Case Studies | Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Second Chance Hiring: A Business Proposition for Virginia Employers

By approaching second chance hiring as a strategic business decision rather than a social initiative, Virginia employers can address workforce shortages while building stronger communities — a true win-win proposition.

Virginia: The Clear Choice for Press Glass

Press Glass’s historic $155.2 million investment broke the record for the largest business investment in Henry County.

DroneUp Takes Off in Virginia

Virginia-born business DroneUp, LLC was founded by former U.S. Navy officer Tom Walker in 2016. The company works to make drone flight work for businesses through flight services, delivery services, and airspace management. What originally began as a web and mobile platform for on-demand drone pilot services has expanded into a multimillion-dollar operation that is the exclusive provider of drone services for Walmart. After establishing its headquarters in Virginia Beach in 2016, Walker has kept his eyes on the skies looking for new ways to expand his business.

Banking on Virginia: Wells Fargo Expansion to Create 1,100 New Jobs in the Roanoke Region

In 2023, the team at Wells Fargo realized exponential growth was on the horizon and began seeking the right location to enhance and expand its customer service experience. Wells Fargo first established its customer support operation in Roanoke County in 2008 and had firsthand knowledge of the region’s strong pool of talent that could support an expansion of this magnitude.

Hilton Extends Stay in Virginia

In 2009, Hilton invested $17 million to relocate its global headquarters from Beverly Hills, California to Tysons Corner in Fairfax County, Virginia, creating 300 new jobs. In 2011, the company invested $1.8 million to expand and relocate an additional 100 jobs in supply management to Fairfax County. In 2023, Hilton made the decision to double down on its Virginia headquarters, investing in significant upgrades to the facility and creating 350 new jobs by 2027.

Plenty Puts Down Roots in Virginia with World’s Largest Vertical Farm Campus

After looking at five other states and considering a number of locations, Plenty selected Chesterfield County, Virginia, to establish the world’s largest indoor vertical farming campus—a $300 million investment that will create more than 300 full-time jobs. The Plenty Richmond Farm Campus marks the company’s expansion beyond the U.S. West Coast and aims to bring fresh, healthy produce to the East Coast year-round.

Only the Best Is Good Enough: The LEGO Group Chooses Virginia for U.S. Manufacturing Facility

The LEGO brand is an iconic and beloved brand for families across the world, and the company’s decision to establish its U.S. manufacturing plant in Virginia shines a global spotlight on the advantages that make the Commonwealth the best business location in the nation.

Rocket Lab Prepares for Liftoff in Virginia

Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second-most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 109 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations. The company unveiled its Neutron rocket in March 2021, which will be capable of delivering a 17,600 lb. payload to low Earth orbit in a reusable configuration and is expected to be operational in 2024. The search soon began for a new rocket production, assembly, and integration facility, as well as a dedicated launch pad for the Neutron rocket.

Danone North America’s Largest Plant in the World Continues Growth in the Shenandoah Valley

Danone’s Mount Crawford plant has become its largest facility in the world. Formerly WhiteWave Foods Company, the manufacturer began operating in Rockingham County in 1988 and was purchased by WhiteWave in April 2017. The 600,000-square-foot plant employs more than 600 workers and produces more than 120 million gallons of product annually.

Civica Investment Strengthens Essential Medicines Partnership in Petersburg

A critical partnership between Phlow Corporation, Medicines for All Institute, Civica, and AMPAC will further advance the pharmaceutical cluster in Virginia and solidify the Commonwealth as a significant player in domestic drug manufacturing.

CMA CGM Group Recommits to Virginia

Following a competitive site selection search process and incentive negotiations, CMA CGM chose to retain its North American headquarters in Norfolk and expand in Virginia, announcing in February 2021 a $36 million investment, more than 400 new jobs, and the American hub of startup incubator and accelerator ZEBOX.

