Richmond: Economy/Business/Real Estate

[Cadeho]

Well... maybe he'd want to jetski down the James to downtown!

[wrldcoupe4]

If I'm not mistaken, I think Richmond has more Fortune 500 HQ's (9) per million people than any other metro in the country....

[wrldcoupe4]

Some updates from the world of Richmond Business!

-------m

[wrldcoupe4]

Also worth noting, Richmond-based Hilb Rogal & Hobbs, the eighth largest insurance brokerage firm in the United States (10th largest in the world), has recently acquired Zutz Associates, Inc., Delaware's largest independently-owned insurance agency. They also recently acquired the Welch Company, an employee benefits firm in Houston, Texas.

[burt]

The Martin Agency has pulled off another coup, Coupe! They've just landed Discover Card which could be as much as an $80 Million account.

The Shockoe Slip shop beat out three agencies. Most recently Discover Card has been with Goodby, Silverstein Partners in San Francisco.

[wrldcoupe4]

It's great for them! And that $80 million is annually...

Edited April 20, 2006 by wrldcoupe4

[wrldcoupe4]

And another big one for Richmond-based Martin Advertising Agency!!!!

Martin Agency lands BFGoodrich account

This comes just days after the $80 million Discover Card account!

great story...

....Friday morning, the team got word that executives from the big company, based in Greenville, S.C., needed them for a conference call at 11 a.m. Martin knew it was one of three finalists for the account.....The call came. Then pandemonium.

"They're in the lobby!" said Kristen Cavallo, a senior vice president at Martin and director of business development.

Actually, the Goodrich marketing team was on the front stoop of the Shockoe Slip agency, champagne bottles in hand. They even brought along a couple of Formula D racing cars, fitted with BFGoodrich high-performance tires......

Martin also handles accounts such as NASCAR and UPS.

Martin Agency's PR firm also snagged a big one too! It's newest client is Fortune 500 company and newly headquartered in Richmond Meadwestvaco.

[urbanvb]

This article is really about Hampton Roads per capita income but it does mention Richmond at the end.

Two other metro areas in Virginia - Richmond and Roanoke - also moved up in the latest ranking of areas by per-capita income.Richmond, with per-capita income of $35,422, climbed to 44th place from 60th in 2003. Roanoke - at $31,599 - advanced to 116th from 126th.

story

[eandslee]

I thought this would be the best place to put this - I've posted a link that talks about some of the latest business and develop news for Richmond from the Virginia Business web site. Some of these have been mentioned before by Coupe (because he's cool like that and on top of things), but just thought I'd post it anyway. Check it out:

Richmond's business and development growth

[wrldcoupe4]

great! thanks for the link...

[wrldcoupe4]

City on list of 'smartest' places, among other rankings...

In its June issue, Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranks Richmond as the 26th "smartest place to live" in the United States.

Virginia Beach also made the list at No. 38 and Charlottesville ranked 39th.

Also...

Last week, Inc. magazine named Richmond as the 14th best place to do business in America, while Forbes magazine ranked Richmond as the 41st best place to do business.

CNN Money also named greater Richmond as one of this year's seven best summertime trips.

[TBurban]

26th sumartest! Thhat iz inmpresiv!

Edited May 9, 2006 by TBurban

[Culpeper Hokie]

City on list of 'smartest' places, among other rankings

Oh, but this can't possibly be true! According to some, here, Richmond is the most backward, unprogressive, lacking culture, crime ridden, unworthy place on the planet. There must be some mistake.

My favorite quote: "Quality health care and a low crime rate also were among the top requirements." These people are smart enough to know that Richmond's crime statistics are skewed due to the archaic Virginia practice of separating cities from the counties within which they geographically lie. But I'm sure all of this won't sway the naysayers ------->

[wrldcoupe4]

I thought it was pretty cool that we were listed as one of the 7 best summer vacations...

[burt]

Just finished scanning this topic since I began my "sabbatical" on April 25th. Very impressed! Especially, Martin snagging BFGoodrich account; High rankings from certain magazines; the Richmond Metro ranking 44th in per-capita income, and lots of other tidbits.

NOW. Any news about where Mead/Westvaco plans to locate? Will it be close to their "temporary" location near Innsbrook? Watkins Center? Downtown?

What's happening in the way of retail/restaurant/commercial activity at ROTJ?

Any clues about what is planned at Fed/Reserve/Ethyl lot at 5th/7th and Canal?

And what is our friend Jamal up to? Has he found a tenant for CNB?

Edited May 29, 2006 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

I'll try to help answer these tomorrow burt

[wrldcoupe4]

NewMarket Corp. -- The New Ethyl

Nice profile of a major local company... Business is strong at Richmond-based NewMarket, and acquisitions should be in the near future

[burt]

NewMarket Corp. -- The New Ethyl

Nice profile of a major local company... Business is strong at Richmond-based NewMarket, and acquisitions should be in the near future

I just scanned the story in the TD, but did not see any mention of all the property New Market (Ethyl) owns adjacent to its Colonial Headquarters.

Any news on what, if any, future for that huge space between New Market and The Fed Reserve? What are they calling that tract - Founders something or other?

[wrldcoupe4]

I don't think we'll here any concrete info until work is underway on the new parking deck.

[burt]

I don't think we'll here any concrete info until work is underway on the new parking deck.

Damn, I hope they redesign that ugly parking structure - or at the very least, ditch those prison cupolas!

[Shakman]

Damn, I hope they redesign that ugly parking structure - or at the very least, ditch those prison cupolas!

I would rather have prison cupolas then another box. Work is suppose to begin this September on the Prison... I mean parking garage.

[wrldcoupe4]

Employment in Region is stable

The third-quarter outlook for the local job market has improved from earlier this year and from the same time in 2005, said Manpower Inc., a staffing firm with offices in Virginia.

Manpower's survey of local employers indicated that 63 percent expect to maintain their current staffing.

About 37 percent said they plan to hire additional employees....

A year ago, about 10 percent of employers said they expected to cut back on employment. It fell to 3 percent in the second quarter of 2006 and none in the third-quarter outlook.

Good news! No local companies surveyed plan any job cuts in our region for Q3

[burt]

Now that Richmond Renaissance and other groups have consolidated, I note that Tim Davey has been named to serve on the board. I believe he is otherwise known as t-bird.

He campaigned relentlessly for a Shockoe Bottom ball park which I also wholeheartedly supported. I wish he would return the favor and stop venting his fury at the Carpenter Center revival. He's got to realize the potential of a first-class performing arts center in the heart of the city.

Edited June 21, 2006 by burt

[burt]

Every now and then I visit the Charlotte page to learn of the newest "skyscraper of the week" news.

The possibility that Wachovia may move all its operations to Charlotte has been discussed and dismised here in past months. But Wachovia's plans for a monster tower down there worry me. Will they pull the plug on Richmond operations?

[TBurban]

I saw men yesterday, surveying around the James Center. When I passed by once, they were in a surface parking lot on front of the James Center. The second time I passed by, they were in the Plaza of the James Center.