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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

France-Based CMA CGM Group Expands Norfolk, Virginia, Operations

02/05/2021
CMA CGM Group, a France-based world leader in shipping and logistics, will expand operations and retain its North American headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. The company is expected to create more than 400 new jobs in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.

CMA CGM will invest a projected $36 million to expand customer care and finance operations in Hampton Roads and establish ZEBOX in Arlington County, a start-up incubator and accelerator initiated by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group.

“The CMA CGM Group is pleased to choose the Commonwealth of Virginia to expand our operations and create 400 jobs,” said Ed Aldridge, President of CMA CGM and APL in North America. “Committed to the U.S. economy, we have a long history in Virginia that began in 2002 when we opened our first office in Virginia Beach. We later increased our presence and moved into our Norfolk headquarters in 2005. We are very pleased to expand our roots again and continue working with the Port of Virginia. Together we provide great maritime services to customers both in Virginia and around the world in addition to offering reliable inland transport to America’s heartland utilizing the port’s excellent rail network.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with the City of Norfolk, Hampton Roads Alliance, Port of Virginia, and the General Assembly’s Major Employment and Investment (MEI) Project Approval Commission to secure the project for Virginia. CMA CGM Group will be eligible to receive an MEI custom performance grant of $9.5 million, subject to approval by the General Assembly. The company is also eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program.

“CMA CGM has thrived in Virginia for nearly two decades, and we are proud that this global leader will expand its operations in the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “The retention of over 600 jobs and creation of more than 400 additional jobs is critical during these challenging times. We look forward to many more years of partnership with CMA CGM, and congratulate the company on its continued success.”

As the nation’s top ocean-freight carrier, CMA CGM Group is headquartered in Marseilles, France and serves 19 ports in the United States, including The Port of Virginia, with 34 services and 93 weekly port calls. The company’s 538 vessels serve more than 420 ports globally and carried nearly 22 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2019.

“We are thrilled a global leader like CMA CGM will deepen its roots here in Hampton Roads,” said Doug Smith, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. “This is a tremendous validation of the strength of the workforce in our region and the value of the Port of Virginia. We are grateful to the regional collaboration and state support that paved the way for this announcement.”

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