DroneUp invest $27.2M to create 655 new jobs in Virginia

On Wednesday, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that DroneUp, LLC, a drone services provider, will invest a total of $27.2 million in expanding its headquarters in the City of Virginia Beach and establishing a testing, training, and research and development center at Richard Bland College in Dinwiddie County.

The projects, which together will result in the creation of 655 new jobs, were awarded to Virginia after the state successfully competed against Arizona, New York, North Carolina, and Texas for them.

As a result of DroneUp‘s decision to spend $7 million on expanding its offices at 160 Newtown Road in Virginia Beach, 510 new jobs will be created.

Additionally, the business plans to spend $20.2 million on establishing new testing, training, and research and development facility for drone operators at Richard Bland College. This will result in the creation of 145 new jobs, according to the Washington Post.

In addition to the building that will serve as the company’s headquarters and the training center, DroneUp intends to set up three drone hubs at Walmart sites around the Commonwealth this year.

DroneUp expands partnership with Walmart

Recent news from DroneUp revealed that the company had signed a multi-year commercial services agreement with Walmart, Inc. to provide drone delivery services at 34 locations.

“This is an impressive and highly impactful project for Virginia Beach, Dinwiddie County, and beyond that represents a new age of technology for our society, and DroneUp is at the forefront of Unmanned Aircraft System development,” said Youngkin. “This homegrown Virginia company is transforming product delivery through its partnership with Walmart, and we are proud to partner with DroneUp as it extends its footprint across the Commonwealth and creates more than 650 cutting-edge jobs. The Commonwealth successfully competed against multiple states for this expansion project a d I’m so proud of the multi-pronged effort to attract this investment to Virginia.”

If all goes according to plan, DroneUp will have the ability to reach 4 million households in the United States by the end of this year. DroneUp is the only company that can provide Walmart with drone services, and in exchange, Walmart has a minority ownership in DroneUp and a seat on the company’s board of directors.

“The team at DroneUp couldn’t be happier with the support we’ve received from Governor 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 t p into the brightest minds around Unmanned Aircraft System development and design.”

Tom Walker is the founder of DroneUp, which began operations in 2016 and is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The firm serves its client portfolio by collaborating with more than 20,000 pilots who fly drones and is committed to connecting communities worldwide with Drone Technology.