South Tidewater News

Company Will Receive EDIP Grant to Support Job Creation in Virginia Beach 

The Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) has approved ThayerMahan to receive an Economic Development Investment Program (EDIP) grant for $130,000. The funds will go toward supporting job creation at ThayerMahan’s new Virginia Beach location, which will begin operations in the city and region this year.

ThayerMahan holds several patented designs that provide advanced services in autonomous maritime systems for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Groton, Connecticut, the company will open a location in Virginia Beach and utilize pier and warehouse space at Fairwinds Landing in Norfolk. This move will create 40 new high-wage jobs based in the City of Virginia Beach.

ThayerMahan provides sophisticated services for maritime, defense, and offshore renewable industries including high-resolution seabed surveys, UXO classification and removal, noise mitigation and monitoring, commercial monitoring, and marine mammal monitoring. The positions that will be hired in Virginia Beach reflect the company’s advanced technical capabilities, with focuses on electrical and mechanical engineering, computer sciences, acoustics and physics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, and research. The company will work with prominent customers such as the United States Navy and Dominion Energy.

ThayerMahan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mike Connor said, “Our mission is to develop and deliver innovative, reliable, and efficient marine systems that solve real-world problems. Our new Mid-Atlantic location improves our ability to support defense operations and creates a local base for critical offshore services that help companies like Dominion Energy focus on bringing offshore wind energy to Virginia safely and efficiently. I want to thank Chuck Rigney and the VBDA for selecting ThayerMahan for the grant and for the warm welcome to Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area.”

The local offshore wind industry is being led by Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), which will consist of 176 turbines constructed directly off Virginia Beach’s shores that will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes. This new industry is a natural fit for the Hampton Roads area due to the abundance of port infrastructure and skilled maritime workforce. Once in operation, CVOW could create 1,100 direct and indirect jobs annually in Hampton Roads and generate almost $6 million in revenues for local governments.

Virginia Beach Economic Development (VBED), alongside state and regional stakeholders, has been working diligently to help support the growth and development of the industry by attracting businesses to the local supply chain, working with existing local companies to diversify their offerings and enter the supply chain, and partnering with educational institutions to offer workforce training. Investments in the community like ThayerMahan’s will fundamentally contribute to the success of the offshore wind industry.

“Hampton Roads is a natural fit to become a hub for offshore wind development, with best-in-class port infrastructure, a centrally located and capable maritime workforce and a supportive business climate,” said Joshua Bennett, Dominion Energy vice president of offshore wind. “Adding ThayerMahan to the growing list of businesses locating to the region in support of offshore wind positions Hampton Roads as a leader in the industry.”

“Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development has been committed to the growth of the offshore wind industry, and ThayerMahan’s decision to locate to our city is a direct result of those efforts,” said Chuck Rigney, interim director for Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development. “We are eager to support their hiring process as they tap into our city’s skilled, technical workforce and we are confident their presence will contribute to the advancement of this new industry.”

Doug Smith, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance, said “As a world leader in autonomous maritime solutions, ThayerMahan is a tremendous addition to the high-tech blue economy of Hampton Roads. We welcome them to the region and look forward to helping foster their success as well as working with them as a partner to continue to grow our region’s capabilities in the maritime, offshore wind and autonomous systems sectors. We also congratulate the City of Virginia Beach on adding such a valuable company to their business community.”

“We are very happy ThayerMahan chose The Miller Group to provide a customized solution for their Mid-Atlantic location requirements. Combining our convenient office space in Virginia Beach with outstanding waterfront facilities at nearby Fairwinds Landing in Norfolk is just one example of why Hampton Roads is an excellent home for leading offshore wind and maritime companies like Thayer Mahan,” said Jerry Miller, CEO of The Miller Group.

Original source can be found here.