Perrone Robotics Powers Innovation in Virginia

Perrone benefits from its location in a state that embraces emerging technologies. Virginia’s R&D assets, top-ranked education system, varied geography for testing, and proximity to Washington, D.C. and major defense contractors set the foundation for success for companies in the unmanned systems industry.

Virginia and Sabra Partner on World’s Largest Hummus Facility

In 2018, Sabra broke ground on its third expansion, adding 40,000 square feet to the Chesterfield County plant for new cold storage space and more than doubling its finished goods storage capacity. The expansion also provided space for future packaging customization capabilities.

Mack Trucks Rolls into the Roanoke Valley

In January 2020, Mack Trucks announced a $13 million investment to establish its new medium-duty truck manufacturing just 45 miles from sister company Volvo Trucks, creating 250 jobs. The first prototype-to-production automotive facility announced in Virginia, the new Mack MD Series truck is designed and built start to finish here.

Haleon Expands Consumer Healthcare Research and Development in Virginia

Company leadership began an evaluation of all consumer healthcare R&D facilities with a vision to build leading research and development capabilities into the future. The global R&D headquarters in the City of Richmond quickly stood out as a contender for an expansion.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Builds in Virginia

Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII's Newport News Shipbuilding employs over 25,000 Virginians, making it the largest industrial employer in the Commonwealth and the largest shipbuilding company in the United States.

Merck & Co.’s Mission to Manufacture for Life

For over 75 years, Merck & Co., Inc. has been manufacturing lifesaving drugs and vaccines at its Elkton facility in the Shenandoah Valley. Through research, innovation, and a mission to save and improve lives, Merck delivers advanced health solutions with its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products.

The Prime Location for Amazon HQ2

After a 14-month competitive site selection process during which Amazon received 238 proposals from communities across North America, the tech giant announced plans in 2018 to invest approximately $2.5 billion to establish a major new headquarters (HQ2) in Virginia, creating more than 25,000 high-paying jobs. Virginia successfully secured the historic project through unprecedented state, regional, and local partnerships. The foundation of the cooperative pitch for Amazon HQ2 was centered on Virginia’s thriving tech sector and talent—including a commitment to a pipeline for the future.

Microsoft Corporation’s Expanding Virginia Footprint

Nearly 20 years after the company’s first investment in the Commonwealth and with thriving operations in both Northern and Southern Virginia, Microsoft continues to evolve its technology and is actively answering the call for increased cloud services, requiring a new operation with strategic access to its customer base and a reliable pool of tech talent.

WillowTree—High-Impact Tech Work with Roots

WillowTree’s footprint in Charlottesville is an intentional, strategic choice to locate in smaller and rural areas. The company’s success is a testament to small Virginia metros’ ability to attract and retain top-tier IT companies. WillowTree began exploring possible corporate headquarters sites to consolidate its rapidly expanding Virginia team in one location.

The Hershey Company Produces Sweet Success in Virginia

Hershey employs more than 1,000 people in the Commonwealth, with the majority at its Stuarts Draft manufacturing facility. The plant plays a critical role in the company’s growth and production and delivery of its products to global consumers, so when Hershey began its site selection process, of course Virginia was in the running.

Strong as STIHL in Virginia Since 1974

The Stihl family decided to open a manufacturing facility in Virginia Beach in 1974. For nearly 50 years, STIHL has been an invaluable corporate partner in the Commonwealth.

Micron: Making Memory in Manassas

Micron has manufactured semiconductors at its operation in the City of Manassas since 2002. The Commonwealth was in the running for Micron’s major project, but winning would require an extremely competitive proposal.

1901 Group Models Tech Success in Urban and Rural Regions of Virginia

The success of the company’s business model, ranging from urban Northern Virginia to the New River Valley and rural Southwest Virginia, demonstrates the assets, infrastructure, and talent that can be found across the Commonwealth’s diverse regions.

