Wales-based auto insurer Admiral announced last week that it was locating its U.S. headquarters in Richmond. The company was founded in 1993 and is third largest insurer in the United Kingdom. Andrew Rose, president and chief executive of Admiral Americas, is a Virginia Tech engineering graduate. Several years ago, he got married and made his… Read more »
News
Cleaning up in foreclosures’ wake
Matt Paxton parks his logo-wrapped Saturn Vue in front of a vinyl-sided home in Hanover County. No one lives here any more. All that’s left is a backyard play gym and an overturned Fisher-Price basketball hoop. As the founder and owner of Clutter Cleaners, Paxton has found a niche inspecting and cleaning homes as they… Read more »
Guest Opinion: Is that a martini in that Facebook photo?
The views expressed in Guest Opinions represent only those of the author and are in no way endorsed by Richmond BizSense or any BizSense staff member. It’s the classic post-college job hunting question: If you’re applying for a gig and you happen to have a few public Facebook photos of yourself sipping on a jigger… Read more »
So … about that invoice …
Richmond businesses are taking longer to pay each other’s invoices, and the problem is getting worse. About 85 percent of businesses in a Richmond BizSense survey said that at least one client is paying slower than the stated terms. And once one starts paying slowly, money can get tighter all the way down the food… Read more »
100-proof doesn’t mean recession-proof
The state-run business of selling liquor is showing signs of a hangover. Sales to bars and restaurants for January were down 3 percent compared with the previous year. For the fiscal year that began in July, year-to-date sales at Virginia ABC stores were still up 6.3 percent from the previous year. But the size of… Read more »
The business of accessibility
Kevin Mak remembers the day a man in a wheelchair entered his restaurant with a few friends, ate some sushi and left without incident. A few weeks later, Mak, who owns Carytown Sushi, received a lawsuit in the mail. The man in the wheelchair, Craig Fabian of Midlothian, alleged that the restaurant was in violation of… Read more »
Circuit City’s HQ Liquidation: The Sequel
The bargain hunters are back at Circuit City’s Western Henrico headquarters. The electronics store’s Deep Run III building was opened Tuesday to shoppers. But unlike the sale that ended at Deep Run II, this one is going to take longer – until April – and prices are not negotiable yet.
Pharmaceutical firm sold for $5 million
A small pharmaceutical company with deep roots in Richmond has been acquired by a New York firm. After a spending a year searching for the right suitor, ECR Pharmaceuticals was bought by Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. for $5.1 million in cash. ECR’s 60 employees have the option of staying on, said Davis Caskey, one of the… Read more »
Does Richmond’s last professional sports team have a chance?
If the Richmond Renegades can’t make a comeback, Richmond will be without professional sports. According to the hockey team’s owner and general manager Allan Harvie, it’s the third period and time to pull the goalie. In the interview below, Harvie explains the trouble with running a business downtown, the challenge of selling sponsorships and why… Read more »
Q&A: How are builders surviving the housing freeze?
BizSense has been keeping a close eye on building volume around Richmond, and if you’ve been reading you know it is down between 40 and 60 percent. Kevin Russell, vice president of Construction Management Solutions, has witnessed the slowdown firsthand. BizSense sat down with Russell at CMS’s office near the Chesterfield Airport to talk about… Read more »