mirabel, Sea Cuisine, and Catch of the Day labels, and are available in most grocery and club stores.

Mühlbauer Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Germany-based Mühlbauer Group and the world’s top producer of automated machinery designed to implement intelligent solutions, will invest $9 million to expand its operation in the City of Newport News. The company will make upgrades to its facility in Oakland Industrial Park and increase capacity by adding new production equipment. Virginia successfully competed with Oregon for the project, which will create 34 new jobs.

Certified Origins, an Italy-based company focused on providing fresh and authentic extra virgin olive oil, will invest $25 million to establish its first U.S. production facility in the City of Newport News to meet increased demand for its branded and private-label products. The company’s new operation in the Oakland Industrial Park will select and import high-quality extra virgin olive oils through The Port of Virginia to offer craft blends and tailored packaging solutions for local and global markets. Virginia successfully competed with Maryland for the project, which will create 30 new jobs.

Kamine Development Corporation and Nicollet Industries, LLC, green infrastructure and sustainable development leaders, will invest $267 million to establish a joint venture paperboard recycling and production facility, Celadon Development Corporation, at the Chesapeake Deepwater Terminal site in the City of Chesapeake, creating 210 new jobs for the region.