Photo: RockIT Repairs Stafford location ribbon cutting on January 5, 2016. (L to R) RockIT Repairs Owner/Partners Brian Calder, Jonathan Hawkins and Jim Einhorn.
RockIt Repairs Opens Stafford County Location
RockIT Repairs opened a second storefront, located at 373 Garrisonville Rd., #105 in Stafford. The first store is located at 1319 Lafayette Blvd., #300 in Fredericksburg. The veteran-owned business repairs cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers and electronics. They also offer data recovery.
Stafford Awarded Farmland Preservation Grant
Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced December 30, 2015, that Stafford County is one of six localities to receive farmland preservation grants. Stafford received $411,890 of the $2 million in grants that were issued by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Farmland Preservation. Fauquier County, Albemarle County, Virginia Beach, James City County and Clarke County also received grant money. “In addition to conserving farmlands, the grants being awarded today will help Virginia continue to produce high quality agricultural products that are marketed here and around the world,” McAuliffe said in a news release. The localities must use the grant monies to permanently preserve working farmland within their boundaries through local purchase of development rights programs.
Rosner Automotive Group’s New Structure
Rosner Automotive Group founder Ron Rosner and partner Clay Huber, his step son, restructured their business in 2015. Rosner owns The Rosner Group, which now includes Toyota of Fredericksburg, Toyota of Stafford and Rosner Motorsports, Rosner Chevrolet and Indian Motorcycles in Melbourne, Fla. Huber owns Huber Motor Cars, which includes the Rosner Collision Center, Mercedes-Benz of Fredericksburg, Volvo of Fredericksburg, Volkswagen of Fredericksburg and Mazda of Fredericksburg. Rosner Auto Group sold its Stafford County Nissan franchise and King George Ford dealership to Carl Leckner in 2015. Leckner was formerly general manager of Koons Ford Falls Church, and a manager of Sheehy Nissan of Manassas.
Spotsylvania Earmarks $3.75 Million for Former General Motors Plant
Spotsylvania’s Board of Supervisors in December 2015 earmarked $3.75 million to purchase and renovate the former General Motors (GM) Powertrain plant on Tidewater Trail. The county hopes to attract a major employer to the facility, which includes 300,000 square feet of industrial space. It’s been vacant since GM closed the facility in 2010.
European Discount Grocer Chooses Spotsylvania for Distribution Center and First U.S. Stores
German discount grocer Lidl is building its U.S. regional headquarters and distribution center and two of its first U.S. stores in Spotsylvania County. The $125 million distribution center will be located at 6100 Smith Station Road. The facility is expected to employ about 200 people. In addition, Lidl will open the company’s U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Va,. In total, Lidl is investing more than $200 million in its Virginia operations and has pledged to create 700 new jobs in the state by 2018. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved $5 million in Governor’s Opportunity Fund grants to assist Lidl with its Virginia projects. Lidl operates nearly 10,000 stores in 26 countries throughout Europe. According to Business Insider, Lidl is a cross between Walmart and Trader Joe’s. “The chain offers deep discounts on groceries, household appliances, clothes, and furniture.”
More
Celebrate Virginia Live is Now Celebrate Virginia After Hours
David P. Decatur Begins Tenure as Stafford County Sheriff
BH Media Group Purchases The Free Lance-Star
Area Business Briefs 12/23/15
Local Business Digest 12/3/15
Lidl Prepares for U.S. Expansion The Wall Street Journal
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