NORFOLK, Va. - A ship repair company called Advanced Integrated Technologies (AIT) is investing $500,000 to expand its headquarters and create 76 new jobs, the company and Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.
The company chose to expand in Norfolk over their offices in Pennsylvania and California. "We wanted to make sure what we're bringing to our warfighters is right here at our headquarters," said Carl Spraberry, who owns the business with his wife Cheryl.
Gov. Youngkin and other elected came to the business on Friday afternoon for the announcement. "The work that goes on in this great facility represents the excellence and the quality that we need to have the best Navy in the world," Youngkin said.
The company currently employs 120 people in Norfolk, but is now aiming to hire dozens more, but it's not easy for employers across any industry to be at full staff.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council has estimated there are 10,000 jobsin the maritime industry in Hampton Roads right now.
"We're growing and adding and a lot of people are saying, 'How are you going to fill those jobs?' We're going to have to do something different we've never done before," said Cheryl Spraberry.
Gov. Youngkin says the state is stepping in to help by combining a dozen workforce programs into one agency to streamline the process of getting people into the workforce.
He's also hopeful his proposed lab schools will help. These are partnerships with institutions of higher learning to offer alternatives to students in public schools.
One of the schools would create a program in Newport News where students could get maritime industry training in high school.
"There's a big challenge in that we've got a shortage of folks and we're going to work seriously focused on this," said Youngkin. "I'm excited about the training programs that exist and I'm excited about a lab school that we are hopeful we are going to be able to launch.
The Spraberrys are hopeful they'll get it done. "We have to be creative and smart and go find these people and that's exactly what we're going to do," said Cheryl.
"Challenge accepted. 76-plus, we're going to do it," said Carl.
