Blog
Blog | 4 min read
Greater Richmond hosts Japanese business delegation of over 40 companies
September 15, 2026
Greater Richmond doesn’t just chase international investment — it builds the relationships that make it possible. For decades, the Greater Richmond Partnership has served as the region’s premier host for global delegations, guiding foreign executives from first visit to lasting investment. On Aug. 26, GRP welcomed a delegation of approximately 40+ Japanese companies to the region as part of a business mission organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). The group visited Virginia to understand the digital infrastructure market and meet the operators, utilities and government partners who build it. They were also looking for a fit for their own products and services.
Yōkoso (ようこそ) – The traditional Japanese welcome to a place or event.
It is 14 hours from Tokyo to Richmond. However, nobody makes that trip for a slide deck. They want to hear from real people if this region is a real contender for investment and cooperation. A breakfast reception was kicked off by the Deputy Secretary of Commerce Trade Kristen Dahlman. She set out what Virginia is building toward and offered remarks on the state’s economic priorities. Jason El Koubi of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Hunton’s Todd Haymore framed the day while GRP’s Jose Romano made the regional case for Greater Richmond. Gina Slaunwhite of Columbia Gas of Virginia led a discussion about practical energy delivery, which is a key concern to many of the companies investing in the US.
Then the room heard from someone who had already invested his company’s future in Greater Richmond. Takahiro Suzuki, president of “K” Line America, Inc., described what it has actually been like to operate and grow a Japanese company here. No brochure, slide deck or video can compete with hearing from a respected peer in person.
Virginia’s power story
Piggybacking on Slaunwhite’s earlier discussions, the second session was introduced by J.R. Smith of Hunton to stay laser-focused on power systems. Louise White, the Commonwealth’s deputy energy officer, outlined Virginia’s strengths while Robert H. Locke of Dominion Energy explained the grid infrastructure in place to support mission-critical systems and advanced manufacturing. Jessica Strunkin of Commonwealth Fusion Systems talked about building the next generation of power and resilience.
Talent and infrastructure
Over lunch at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Carrie H. Chenery joined the group for a tour of the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, ranked No. 1 in the nation for customized workforce training, which delivers recruiting and training at no cost to qualifying companies.
The afternoon moved to the QTS campus for a panel called Delivering Mission Critical Infrastructure: From Vision to Operations. The program was kicked off by Alison Hills, senior vice president of Economic Development at QTS, followed by a panel of speakers featuring Matthew Ondek of QTS, Christopher Edge of M.C. Dean, Andrew Hawkins of HITT Contracting and Nathan Wethington of ColonialWebb. Together they traced a sample project from site selection through design, construction, commissioning and operations, then took the group on a facility tour.
Shitsurei shimasu (失礼します) – Formal Japanese goodbye in the workplace
The day ended along the James River where executives, economic development leaders and public-sector partners gathered for a networking reception, trading business cards and ideas over heavy appetizers.
Greater Richmond has spent decades building relationships with international industry, and hosting foreign delegations in pursuit of investment is where that work shows. Long before this JETRO mission, GRP has welcomed delegations from the Czech Republic to the Netherlands, Germany to Africa — and in the near future, GRP will welcome a French delegation to the region, hot on the heels of this Japanese visit. This event’s delegation added roughly 40 more relationships to that history—the largest single Japanese group the region has ever hosted. We are grateful to JETRO for choosing this region and to every partner who opened a door, a boardroom or a campus to make the day a success.
Check out the gallery from the event.
About The Author
Christopher Hollomon is director of marketing at the Greater Richmond Partnership, leading marketing and communications initiatives focused on business recruitment to the Greater Richmond Region. He brings a diverse background in graphic design, marketing, public relations and digital media, including award-winning campaigns. He holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree from Radford University and lives in Henrico County, VA.
