12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 9 Number 9 Around Hampton Roads Chesapeake Public Safety Operations


Building Groundbreaking Ceremony The city of Chesapeake celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Public Safety Operations Building on Thursday, April 30. The ceremony took place in the open space next to the Animal Services Shelter, 2100 S Military Highway. Scheduled speakers for the event included Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Brian J. Moran, Virginia Senator Kenneth Alexander and Virginia House of Delegates member James “Jay” Leftwich. Construction on the Public Safety Operations Building is scheduled to begin in May 2015, with completion in May 2017. The project will provide a central location for many of the City's most critical communications and emergency operations functions, including:


• • • • • •


Emergency 9-1-1 Call Center and Emergency Dispatch Emergency Operations Center


Customer Contact Center (382-CITY) Backup Network Operations Center Emergency Management Office Fire Training Administration


Nearly 100 staff members will occupy the 51,000 square foot building on a daily basis. The project budget is approximately $40.2 million.


Cosentino Expands Multi-Million Dollar


Stone Surface Distribution Center Cosentino, an international producer of quartz and other stone surfaces used in homes and businesses worldwide, is expanding its multi-million dollar distribution center in Hampton. The expansion adds more than 32,000 square feet to the company’s Northeast HUB in Copeland Industrial Park, and allows Cosentino to better meet growing demand from regional Cosentino Centers, home improvement centers, and kitchen and bath specialty stores throughout the region. “Right now, the Northeast is experiencing significant growth for us,” said Brian Dubuque, general manager of the Copeland HUB. He added that they have benefited from Hampton’s location near the port, and from the size of their new facility. In 2013, when the Hampton facility opened with nearly 162,000 square feet of space, the city agreed to a $25,000 grant to Cosentino that was contingent upon a commitment to creating a minimum of 17 full-time jobs and investing almost $2.2 million in real property improvements. Since then Cosentino has invested at least $3 million in the construction of the Copeland facility and $10 million in inventory. The company ended 2014 with 18 employees, with plans to have 28 employees by the end of 2015, including a “virtual” sales center staff. Headquartered in Spain with offices in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia, Cosentino is a leading business in the world of natural stone, including Silestone. The original 2013 Cosentino project in Hampton was completed with the assistance of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance.


Hampton.gov Governor Announces $100 Million


Investment in City of Newport News Canon Virginia to expand printer cartridge manufacturing and toner production operation


NEWPORT NEWS — Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that Canon Virginia, Inc. (CVI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., will invest $100 million to expand its operation in the City of Newport News. Canon Virginia, Inc. will add additional printer cartridge production lines and increase its toner manufacturing and filling.


Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2013 and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2014. Governor McAuliffe met with Canon Inc. in Tokyo to discuss this project during his recent Asia Marketing Mission.


Speaking about the announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Canon Virginia and the Commonwealth have maintained a solid corporate partnership for nearly 30 years, and it is an honor for me to work directly with CVI, CUSA and Canon Inc. to strengthen this invaluable relationship and support the company’s continued commitment to Virginia. An investment of this magnitude will further grow the impressive Newport News operation to increase production and secure its viability for years to come. This high-tech, new equipment requires intensive higher scale training, and will provide workers with skills of the 21st century that are essential as we build a new Virginia economy.”


“Canon Virginia’s continued growth and investment in Virginia is a powerful testament to the Commonwealth’s pro-business climate, strong workforce and high quality of life,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “Advanced manufacturing is an increasingly important sector in our dynamic economy, and CVI is ahead of the curve with its Newport News facilities and equipment. We are confident that Canon and Virginia will continue to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come.”


Headquartered in Newport News, Canon Virginia, Inc. serves as the manufacturing, engineering, recycling and technical support center in the Americas region. CVI produces new products using advanced manufacturing methodologies while also serving as a factory service center providing expert customer service in the repair and refurbishment of numerous Canon cameras and office products. CVI is also focused on research and development activities with a concentration on the environment through state of the art recycling operations.


“For nearly three decades, Canon has enjoyed a special relationship with our friends in Virginia,” said Toru Nishizawa, President & CEO of Canon Virginia. “We are pleased to expand our partnership and position our company and our community for future success. We thank the state and local community for their tremendous support and look forward to investing in the growing prosperity of the Newport News region.”


The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Newport News to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McAuliffe approved a $3 million performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Partnership program, an incentive available to existing Virginia companies. Funding and services to support the company’s employee retraining activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.


“Canon Virginia continues to raise the bar of excellence,” said McKinley L. Price, DDS, Mayor, City of Newport News. “We are proud of the company’s success and are encouraged by its growth and innovation in Newport News.”


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Norfolk City Manager Announces Return


of Veteran Economic Development Leader NORFOLK, Va – City Manager Marcus D. Jones is pleased to announce Charles E. “Chuck” Rigney has accepted the position of Director of Economic Development. Rigney will assist Deputy City Manager Peter Chapman in implementing Norfolk First; a holistic and multi- disciplinary approach capitalizing on Norfolk’s competitive advantages as the urban center of the Hampton Roads region.


