News & Features
Virginia Economic Review
Our quarterly publication, Virginia Economic Review, provides an insider look at Virginia’s economy, its diverse array of world-class companies, its amazing talent, and its stunning natural beauty, as well as insights from national thought leaders.
Filter by:
Sauer Brands, Inc., Richmond
Sauer Sells a Virginia Tradition Overseas
From its humble 1887 beginnings selling food-flavoring extracts and spices from a pushcart on Richmond’s Broad Street, the company formerly known as The C.F. Sauer Company enters the new decade as Sauer Brands, Inc., a leading packaged-food manufacturer.
The Hershey Company, Augusta County
A Sweet Boot Camp at Hershey's
In the spring of 2018, Kristen Wilson wanted to jump back into full-time work after spending several years at home with her two children.
Unilever, Suffolk
Virginia in your Cup
A confluence of geographical, workforce, and other advantages has put Hampton Roads in a strong position in the caffeinated beverage industry.
McAfee Knob, Roanoke County
05.06.2022
Selling Scenery
When executives at Traditional Medicinals decided to build an East Coast manufacturing and processing operation, they cast a wide net.
Gatekeeper Security, Inc. used VEDP funding to exhibit at trade shows in Germany and Singapore.
Bespoke Export Support
Virginia Offers Best-in-Class Export Assistance for Companies' Complete Life Cycle Exporting can be a strong strategy for connecting companies with demand or diversifying their market bases to better weather economic conditions.
Virginia International Gateway, Portsmouth
The Port of Virginia: A Crucial Link in Vital Supply Chains
The last year has been challenging to all aspects of the logistics industry, and The Port of Virginia was not immune.
Selling Sustainability: A Conversation With Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin is the owner and operator of Polyface Farms in Augusta County, which focuses on sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture. He has authored 11 books, including “Salad Bar Beef,” “Pastured Poultry Profit$,” and “The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer.”
What's Next for the Food & Beverage Industry? A Conversation With Top Site Consultants
Food and beverage processors operate in an industry where even the most successful companies depend on low margins and economies of scale. That means even the smallest advantage can be a differentiating factor when locating a new facility.
Norfolk International Terminals, Norfolk
Completing the Chain
From the Port to Cold Storage to Packaging, Virginia's Supply Chain Helps Feed America and the World The information age has empowered consumers to demand more from their products. Deloitte’s 2019 Future of Fresh study found that two-thirds of U.S.
Deborah Pratt, of Middlesex County on the Middle Peninsula, has won the National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest 11 times.
America's Seafood Leaders
It's challenging to remember a time when Virginia — the nation’s third-largest seafood-producing state — wasn’t known for its flavorful, briny oysters and succulent clams, but the late 1990s and early 2000s were a dark era for shellfish producers.
Michael Shaps Wineworks, Albemarle County
From Grapes and Grain to Glass
Virginia's Surging Craft Beverage Industry Virginia's first brush with alcoholic beverage production came in 1620, when English settler George Thorpe distilled the first batch of corn whiskey in what would become the United States at the Jamestown settlement near Williamsburg.
04.01.2022
Beyond One-Size-Fits-All College Dreams: A Conversation With James Rosenbaum
James Rosenbaum is a professor of human development, social policy, and sociology at Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research. He specializes in research on work, education, and housing opportunities.
Making AI Serve Us All: A Conversation With Kevin Scott
Kevin Scott is chief technology officer and executive vice president, technology and research, at Microsoft, and the author of the 2020 book “Reprogramming the American Dream: From Rural America to Silicon Valley — Making AI Serve Us All,” which discusses how artificial intelligence can promote growth and benefit all of society.
04.01.2022
Behind the Love: A Conversation With Rita McClenny
Rita McClenny is president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), the agency tasked with expanding domestic and international inbound travel and motion picture production in Virginia.
The Virginia Beer Company, York County
The Virginia Beer Company Makes Export Inroads
Building a community around the love of good beer has been a central part of the philosophy behind The Virginia Beer Company, LLC (VBC) since it opened in York County near Williamsburg in 2016.
Phoenix Group, Chesapeake
04.01.2022
Business Without Borders
International trade is beneficial for American consumers and businesses alike. Benefits for consumers include lower costs and a greater variety of goods available in their local markets.
An Exporter's View of International Trade: A Conversation With John Keppler
John Keppler is chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Enviva, the world's largest producer of woody biomass and one of Virginia's largest exporters out of its private terminal in the city of Chesapeake.
The Port of Virginia is using shipping data to optimize its workflows and speed the movement of cargo from ship to destination.
04.01.2022
Virginia Sets Course for Robust Trade Growth
With Initial Funding Approved and Bold Goals on the Horizon, Virginia's International Trade Strategic Plan is Moving Forward The fundamental conditions are in place for Virginia to significantly grow its international trade. Now, the Commonwealth is setting a course to capitalize on those assets.



