RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Virginia-based Owens & Minor, a global healthcare services company, will make a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment to establish a new Client Engagement Center (CEC) in downtown Richmond. Owens & Minor’s CEC will occupy approximately 90,000 square feet at Riverfront Plaza. The City of Richmond successfully competed against 60 other cities around the nation to win the project. The state of the art CEC facility will house approximately 500 teammates, including the addition of 300 newly created positions.
“This announcement is an outstanding example of our continuing work building a new Virginia economy,” said Governor McAuliffe, speaking at the event. “Stimulating growth in economic sectors that are not as reliant on federal spending helps diversify our economy and offset the impacts of defense cuts and sequestration. I thank Owens & Minor for its continued presence in Hanover County and the Williamsburg area, and congratulate the company on its decision to grow here in Richmond.”
“Owens & Minor has been a leader in the healthcare sector for more than a century, and is an exemplary Virginia success story,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “The Commonwealth’s healthcare industry employs nearly 400,000 people, and the company is a valued employer that contributes to that growing number. The success of global businesses like Owens & Minor is the strongest testament to what can be achieved in Virginia, and we look forward to further strengthening our partnership.”
Owens & Minor has evolved into a global healthcare services company serving the needs of healthcare providers and healthcare product manufacturers across the United States and Europe with strategically placed networks of distribution and logistics centers. The CEC, designed to be an innovative place to work, will enable Owens & Minor to enhance and standardize the customer experience. With more than 8,000 teammates located across the U.S., Europe, and in Asia, Owens & Minor has a well-defined culture and a reputation for commitment to its customers, communities, and teammates. The company was founded in 1882 in Richmond and has been headquartered in the area ever since. The great-grandson of the company’s founder, G. Gilmer Minor, III, resides in Richmond and is Chairman Emeritus of the company.
“Virginia has been the home of Owens & Minor for 135 years, and we are very pleased to expand our presence in Richmond with this new initiative. This project will support our plan to build the most efficient and intelligent route to market for healthcare products and supplies,” said Cody Phipps, President & Chief Executive Officer of Owens & Minor. “The downtown Client Engagement Center will support standardization and enhanced service to our nationwide customers, who are asking for our assistance in adapting to a changing healthcare market. The CEC will provide a scalable platform for future growth, as well as higher levels of service to our customers. We thank the City of Richmond and the Commonwealth for their help in bringing this initiative to life.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Richmond and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for the Commonwealth. Governor McAuliffe approved a $1.5 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist the City with the project. The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
“I am so pleased that Owens & Minor has chosen the City of Richmond as the location for its Client Engagement Center,” said Mayor Levar M. Stoney. “Their decision is a testimony to their confidence in the quality of our local workforce and commitment to the region. We welcome this industry leader to the city with open arms and look forward to the vitality they will bring to the downtown community. The City’s Office of Community Wealth Building and Workforce Development will be working closely with Owens & Minor to develop training programs for the new jobs created by the company.”
“The selection of Richmond as the home of Owens & Minor’s state-of-the-art CEC facility is a major victory that will generate significant economic activity for our city and our Commonwealth,” said Senator Jennifer McClellan.
“Owens & Minor has been a great corporate citizen of Virginia for many years,” said Delegate Jeff M. Bourne. “I’m happy to see the company continue its commitment to the Capitol region and to the new Virginia economy by bringing 300 new jobs to downtown Richmond.”
About Owens & Minor
Owens & Minor (NYSE:OMI) is a global healthcare services company dedicated to Connecting the World of Medical Products to the Point of CareSM by providing vital supply chain services to healthcare providers and manufacturers of healthcare products. Owens & Minor provides logistics services across the spectrum of medical products from disposable medical supplies to devices and implants. With logistics platforms strategically located in the United States and Europe, Owens & Minor serves markets where three quarters of global healthcare spending occurs. Owens & Minor’s customers span the healthcare market from independent hospitals to large integrated healthcare networks, as well as group purchasing organizations, healthcare products manufacturers, and the federal government. A FORTUNE 500 company, Owens & Minor is headquartered in Hanover County, Virginia and has annualized revenues exceeding $9 billion. For more information about Owens & Minor, visit owens-minor.com, follow @Owens_Minor on Twitter, and connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/owens-&-minor.
