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Expansions signal a new era of manufacturing in Greater Richmond
October 22, 2025
In recent years, the Greater Richmond region has been having its own industrial Renaissance. The region has seen a growing number of data centers and production facilities across its localities. This growth is driven by its strong business climate, affordability and strategic location as a central hub within the mid-Atlantic.
With the continuation of a strong manufacturing industry and a push for domestic supply chain production by government initiatives, this industry is leveraging more robotics usage than before.
ABB, Inc., recently announced it will invest $28.5 million to expand its operations in Henrico, which a part of $110 million investment across multiple U.S. sites. The power generation corporation is expanding its footprint in advanced electrification and automation technologies.
Also working within the power is Lutron Electronics. The Pennsylvania-based global leader in lighting control, automated shading solutions and intelligent fixtures, invested $28.3 million to build a manufacturing facility in Hanover County.
In the refrigeration space, the Dover Food Retail family of companies will invest over $20 million to expand its local HillPhoenix operations by relocating a manufacturing brand from California. The investment is projected to create more than 300 new jobs at its Chesterfield County campus, reinforcing Greater Richmond as a hub for advanced manufacturing.
Across the state, Virginia has experienced a boon in advanced pharma manufacturing with Haleon kicking off 2025 with a $54.2 million expansion in the City of Richmond. The maker of Advil added and upgraded its R&D operations with plans to modernize capabilities which will enable the company to accommodate innovative technologies and expand its research capabilities.
Haleon is also looking at the long-term. In addition to the physical investments, Haleon and the Commonwealth of Virginia are launching a five-year internship program for Advanced Life Sciences in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University.
The strategic expansions of existing businesses here in the Greater Richmond area mark a pivotal shift toward smart manufacturing, where advanced technologies like AI, robotics and digital twinning redefine industrial capabilities. Undoubtably, the region is emerging as a hub where smart manufacturing meets real-world application, setting a precedent for future-ready industries across the U.S.
