RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation will invest $5 million to expand its current facility at the Manassas Regional Airport and create approximately100 new jobs. The engineering and research and development facility will primarily support the development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designed to fly in the Martian atmosphere. If successful, the program would represent the first aircraft to fly in the atmosphere of another planet.
RICHMOND - The Board of Directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) today announced that it has selected Jeffrey M. Anderson as VEDP Executive Director following a five-month national search. Anderson currently serves as Executive Vice President for Global Integration at BearingPoint, a leading multi-national management consulting firm headquartered in McLean. Prior to that role, he served as Executive Vice President responsible for leading BearingPoint’s $500M global financial services practice.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Merit Medical Systems Inc. will invest $5 million to open a manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, creating 200 new jobs. Fifteen employees will transfer from the company’s previous facility in Henrico County which could not be expanded to meet the company’s growing production requirements. The new Chesterfield County facility will assemble and distribute procedure kits for the medical industry worldwide. Virginia successfully competed against Utah for the project.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Princeton BioMeditech Corporation (PBM) will invest $7 million to build a manufacturing facility in Albemarle County and create 115 new jobs. The company has entered into an exclusive marketing and manufacturing agreement with ContraVac, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company. The new facility will provide manufacturing capability to ContraVac for its newly developed products to test male fertility.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that SI International, an information technology and network solutions company, will invest $1 million to open a customer service center in Dickenson County. The center, which will move into the former Travelocity building in Clintwood, will create 100 new jobs. SI International is working under a contract with the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to provide call center and support services to the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement plan for federal civilian and military employees.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Mod-U-Kraf Homes, LLC will invest $2.8 million to expand the company’s Rocky Mount facility. The company plans to hire 50 new employees when construction is completed in December. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina and Ohio for the project.
RICHMOND - The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) today announced that eight Virginia companies were selected to participate in the state’s two-year Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program. Launched in January 2002, the program assists exporters in the Commonwealth that have firmly established domestic operations and are committed to international exporting as an expansion strategy. Mark Kilduff, Executive Director of VEDP, spoke to the new and graduating classes at the welcome event in Richmond today.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic film and shrink wrap, will invest $17 million to expand its Rural Retreat manufacturing facility in Wythe County, creating 54 new jobs. A previous expansion was announced in 2002. The company will focus its new investment on a film production center for United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated vinyl films that will service the pharmaceutical and other FDA markets.
ABINGDON - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., parent company for the Food City retail supermarket chain, will invest $19.35 million to expand its current distribution facility, located on Hillman Highway in Washington County. The project – the construction of a 164,000 square foot freezer distribution facility -- will create 110 new jobs. Virginia successfully competed against Tennessee for the project.
RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Wyeth, a global leader in pharmaceuticals, consumer health care and animal health care, will expand its manufacturing and distribution operations at its Darbytown Road location in eastern Henrico County. The company will invest $30 million in highly automated packaging equipment, robotic material handling systems and electronic systems for production and inventory data.