Business in brief

Lane Homes & Remodeling of Henrico recently received a 2018 Guildmaster Award from GuildQuality for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry. Since 2005, GuildQuality, an Atlanta-based third-party customer satisfaction software surveying company, has powered the Guildmaster Award to recognize and celebrate home building, remodeling, and contracting professionals demonstrating the highest level of customer service within the U.S. and Canada. Out of more than 600 eligible applicants, Lane Homes & Remodeling is one of 300+ businesses within the residential construction industry recognized by GuildQuality for consistently delivering superior customer care. In determining which businesses received the 2018 Guildmaster Award, GuildQuality reviewed thousands of survey responses submitted by customers of Guildmaster candidates and considered two primary metrics for each candidate: the percentage of customers stating they would recommend the business to friend and the percentage of customers who responded. Lane Homes & Remodeling achieved a recommendation rate of 100% from their customers surveyed by GuildQuality.

Family-owned Northern Tool + Equipment, a leading supplier of high-quality tools and equipment for more than 35 years, will open a new store in Glen Allen April 26. The Glen Allen location is the company’s second store in the Richmond area and seventh in Virginia. The new 18,000 square foot store is located at 9855 West Broad Street. With more than 9,000 products, the store is positioned to serve serious DIYers and professionals who rely on quality tools for serious work. Northern Tool + Equipment is the premier source for more than 600 different types of trailer parts, tires and accessories and offers a full line of gas and electric pressure washers up to 4,000 PSI for even the toughest of jobs. The product selection also includes a complete line of sprayers, wagons, fans, generators, hand, power and air tools, air compressors, and metalworking accessories. Northern Tool + Equipment recently added a construction department to all stores and created a one stop retail resource for the construction workforce. The store also offers a versatile Parts, Service and Repair department with technicians to keep professionals and serious DIYers alike working.

CBRE|Richmond announces Olio 2810, LLC leased 1,821 square feet of retail space at Premier Tech Center located at 2810 N. Parham Road in Henrico. Olio is a casual lunch bistro and caterer specializing in sandwiches, salads, and paninis. This will be Olio’s second location with other locations planned for the future. They will be the new restaurant operators for the 142,000 square foot Premier Tech Center office building. Keri Abbott, Malcolm Randolph, and John Carpin represented the landlord in this transaction.

CBRE|Richmond announces the sale of the Commonwealth Building at 7301 Forest Avenue in Richmond to a joint venture between Georgetown Partners and Red Starr Investments for $4,650,000. The seller was Glen Forest Professional Center Associates LP, an entity related to Robinson Development Group. The Commonwealth Building is a 40,303 square foot Class A medical office building with tenants including VCU Health System, Richmond Hearing Doctors, and Monument Radiology. By July 2018, the building’s projected occupancy is expected to be 42 percent leased. Will Bradley of CBRE|Richmond and Scott Adams of CBRE|Hampton Roads represented the seller in this transaction. CBRE|Richmond has been retained for property management of the property.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently announced the following lease transactions in Henrico County: Cycle Gear – leased 4,908 SF at 7801 W. Broad St.; Spa 310, Inc. – leased 3,270 SF in Post Office Square at 5600-5614 Patterson Ave.; The Andrew Agency, Inc. – leased 2,763 SF in Innsbrook Centre at 4551 Cox Rd.; and Entec Systems – renewed its lease of 2,410 SF in West Shore III at 301 Concourse Blvd.

Elizabeth M. “Beth” Smith has joined LeClairRyan as a partner on the firm’s employment and business litigation teams. She is resident in the national law firm’s Hartford office. Smith has nearly 20 years of experience in labor and employment law and commercial litigation, representing businesses of all sizes on a variety of legal issues before administrative agencies, arbitrators, and in state and federal courts. She regularly provides advice and counsel to employers in the public and private sectors on issues such as employment agreements, employee discipline and termination, layoffs, leaves of absence, and wage and hour law. She also handles discrimination claims, conducts internal investigations, and negotiates executive contracts for employers.  In her commercial litigation practice, Smith focuses on matters involving contract disputes, trade secret misappropriation, regulatory compliance, and insurance defense. Smith is member of the American Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association, where she serves on the Standing Committee on Professionalism.  She also serves on the board of Rebuilding Together Hartford, a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs and safety improvements for low income Hartford homeowners. A graduate of Mississippi State University (B.S.) and the University of Connecticut (M.B.A, J.D.), Smith is admitted in Connecticut.