News

Solar startup ready for sunrise on incentives

On a cold winter day, Bernie Stanley of Shockoe Solar puts the finishing touches on a solar panel array atop a veterinarian clinic in Glen Allen. Stanley, as far as he knows, is the only solar panel installer in Central Virginia. But that could change if Gov. Tim Kaine’s proposal to give businesses and residents… Read more »

Help Wanted: VCU alum

Virginia Commonwealth University is launching a new website Monday to help alumni find jobs and help employers find alumni to hire. The site is operated by the Business and Engineering Career Center and initially will only be open to alumni of the business and engineering schools. Alumni will be able to fill in some identifying… Read more »

Was LandAmerica’s 1031 business a Ponzi Scheme?

The gloves have come off as former LandAmerica customers fight to retrieve money they gave to the company to hold for a few months. Lawyers representing former customers of LandAmerica’s 1031 Exchange business have filed two class action lawsuits against the company, alleging that the Richmond-based firm committed fraud and was using money from new… Read more »

Inauguration draws lodgers to Richmond

The buzz of Obama-mania stretched down to Richmond yesterday, and a handful of local businesses saw a boost of tourism dollars. Trains between Richmond and Washington were sold out all day yesterday, according to a station representative, and the Amtrak station was twice as busy as a normal Tuesday. Sales were also brisk over the… Read more »

Henrico’s plan

Qimonda, LandAmerica, Circuit City, Genworth. Four of the major corporations and private employers in Henrico County have shed at least 5,000 high-paying jobs. And it’s likely to get worse before it gets better, says Leonard Cake, the county’s director of economic development. Still, the county has more than 20,000 businesses, and as of November the… Read more »

Limo company moves to the Boulevard

Consumers and businesses might be cutting expenses, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from riding in style. James Limousine increased sales 40 percent over the previous year. Now the company rings in the New Year by moving into a 27,000-square-foot facility at 1207 North Boulevard. Randy Allen, co-owner and vice president of sales and… Read more »

Food Banks Hungry for More Funding

Area food banks are struggling with increasing demand for services. After asking the state for $1 million in emergency funding, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks is preparing for an unprecedented amount of need during 2009. Leslie Van Horn, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, says the state’s food banks are in… Read more »

Getting stiffed

Hurry up and wait. That’s the only option for local businesses owed money by bankrupt Circuit City and LandAmerica. More than 1,000 entities are owed money by Circuit City, according to a list of creditors filed with the bankruptcy court in Richmond, and the money from a liquidation sale might not yield enough money to… Read more »

Richmonders driving less

Richmond motorists are spending less time on the roads – or at least avoiding the tolls on the Southside. According to the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, traffic at the Powhite Parkway mainline toll plaza has been falling since February compared to the previous year. Around 543,000 fewer drivers have passed through the tolls so far this… Read more »