“I am very pleased to welcome Chuck Rigney back to Norfolk,” said Marcus D. Jones, City Manager. “Chuck served Norfolk well during his 17 years and no one knows the economic development environment of this city better than him. I am confident with Chuck’s expertise, long-standing professional relationships and attention to detail that he will work effectively with Peter to promote comprehensive urban revitalization, foster job growth and economic opportunity for all residents.”


Since November 2014, Rigney served as the Director of Economic Development in Portsmouth. Prior to accepting that position, Rigney served as the Assistant Director of Economic Development in Norfolk for 17 years. During his tenure, Rigney also served as Interim Director from September 2011 to September 2013. Before joining the City of Norfolk, Rigney worked for an economic development agency on the Peninsula. Rigney’s first day is May 26th.


Rigney joins a robust team of new hires. Daniel H. Cohen currently serves as Assistant Director and Chief Community Development Officer. Leslie Osborn serves as the Department’s Senior Business Development Manager & Chief Investment Officer, where she is administering emerging investment and access to capital programs. Sandra Choi serves as the head of Global Markets, where she is managing the City’s export activities.


The Department of Development is creating four unique investment pools capitalized with Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and other federal resources. Additionally, Norfolk is among few cities nationwide to offer a venture capital program. Highlights include:


Citywide Partnership Fund: Working capital for small, expanding businesses and gap financing for brick and mortar projects.


Grow Norfolk Fund: Serving small, woman and minority-owned businesses created in partnership and administered by the National Development Council for business expansion.


Global Initiatives Fund: Norfolk is the first locality in the United States to create this opportunity. The fund provides assistance to small and mid-sized firms to begin or expand export activities.


Norfolk Innovation Fund: Provides venture capital for firms in the fields of technology, sustainability and resiliency, healthcare and life sciences. Will also bolster entrepreneurship initiatives.


Norfolk.gov Historian Bill Edwards-Bodmer to Lecture


on Norfolk Navy Yard’s German Village Portsmouth, VA— Edwards-Bodmer will present a lecture at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, 2 High Street, Portsmouth, Thursday, May 14, at 7pm in the museum’s main gallery. Admission is free. Lecture sponsored by the Friends of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum. Attendees may park in the Portsmouth Federal Building parking lot between Water and Crawford Streets adjacent to the museum; enter the parking lot from the Crawford Street side. What would you do if you were an interned sailor in a foreign land on the eve of war? Two shiploads of German sailors found themselves in that very situation in Portsmouth in 1915. Instead of waiting out their internment like prisoners of war, they put their restless energy to use by creating a unique, temporary tourist attraction on the shipyard, which came to be known as the German Village. “The sailors chose internment in Portsmouth over destruction at the hands of the British Navy,” said Bill Edwards-Bodmer, “America was still neutral at that point.” The ships’ stay marked a brief, odd chapter in Portsmouth’s history that illustrated the bonds that could exist between two future enemies. Bill Edwards-Bodmer currently works as the IT Trainer at Slover Library in Norfolk. When he’s not helping local residents bridge the digital divide, he researches and writes local history. Before coming to Slover Library, Bill worked at Old Dominion University’s library and several years as Assistant Archivist at The Mariners’ Museum Library. He has also taught United States history at Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. Bill received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees, both in History, from Old Dominion University. He is currently working on his Master of Science in Information & Library Studies at Florida State University. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, along with the Lightship Portsmouth, comprise the history division of the Portsmouth Museums. Three times a year, the Friends of the museum present lectures on relevant topics for the general public.


Governor McAuliffe Announces Hundreds


of New Jobs in the City of Suffolk ~ Target Corporation to expand distribution operation ~


RICHMOND - Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that Target Corporation will invest approximately $50 million to expand its distribution operation in the City of Suffolk, creating hundreds of new jobs.


Speaking about the announcement, Governor McAuliffe said, “Target Corporation’s major investment in Virginia is a testament to the benefits of the Commonwealth’s dedicated workforce, positive business climate, and the exceptional worldwide access of the Port of Virginia. The addition of hundreds of 21st century jobs to a locality that has experienced economic challenges is tremendous for the City of Suffolk and the Hampton Roads region. This expansion represents further progress in building the new Virginia economy, and we thank Target for its continued corporate partnership.”


“The growth and enhancement of Target’s distribution operation is a significant win for the City of Suffolk and the Commonwealth,” said Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “This facility serves as a major distribution point on the East Coast, and the expansion will allow Target to enhance the facility with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The success of Virginia’s existing businesses demonstrates what can be accomplished in the Commonwealth.”


Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,795 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter. “Virginia has always been an important market for Target,” said Keri Jones, Target’s executive vice president of global supply chain and operations. “A strong local workforce and close proximity to the nearby port make the Suffolk distribution facility ideal for expansion. We look forward to serving guests across the East Coast from this enhanced facility.”


The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Suffolk to secure the project for Virginia. The Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance also provided valuable assistance. The company will receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program. Additional funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.


“The Target Corporation has been an active community partner since the facility originally opened in 2003; we don’t just see Target as a major employer in Suffolk, but as an ally and stakeholder in our City’s future,” said Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson. “Target’s decision to invest $50 million dollars and hire hundreds of new positions at the Suffolk facility is outstanding news and a testament to Suffolk’s workforce, strategic location and operational advantages.”


May 2015


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