Garden Ridge Opens in Chesterfield Towne Center

Garden Ridge will open the doors of it's new home decor store in Chesterfield Towne Center today. The 109,933 square foot store will occupy the former Dillard's space between J.C. Penney and Sears.

This store will be the first that Garden Ridge has opened in a traditional shopping mall. The retail operation will add home furnishings and home decor to the product mix offered in Chesterfield Towne Center.

The Garden Ridge store is located on the north end of the mall near Koger Center Boulevard. Just across the street, site work and construction of a new Costco Wholesale warehouse continues.

SportsQuest and Richmond Strikers Announce Soccer Partnership

Focus will be to expand National Tournament Series for Youth and Adult Soccer

For over 30 years the Richmond Strikers have been building a soccer tournament series that today brings about 50,000 people and over ten million dollars of economic impact and 15,000 hotel room reservations to the greater Richmond area every year. Their nationally ranked Jefferson CupTM soccer tournament is already widely recognized by youth soccer clubs, college coaches, and Nike Soccer as one of the penultimate tournaments for high performance soccer teams. The agreement announced today provides for an exclusive 10‐year tournament partnership between SportsQuest and Strikers, who now collectively own and operate the largest platform of soccer fields in the world as well as an operational team perfectly positioned to create similar nationally recognized tournaments for mid‐level youth travel teams, recreational youth teams, and adult teams.

“It was a natural fit and a genuine strategic opportunity to energize our already nationally recognized youth tournament series,” stated Scott Turner, Striker’s Executive Director, “SportsQuest’s expertise in family entertainment, sport development capabilities, and outstanding campus will enhance the services that we offer to families who travel to our soccer tournaments and provide us with enough synthetic turf fields to avoid having to cancel a tournament due to inclement weather. Our partnership will also dramatically increase club revenues used to fund our not‐for‐profit mission to provide high quality soccer programming to youth of all ages and abilities.”

“We were tremendously excited when Scott approached us with the proposal to partner with the Strikers on soccer tournaments,” remarked Steve Burton, SportsQuest CEO, “the Striker partnership provides our business model immediate credibility and is the first of many similar partnership announcements SportsQuest will be making over the next few months.” Turner and Burton reported that the leadership and governing Boards of both the Strikers and SportsQuest voted unanimously to approve the tournament partnership.

Dan Gecker, Chairman of Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and a strong supporter of SportsQuest, stated, "we are delighted with the partnership between SportsQuest and Strikers to bring tournaments to the SportsQuest venue; it is consistent with our desire to promote sports tourism in Chesterfield County.” Gecker added, “we expect that this is the first of many announcements of top‐quality events coming to the SportsQuest site."

The agreement allows the Strikers and SportsQuest to combine their efforts to develop a platform of excellent soccer programming and family entertainment over a proposed annual series of five soccer tournaments that will ultimately bring over 100,000 people to the greater Richmond area during eight weekends each year.

Turner and Burton both emphasized that their existing agreement is focused singularly on tournaments and does not affect the Strikers current structure or programming, nor does it preclude SportsQuest from partnering with other local youth soccer clubs for league play and sport development programs. “We look forward to continued discussions with the Chesterfield youth soccer clubs,” stated Tim O’Sullivan, Executive Director of SportsQuest Soccer, “we are dedicated to delivering quality soccer at all levels.”

Chesterfield Launches "My Business Starts Here"

Chesterfield Economic Development (CED) and Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) unveiled their new small business initiative, "My Business Starts Here", at Meadowdale Library, 4301 Meadowdale Boulevard, on September 1st.

Local business operators will have an easier, more comfortable, more comprehensive way to get the information and support they need when starting or sustaining a small business in Chesterfield County. The departments were joined by county leaders, local entrepreneurs, and the community, who were the first to access Economic Development's new web portal, MyBusinessStartsHere.com, in the library's new Small Business Resource Center.

The web portal was designed to help potential entrepreneurs navigate the abundant resources available to help start and sustain a small business in Chesterfield County. Users are guided, step-by-step, through the process of starting a business; can zero in on industry specific requirements, can ask specific questions about doing business in Chesterfield County; or can identify potential sources of capital.

Chesterfield County Public Library's Small Business Resource Center was designed with the small-business operator's needs in mind. The center can be used as a second office, a meeting place, a staff-training facility, or a research lab. Desktops and laptops are available to the public, as are current books and magazines and a variety of small-business tools - all free of charge. Users can access the best of the web as chosen by professional librarians, in addition to receiving one-on-one assistance with their business research.

