VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Drone flight services company DroneUp is expanding its headquarters in Virginia Beach with a $7 million investment that will create 510 new jobs, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.
The company is also investing $20.2 million in a testing, training, and R&D center for drone operators at Richard Bland College outside of Petersburg, which is expected to add 145 new jobs for Virginians.
Along with these investments, DroneUp will set up three drone hubs at Walmart locations in Virginia sometime this year, as part of a commercial services agreement to provide drone delivery services at 34 sites, according to Youngkin's office.
DroneUp offers drone delivery services for different businesses, including retail, food and beverage and medical supplies. The company also offers flight services for commercial real estate, construction and maritime jobs.
“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,” Youngkin said in a news release.
Later Wednesday, the City of Virginia beach announced that the company will receive $800,000 as it reaches its development milestones in the city.
The money will come from The Virginia Beach Development Authority.