Insights

What we're seeing in Virginia business, manufacturing and ownership.

Virginia, we are selling our future

It is 2050. Social Security hit its 2034 funding cliff, and benefits were cut. Washington finally got serious about the debt. The cuts landed on Northern Virginia like a freight train. The region had produced 42% of the state’s economy. At one point, federal spending powered 37% of it. The 62,000-plus federal jobs the D.C. region lost in 2025 and early 2026 paled in comparison to the losses in 2035.

Capital firm CEO: The jobs make the news. A headquarters makes a town.

The company that closed the tire plant in Salem in March answers to a headquarters in Tokyo, 6,800 miles away. The company closing the cable plant in Chatham answers to a conglomerate in Connecticut. The company that cut 850 jobs in Danville answers to Ohio. The company that laid off hundreds in Dublin answers to Gothenburg, Sweden.

Harbor Acquires Frontier Securities

ROANOKE, Va., June 9, 2026 — Harbor, a Roanoke-based permanent capital firm that acquires and holds Virginia operating businesses, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Frontier Securities, a Richmond broker-dealer. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) approved the change of control, and the transaction has closed. Terms were not disclosed.

The Real Story Behind Virginia's Brain Drain

Every year, thousands of Virginia's best and brightest leave the state after graduation. Economic developers call this brain drain and throw money at programs to reverse it. Most of these efforts fail because they misdiagnose the problem.

The Infrastructure Virginia Manufacturing Needs

Infrastructure discussions typically focus on roads, bridges, and broadband. These matter, but they're not what determines whether Virginia manufacturing thrives or declines. The infrastructure gaps holding back Virginia manufacturers are more specific, and more solvable.

Why Manufacturing Still Matters in a Service Economy

As Virginia's economy has shifted toward services, healthcare, and technology, manufacturing has declined as a percentage of total employment. Some economists argue this is inevitable, even desirable. They're wrong.

Workforce Development That Actually Works

Virginia invests millions annually in workforce development programs. Yet employers still struggle to find qualified workers, and students still graduate without the skills local companies need. Something isn't working, and it's time to rethink our approach.

Generational Transitions: The Quiet Crisis in Virginia Manufacturing

Virginia's manufacturing sector faces an invisible crisis: aging ownership with no succession plan. Across the Commonwealth, business owners who built companies over decades are approaching retirement with no clear path forward, and the consequences could reshape our economy.

The Real Cost of Business Relocations: What Virginia Loses When Companies Leave

Every year, Virginia loses businesses to other states, lured by tax incentives, lower costs, or promises of greener pastures. But the true cost of these departures extends far beyond lost jobs and tax revenue.

The Multiplier Effect: Why Local Suppliers Matter

When a Virginia manufacturer sources locally, every dollar creates a ripple effect through the economy. At Harbor, we understand that supply chain decisions aren't just about cost; they're about building resilient regional economies.

Why Economic Developers Are Measuring the Wrong Things

States and economic developers have been focusing on the wrong metrics. They've been chasing numbers—headcounts, square footage, ribbon cuttings—and overlooking what truly powers sustainable local growth: leadership that stays anchored and profits that reinvest in communities.

Harbor Acquires Clarke Precision Machine, Supporting Long-Term Growth and Expanded Capabilities

Harbor announced today that it has acquired Clarke Precision Machine, a leading precision manufacturing company serving customers across a range of industrial markets in Wythe County, Virginia.

Why We're Betting on Virginia

In Virginia, business leadership looks like shop-floor foremen who train apprentices like sons. It looks like founders who know every employee by name. It looks like principals who see potential in students before they see it themselves. It looks like entrepreneurs with the vision and grit to turn big ideas into reality.