Suffolk Connects Farmers with City, Opportunity
By Beth Hester CoVaBIZ: What was the impetus for establishing this position in 2025? Julia Hillegass: “That’s a great question. Agriculture has always been a major part of Suffolk’s identity. What’s changed is the level of complexity farmers are dealing with today. Between development pressure, shifting markets, and generational transitions, there’s a real need for […]
Why the Cavalier Changed Hands
By Butch Maier Connecticut-based Wheelock Street Capital purchased the Cavalier Hotel and affiliated properties in Virginia Beach in a massive deal—terms undisclosed—completed June 15. Cavalier Ventures, led by Gold Key | PHR CEO Bruce Thompson, retained ownership and management of the Hunt Room restaurant and Tarnished Truth Distilling Co. in the Cavalier basement. Thompson, in […]
2026 CoVa BIZ BOB Awards Winners
10th Annual Best of Business Awards Introducing the 10th Annual BOB Awards winners, the best of the best as selected by our readers and the Coastal Virginia business community Every year, we ask CoVaBIZ readers and the Coastal Virginia business community to nominate and vote for the businesses and individuals they believe to be the […]
Transaction Action
CHESAPEAKE Sales Colliers Rampart Real Estate Partners purchased 39 acres of industrial land in Cavalier Industrial Park, located at the intersection of S. Military Highway and Cavalier Boulevard in Chesapeake. Colliers’ Chamie Burroughs and Ricky Anderson represented the buyer, Rampart Real Estate Partners, in the transaction. The Rampart Cavalier site will become a master-planned industrial […]
Destination Farming
By Eric J. Wallace / Photo above courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation Agritourism in Virginia isn’t new: Farmers have used draws such as a pick-your-own orchard, corn mazes, or plots of Christmas trees to earn extra cash for more than a half-century. But the industry has seen tremendous evolution in the past 20 or so […]
Founders Elevate Communities, Not Just Companies
By Wally Schmader Founder, The Leader Lab One of Coastal Virginia’s most important assets is almost never talked about: our wealth of successful and impactful business founders. This issue is an exception, and you’ll see many of these amazing people recognized here. In this article, I’ll share a few thoughts about the importance of business […]
2026 Small Business Of The Year
For more than 40 years, the Hampton Roads Chamber and the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads—a chamber affiliate—have celebrated the region’s small businesses with the annual Small Business of the Year Awards. Businesses were nominated by the business community, and then a business from each region area was selected by a distinct panel […]
The Aura of Farming
Coastal Virginia’s farming legacy makes for a heck of a weekend excursion By Ernie Smith / Photo above: Photo By Cecilia Bullis You probably knew about the peanuts. Maybe the cotton gins. But were you aware of the ostriches and alpacas? In Suffolk, Southampton, and Isle of Wight, agriculture rules the roost—and not just in […]
Editor’s Note: August/September 2026
Just when I thought I was out of the business of business for good, they pulled me back in to follow the money again. I have been asked and have accepted the exciting challenge to serve as editor of CoVaBIZ. I joined VistaMedia in 2025 as editor of Coastal Virginia Magazine and will continue in […]
The Mix: August/September 2026
—Compiled by Butch Maier / Photo above: courtesy of TowneBank COMMERICAL REAL ESTATE Retail Regency Hilltop Shopping Center in Virginia Beach is set to undergo a significant transformation with a comprehensive renovation program and the future opening of Ross Dress for Less, according to S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. Enhancements will include upgraded building façades, newly designed […]