Morgan Olson, LLC Steps into Southern Virginia

Less than 10 years ago, Morgan Olson’s Michigan facility was manufacturing 100% of the company’s step van orders. As the preferred walk-in step van body company with plants at full capacity, Morgan Olson needed to grow to meet customers’ needs.

Three Virginia Locations Serve Speyside Bourbon Cooperage

Just two years after deciding to open its first U.S. stave mill operation in Bath County, Speyside Bourbon Cooperage announced a $26 million investment to establish a new cooperage in Smyth County and invested $9 million in a new stave mill facility in Washington County.

Grupo Phoenix Finds the Perfect Package in Virginia

Grupo Phoenix first established its North American headquarters in Pulaski County in 2010. By 2017, the company had expanded three times at the manufacturing operation, for a total of $106.2 million in capital investment and 585 new jobs.

Carry-On Trailer Finds Creative Talent Solutions in the Commonwealth

Carry-On Trailer's manufacturing operation in Westmoreland County had experienced a steady increase in demand since its establishment in 2004, and the next phase of the company's growth entailed extending its market reach into the Northeast and Canada.

A Search for Talent Leads England Furniture to Virginia

England Furniture’s employees had been working overtime at its headquarters in Tennessee, and the management team sought a new, strategically located facility with the space and dedicated workforce to accommodate continued growth.

JM Conveyors Finds Room to Grow in Southwest Virginia

JM Conveyors began its search in 2017 for the perfect site to house a new product line. After exploring real estate across the East Coast, Virginia stood out for its business-friendly environment and portfolio of ready-made sites.

MAG Aerospace’s International Contracts Soar through Virginia Export Program

When faced with the pressures of sequestration in 2012, MAG Aerospace turned to the global marketplace for new contracts with support from VEDP’s flagship Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program.

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA Shares Coffee with the World from Virginia

MZB-USA joined the VALET program in July 2012 and continued to expand its global footprint. In 2022 MZB-USA announced plans to invest $29.1 million to consolidate and expand operations at its roasting facility in Suffolk.

New Ravenna Propels Global Brand from Rural Location

Demand for New Ravenna’s luxury mosaic tile products began to skyrocket in 2016, and the company sought to discover if its home in Northampton County could accommodate the rapid growth.

Monogram Foods Gets Results in Virginia

Upon landing additional customer business in 2014, Monogram needed to select one of its existing facilities to add capacity rapidly.

Meta Friends Virginia

Virginia offers Meta the full package: infrastructure with room to grow, access to renewable energy, and a talented pool of employees to keep the Henrico Data Center online for years to come.

Navy Federal Credit Union Grows Support Services in Winchester

Navy Federal Credit Union needed to increase its workforce to meet current and future demand in a location that could accommodate major growth.

Lidl Launches Expansion into U.S.

In need of two sites and two workforces, Virginia presented Lidl with the best business case to successfully compete.

Ferguson Seeks State-of-the-Art Corporate Headquarters Site

Ferguson had grown from a local distributor to the nation's leading distributor of residential and commercial plumbing supplies, and still needed to grow its team by hundreds of employees to keep up with its growth.

CoStar Group Explores New Research Home

The largest real estate data firm in the U.S. wanted a home that will attract new college graduates – the majority of its workforce – and be affordable enough to retain talent.

Amazon Web Services Expands Virginia Footprint

In June 2017, AWS announced plans to establish its new East Coast corporate campus in Fairfax County at One Dulles Tower, a 400,000-square-foot Class A office building about two miles east of Washington Dulles International Airport, creating up to 1,500 new jobs.

ADP’s Search for a Central Service Center

The global provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions wanted an urban space that could accommodate its needs and attract a strong pipeline of talent.

Nestlé USA Selects Virginia for New U.S. Headquarters

The headquarters relocation of Nestlé USA and Gerber Products Company — two iconic global brands — is a powerful testament to the advantages of Virginia’s strategic location, infrastructure, and top-rated talent.