DroneUp plans to invest $27.2 million to expand its headquarters in Virginia Beach and establish a testing, training, and R&D center at Richard Bland College in Dinwiddie County.
The company announced today that it will invest $7 million to expand its headquarters at 160 Newtown Road in Virginia Beach, creating 510 new jobs. The company will also invest $20.2 million to establish a new testing, training, and R&D center for drone operators at Richard Bland College, which will create 145 new jobs.
In addition to the headquarters facility and training center, DroneUp plans to establish three drone hubs at Walmart locations in the Commonwealth this year. DroneUp recently announced a multi-year commercial services agreement with Walmart to provide drone delivery services at 34 sites, providing the potential to reach 4 million U.S. households by the end of the year.
Walmart has a minority stake in DroneUp and a seat on its board and in turn, DroneUp is the exclusive provider of drone services for Walmart.
The company, founded in 2016, works with more than 20,000 drone pilots to serve its customer portfolio and is dedicated to connecting communities to drone technology globally. DroneUp develops SaaS platforms with patented mobile application technology available at the Apple App and Google Play Stores.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Virginia Beach, Dinwiddie County, Richard Bland College, and Virginia’s Gateway Region to secure the project for Virginia. Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved a $928,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist with the project. The governor also approved $4 million in funds from the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant.
The Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant was established as a self-funded program of performance-based incentives that the Commonwealth awards to exceptional economic development projects with large numbers of employees and very high wages relative to average wages for that particular area.
The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission approved a grant for $111,000 from the Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund for the project, and funding and services to support DroneUp’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
“The team at DroneUp couldn’t be happier with the support we’ve received from Gov. Youngkin’s office and the Commonwealth of Virginia as a whole over the years,” said Tom Walker, founder and CEO of DroneUp. “Virginia is our home, and we are proud to be able to continue to bring new innovation, talent, and economic opportunities to our great state. This investment and expansion will not only bring new career opportunities to our region, but also allow us to tap into the brightest minds around Unmanned Aircraft System development and design.”
“We are beyond thrilled that DroneUp has decided to make Virginia Beach its corporate headquarters and expand their operations by bringing more than 500 new jobs to our community,” said Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. “Bobby” Dyer. “Their expansion is the latest shining example in our city’s history of fostering an environment where businesses can thrive.”
“We welcome DroneUp and their training center program to Dinwiddie County,” said Harrison A. Moody, chairman, Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors. “The campus of Richard Bland College is the ideal setting for their testing, training, and R&D center, and bringing 145 high-quality jobs to the County presents a phenomenal opportunity for our citizens. DroneUp’s work complements ongoing efforts of Richard Bland College to develop a curriculum for an unmanned aviation program. Drone technology is cutting-edge, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
“Through strategic linkages with partners like DroneUp, Richard Bland College continues to assert itself as a new model for higher education in the Commonwealth,” said Richard Bland College President Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D. “RBC and DroneUp share the vision of delivering a world-class drone pilot training program to expand the UAS workforce in Virginia and across the nation. Now the vision is becoming a reality as DroneUp prepares to welcome its first class to the drone testing, training, and R&D center at Richard Bland College.”
“This exciting announcement is a testament to Virginia’s Gateway Region, a top logistics center in the Commonwealth,” said Keith Boswell, president & CEO of Virginia’s Gateway Region Economic Development Organization. “We look forward to the economic impact this project will bring to our seven communities as individuals and companies travel from near and far to hone their skills in drone technology and delivery.”
“VIPC’s relationship with DroneUp spans several years and multiple pilot programs with our Virginia Unmanned Systems Center and funding opportunities through our Commonwealth Commercialization Fund and Virginia Venture Partners,” said Robert Stolle, president and CEO of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC). “They are a shining example of Virginia’s willingness to welcome and support innovation and job creation.”
“As an emerging industry, unmanned systems has been a priority for the Hampton Roads region for several years. We are proud to have DroneUp as a cornerstone of that industry cluster,” said Doug Smith, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. “DroneUp’s investment at their Virginia Beach headquarters is a testament to their innovation and rapid success in a niche market, and their expansion into other locations in Virginia shows potential for even greater future growth. The Alliance extends its sincere congratulations to our friends at DroneUp, the City of Virginia Beach, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on this exciting win for the Commonwealth.”
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