Michael Schwartz

Michael Schwartz is the editor of Richmond BizSense, and covers banking, lawsuits, finance, M&A and golf. He can be reached at [email protected] or 804-855-1037.

Anti-Massey billboards pop up in W.Va.

An anti-Massey Energy group has begun a billboard campaign in West Virginia pushing for prosecution of the Richmond-based coal mining company. According to a report from the Martinsburg Journal in Martinsburg, W.Va., a group called Prosecute Massey, part of Washington, D.C.-based non-profit the Daily Citizen, has purchased billboard space around West Virginia bearing the message… Read more »

Startup health insurer shutting

The hotly debated healthcare reform bill signed into law in March has killed a local insurance company, and one that had raised more than $10 million from mostly local investors.

Virginia Business Bank tries to break out of holding pattern

After almost eight months of operating under a strict regulatory turnaround/survival plan and having moved on to its third president since the fall, a Richmond-based bank has rethought its plan and might reinvent itself if it can secure a fresh round of capital.

Charge it

Report shows growth in small biz credit card use

The meter’s running

Mike Scelzi hopes property owners are as obsessed with watching the meter as he is. His young company, Net Metering Inc., offers a system that allows commercial property owners to constantly monitor the electrical consumption of their buildings with the hopes of catching spikes in activity and ultimately saving money.

Making bank, plus a bonus

Fresh off a year of big losses, Community Bankers Trust Corp., a local bank holding company and parent of Essex Bank, increased the base salaries and total compensation of many of its top executives in 2009, according to its latest SEC filing.

High-energy happy hour

The driving force behind some of the most popular running races in Richmond is adding a new event for the corporate types.