"While there are already a multitude of resources available for small businesses, getting the right help can be challenging" says Jim Holland, Board of Supervisor for the Dale District. "This new initiative eliminates the difficulty potential entrepreneurs experience in getting started and getting help, by providing a coordinated approach to fulfilling their needs."

Individuals can access the new portal from home, or from any Chesterfield County Public Library location. For more information contact Karen Aylward at 804-318-8550 or Karen@chesterfieldbusiness.com.

Lingerfelt Development to Construct $25M OrthoVirginia Building

Lingerfelt Development Breaks Ground for the $25 million OrthoVirginia Building in the Boulders Office Park in Chesterfield County

Two quality regional healthcare organizations, West End Orthopaedic Clinic and HCA Virginia’s CJW Medical Center, along with Richmond-based developer Lingerfelt Development announce the groundbreaking for the OrthoVirginia Building, the region’s first-of-its-kind, $25 million, two-story, 70,000 sq. ft. medical facility specializing in orthopaedics and sports medicine treatment and rehabilitation. This new building will provide an estimated 180 construction jobs to Chesterfield County.

This initiative brings together highly skilled talents of leading orthopaedic specialists in sports, hand, knee and hip, spine, and pediatrics, as well as sports medicine and outpatient surgery in one technologically innovative building. The team of physicians and administrators recognized this opportunity to provide a regional resource for focused orthopaedic diagnostics, repair and rehabilitation that complements Central Virginia’s highest standards for specialty healthcare, with greater cost efficiency and a more convenient central location for the community and patients.

The project will complement existing West End Orthopaedic Clinic office locations on every major hospital campus in Richmond. The local talent of Lingerfelt Development has been selected to develop this regional, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced medical facility. Lingerfelt will seek LEED certification for this project’s green building design and operation. With ground broken this week, completion is scheduled for summer 2011.

“We’re very excited about this new state-of-the-art facility that offers the community and the region an extraordinary resource for orthopaedic specialties and rehabilitation services allowing patients to be conveniently treated in one location. Adding to our Network of Orthopaedic Specialists, this comprehensive, fully digital facility will offer minimally invasive surgery, electronic patient files, physician records and xrays,” stated West End Orthopaedic Clinic Administrator James Perkins.

“CJW Sports Medicine has been serving athletes in this community for more than 20 years and we are excited that we will be moving our team into this advanced facility,” said Tony Hayes, VP Business Development, CJW Medical Center. “We are also proud to be offering a sophisticated outpatient surgery center in this convenient location.” The development, placed at the entrance to the Boulders Corporate Park at the intersection of Chippenham Parkway and Jahnke Road in Chesterfield County, will continue to provide the community with specialized sports rehabilitation services under the direction of Dr. Douglas Cutter. Critical to selecting this location is accessibility and proximity to the major healthcare facility of Chippenham Hospital. The new facility will offer access via Chippenham Parkway, Powhite Parkway and Midlothian Turnpike, and is just eight minutes from downtown Richmond.

The teams looked for local development talent and selected Lingerfelt (LingerfeltCo.com) to construct the facility. Three generations of the Lingerfelt family have been developing in this area for over 50 years, encompassing over 10,000,000 s.f. of medical and professional office, industrial, retail, elderly housing, and multi-family developments in the eastern United States including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and Illinois. Their history of fast-track development success enables them to deliver a development on time and on budget consistently, project after project.

“The economic development team at Chesterfield County was extremely helpful in moving this development forward and assists us in delivering a quality project on time,” stated Ryan Lingerfelt, Principal, Lingerfelt Development. “We are certainly pleased that West End Orthopaedic Clinic and HCA Virginia’s CJW Medical Center have chosen Chesterfield County for their new medical offices. Developed by Lingerfelt Development, this new 70,000 s.f. facility in the Boulders Office Park is a testament to the continued commitment from our medical community and to Chesterfield County as a ‘First Choice’ business location,” said Jay Stegmaier, County Adminstrator for Chesterfield County.

Lingerfelt has selected architectural firm Price Studios, construction firm Hourigan Construction and engineering firm Rummel, Klepper & Kahl as part of the team to work on this development project.

Governor McDonnell Announces $20 Million DuPont Facility in Chesterfield County

Company Will Manufacture State of the Art Components of Lithium Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that DuPont will invest $20 million to establish a facility in Chesterfield County to make the first nanofiber-based polymeric separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles and many other potential commercial uses.

