Virginia jobless rate up slightly (Times-Dispatch) Students entering an already-clogged job market and cuts in the automotive industry propelled Virginia’s jobless rate up 0.3 percentage points to 7.3 percent in June, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday. A year ago, Virginia’s unemployment rate was 4 percent. In the Richmond region, the rate increased by 0.4… Read more »
Aaron Kremer
Aaron Kremer is the founder of Richmond BizSense. Email him at [email protected].
LandAmerica creditors miffed by new Fed hire
The former general counsel at LandAmerica has taken a job as a vice president and general counsel at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, upsetting some of the creditors owed money by her bankrupt former employer. A group of creditors says she knew the company could not return money, alleging what amounted to a Ponzi scheme.
NewsFeed 7.29.09
Bad loans make bad quarter for StellarOne (Roanoke Times) The company lost $785,000, or 3 cents a share, during the three months ended June 30, after having earned $6.1 million, or 27 cents a share, during the same period last year, a news release said. There are $25.3 million worth of loans associated with development… Read more »
Is Richmond really one of the hardest places to start a business?
Sometimes there is a shred of truth to an urban legend, or at least the ring of plausibility. And there’s one urban legend that courses through the local business community, and especially in the small business and start-up world: Richmond is one of the hardest places to start a business. Perhaps you’ve heard another iteration: If you can make a business work in Richmond, it can work anywhere.
NewsFeeds 7.28.09
FTC questions buys by Carilion (Roanoke Times) In an administrative complaint filed Friday, the FTC suggested that Carilion violated antitrust laws by purchasing the Center for Advanced Imaging and the Center for Surgical Excellence in August. The joint purchase, the government argues, has stifled competition in imaging and outpatient surgical services — leaving Roanoke patients… Read more »
GVA Advantis shuttered, checks might bounce
Employees of the brokerage GVA Advantis may not get paid for their last few weeks at the company, and it’s unclear if contractors or other businesses owned money will get paid, according to a company memo.
NewsFeeds 6.27.09
Hampton Roads office vacancies at highest level in years (Virginian-Pilot) As businesses across the region have downsized or closed, vacancy rates in office buildings in Hampton Roads have climbed to their highest point in years, according to a report released last week. Businesses reel from a power-bill surge (Roanoke Times) Economic developers fear that the… Read more »
Newsfeed 7.24.09
Hotel owners sue West Broad Village developers (Times-Dispatch) Owners of an upscale hotel have asked a federal judge to grant a temporary injunction against developers of West Broad Village, ordering them to complete work on a parking garage, make infrastructure improvements and complete the purchase of a part of the hotel’s building. Another top business… Read more »
NewsFeed 7.23.09
Incubator hatches new businesses (Virginia Gazette) Despite the recession, the James City Technology Incubator is cooking. Flagging just a year ago, the 3-year-old incubator has gained momentum lately by graduating two companies and adding four new ones. PVCC: Layoffs possible. College, UVa await state forecast (Daily Progress) State budget cuts may lead to layoffs at… Read more »
Office Sense: Lucky Strike power plant rebooted for architecture firm
BizSense goes behind the scenes of one of the most ambitious adaptive reuse projects in town: Odell Architect’s new headquarters in the Lucky Strike power plant. This is one of our finest videos yet, with some new editing tricks thrown in.