The facility, an early commercial-scale plant to produce the new material for this growing market, will be located at a leased building in Chesterfield County and will begin operations in early 2011. Virginia successfully competed against a number of other locations for the project.

"DuPont is a science leader and a major employer in the Commonwealth. The company has been in Chesterfield County since 1929 and this exciting new battery technology facility will continue DuPont's history of innovation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are committed to helping our existing employers expand their operations in the Commonwealth. This announcement is positive news for our economy, and for the competitiveness of Chesterfield County and the entire Commonwealth in the global marketplace," said Governor McDonnell.

The facility will further refine and develop DuPont™ Energain™ separators, a nanofiber-based material that improves safety by allowing high-performance lithium-ion batteries to operate at higher temperatures and can increase power up to 30 percent.

"DuPont™ Energain™ separators will be key to battery manufacturers making huge advances in lithium-ion batteries," said Thomas G. Powell, President, DuPont Protection Technologies. "DuPont enjoys a great, long-term partnership with Virginia and the technology development it enables enhances our presence here as a major employer."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County to secure the project for Virginia. The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

"It gives Chesterfield County great pleasure to partner with our largest private employer on this exciting and innovative project. DuPont is one of our oldest businesses and we are delighted that they continue to choose Chesterfield County as the location to grow and prosper," said Dan Gecker, Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Chairman.

DuPont™ and Energain™ are trademarks of DuPont.

Governor McDonnell Welcomes Sabra Dipping Company to Chesterfield

Cuts Ribbon at Company's New State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Plant



Governor Bob McDonnell traveled to Chesterfield today for the official ribbon cutting ceremony opening Sabra Dipping Company's new food manufacturing plant. The plant will make Sabra branded dips and spreads, including the country's best-selling Sabra hummus and vegetable dips. The opening of the plant will create 260 new jobs. Sabra's decision to move to Virginia was announced by former Governor Tim Kaine in November 2008.

Speaking about today's ribbon cutting ceremony Governor McDonnell noted, "I want to thank my predecessor, Governor Tim Kaine, for his successful effort to bring this great international company to Virginia. Working with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Kaine Administration was aggressive and proactive in convincing Sabra to choose the Commonwealth over two other states that were under consideration for this same project. The result is 260 new jobs in the Richmond/Tri-Cities area, and this Administration was pleased to be a part of the finalization of the venture over the last few months. I look forward to working with Sabra in the years ahead, and I welcome this great corporate partner to Virginia. As Governor I will be vigilant in ensuring that the Commonwealth remains a great, pro-business host for Sabra and all our job-creating employers. We will do that by keeping taxes low, regulations and litigation at a minimum and putting in place the policies our private sector employers need in order to grow and be successful. The number one priority of our Administration is job creation, and today is another positive step forward in this effort."

Chesterfield County wishes to congratulate Sabra Dipping Company on the occasion of their grand opening and thanks them for their commitment to Chesterfield. As Sabra begins manufacturing at its state-of-the-art food processing plant in Chesterfield County, the company will begin to see benefits from locating within the county. Sabra will produce award-winning Sabra branded dips and spreads including the country’s best-selling Sabra hummus and vegetable dips.

The 110,000 square foot facility on 49 acres in the Ruffin Mill Industrial Park is located in the Walthall Enterprise Zone. The Enterprise Zone enables the company to take advantage of numerous local and State benefits such as; waved permitting fees, utility discounts, tax rebates, job creation grants and real property investment grants.

The plant was built using the county’s “Fast Track” Project Review process and enabled the company to get underway quickly to meet their projected time line. Constant contact with the company’s development team, and the site and building review teams in Chesterfield County, helped resolve issues quickly and efficiently keeping the company on tract to meet their scheduled opening.

To staff the facility, Sabra is taking advantage of Chesterfield's large and diverse labor pool. The new plant is able to take advantage of a skilled labor pool of approximately 653,000+ people in the region to fill the 260 available positions.

These advantages, both tangible and intangible, helped Chesterfield County attract a high profile international company who is the top brand in the growing dips category. Sabra Dipping Company is jointly owned by Strauss Ltd and PepsiCo. The Sabra joint venture draws on both Strauss Group and Frito-Lay North America’s marketplace expertise to continue building this growing business. Frito-Lay is a business unit of PepsiCo. This will be the first new facility built since the formation of the Sabra Dipping Company joint venture.

In addition to Chesterfield Economic Development; Sabra was assisted in the site selection and development process by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Gateway Region and the Greater Richmond Partnership.

Chesterfield County is pleased to welcome Sabra as an important part of our business community and pledges to continue to do everything possible to help the company grow and benefit from locating in Chesterfield.

2010 First Choice Business Award Winners Announced

Chesterfield County Announces 2010 First Choice Business Award Winners at Annual Celebrate Chesterfield Business! Event

Village Bank President and CEO Tom Winfree, center, accepts the Business of the Year award from Bermuda District Supervisor Dorothy Jaeckle, County Administrator James J. L. Stegmaier, Matoaca District Supervisor Marleen Durfee and Economic Development Director Will Davis. The annual business awards event was held at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Chester. Awards were determined by a committee of business operators in the county.

Each year Chesterfield County honors local companies that contribute to the county’s economy and its citizens through the annual First Choice Business Awards. The intent is to give recognition to businesses that consistently contribute to the community by giving back to the residents of Chesterfield County through community service, that create and deliver products or services that are innovative to its customers, is a leader in valuing its employees, and upholds the principles and standards of ethical business practices.

This year’s First Choice Business Award winners were announced at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield Business! appreciation event held on May 19, 2010.

The Innovation Impact Award winner was Alliance Engineering, Inc. They seized the challenging economic climate as an opportunity to develop an innovative strategy diverse from their traditional client base. Their new initiative, Alliance Biosciences, allows for their team to collaborate on multi-discipline projects in a diverse field, in the combating of infectious disease.

Flagstop Corporation was the winner of the Employee Impact Award. Flagstop sets high standards for their employees and they rise to occasion. Their team provides exceptional customer service. Employees are rewarded with bonuses, profit sharing, and top quality training and professional development opportunities.

The Environmental Stewardship Award is new this year and is designed to recognize a Chesterfield County business, which has successfully displayed their efforts in being a responsible protector of the environment. This year’s winner, Southern RV, held environmental education clinics with over 470 attendees. The company has an aggressive recycling program for oil, batteries and paper. Company staff also takes pride in maintaining the appearance of their site by keeping it clean of trash and debris.

The 2010 First Choice Business of the Year was awarded to Village Bank. Village Bank has been a leader in the County for several years, celebrating their tenth year of serving Chesterfield County and the metropolitan Richmond area. Their flagship headquarters set a high standard for the future development of Watkins Center.

They have a strong company commitment, both on a corporate and individual level, to community service. Tom Winfree, President and CEO, is a founding member of the Families of the Wounded Fund. Village Bank also sponsors an annual Charity Golf Tournament that benefits several local charities including Connor’s Heroes and Make A Wish Foundation.

In this past year of economic turmoil, not only have they over-come adversity but Village Bank has actually shown marked growth, adding investment services and a mortgage subsidiary to their portfolio of services. Village Bank and their staff take seriously the “community” in “community bank”.

The Board of Supervisors at the July 28, 2010 meeting will recognize the First Choice Business Award winners.

For more information on this year’s Celebrate Chesterfield Business! contact Tina Shreve at (804) 318-8564, or email at tina@chesterfieldbusiness.com

New Taxiway Opens at Chesterfield Airport

Melissa Correa of NBC 12 reported yesterday about the opening of the new taxiway that allows for larger planes at Chesterfield County Airport. Her report included interviews with Chesterfield Airport Manager Tom Trudeau and Dominion Aviation CEO Mike Mickel.




Read the story on the NBC12.com web site >>>

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has also posted an article about the ceremony and the new improvements to the airport. http://bit.ly/cFIFHi

Historic Route 1 Promotes Tourism in Chesterfield

President of the Jefferson Davis Association Scott Rogers shows us some of the historic landmarks travelers can see along Route 1.

2010 Celebrate Chesterfield Business! Event Planned

Chesterfield County Economic Development Announces Celebrate Chesterfield Business!

Chesterfield County and this year’s sponsors join the Commonwealth of Virginia in celebrating Business Appreciation Week throughout the Commonwealth. Coordinated each year by the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Business Appreciation Week is scheduled for May 16th – 22th, 2010.

Chesterfield County Economic Development will host Celebrate Chesterfield Business! for local businesses in honor of Business Appreciation on May 19th at the Courtyard by Marriott in Chester. Sponsors for this year’s event include DuPont, Village Bank, Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, Dominion, and Courtyard by Marriott.



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