H. Garrett Hart III, a 20-year Chesterfield employee who has served as director of the county’s Economic Development Department since 2015, has announced his retirement effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Chesterfield has experienced significant economic growth during Hart’s tenure as director, attracting companies such as LEGO, Google, Niagara, and most recently, Commonwealth Fusion Systems. These projects and many others represent more than $12 billion of capital investment and 10,000 new jobs, expanding the local economy and diversifying the county’s commercial tax base.

“It has been a great honor to be part of Team Chesterfield for the past two decades, working alongside the finest group of elected and appointed officials and local government employees to serve the citizens and businesses that call Chesterfield home,” Hart said. “I’m exceedingly proud of what we’ve accomplished in taking the county to the next level as an exceptional place to live, learn, work and play.”

Hart’s fingerprints are on every major economic development success Chesterfield has achieved since he began working for the county in 2006, helping transform a suburban bedroom community into the Richmond region’s leader in job creation.

Sabra Dipping Company opened a state-of-the-art facility in Chesterfield in May 2010. It has since undergone multiple expansions, becoming the world's largest hummus-making plant.

The following year, Amazon opened its 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in the county’s Meadowville Technology Park. 

In March 2017, Niagara began production of bottled water at its 557,000-square-foot facility at Meadowville.

The LEGO Group announced plans in June 2022 to construct a 1.7 million-square-foot precision manufacturing facility at Meadowville. The project, which is under construction, represents $1 billion in capital investment and will create 1,761 jobs.

"Garrett has a rare ability to connect the right ideas with the right people,” said Carolina Giuga, senior director of Government & Public Affairs, Americas at The LEGO Group. “From day one, his leadership made our decision to invest in Virginia easy and the journey both smooth and rewarding, fitting together perfectly, like two LEGO bricks."

Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced in December 2024 its plan to build the world’s first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in Chesterfield. The project is expected to cost more than $2.5 billion.

Then last August, Google announced it is building a data center campus in Chesterfield as the anchor of a $9 billion investment to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in Virginia. The company, which is poised to become the county’s largest single taxpayer, has also acquired two other sites in Chesterfield for future data center development.

“Landing major projects like these takes months, if not years, of relationship building and diligent, determined work behind the scenes. Through their tireless efforts, Garrett and his team have put Chesterfield on the map nationally and internationally as a business-friendly destination,” said Dr. Mark Miller, chair of the Board of Supervisors (Midlothian District). “On behalf of the entire board, I offer sincere thanks for a job well done and wishes for a long, fulfilling retirement.” 

Under Hart’s leadership of Chesterfield Economic Development, businesses large and small have flourished across the county. From July 2015 to July 2025, the number of businesses operating in Chesterfield increased by 21.7%, the number of jobs increased by 11.9% and average weekly wage increased by 44.4%.

Over the same 10-year period, Chesterfield’s unemployment rate fell by nearly a full point.      

“In economic development, I imagine it can be easy to focus your energy and efforts on attracting new business and to overlook the existing businesses in the region. We have never felt that way in Chesterfield,” said Matt Holland, executive vice president of Super Radiator Coils, which operates two manufacturing facilities in the county. “We have felt support, flexibility and responsiveness from Chesterfield County in planning, permitting and workforce development. That has been especially true in the last 10 years while Garrett Hart has served as director. In that time, we have grown from less than 200 employees to approaching 600 full-time team members today. As our business grows, we have choices of where to invest and we continue to invest in Chesterfield.”

Chesterfield is well positioned to continue attracting new investment with its acquisition of the Upper Magnolia Green and Spring Rock Green properties.

About 1,700 acres on the western side of the Upper Magnolia Green site has been rezoned for development as a technology village. It is the most progressed economic development site in Virginia that has more than 1,000 acres of contiguous developable land and is located in a metro area of more than 1 million people. 

The underutilized former Spring Rock Green shopping center is being redeveloped and rebranded as Springline at District 60, with zoning for 1,200 residential units, 300,000 square feet of office space, 120,000 square feet of retail and two hotels. The first office and mixed-use buildings are now open, while Shamin Hotels is under construction with a $160 million upscale hotel and conference center known as Hilton Richmond The Mondelle. 

Hart also negotiated Chesterfield’s purchase of River City Sportsplex, which benefits both the county and region by attracting thousands of visitors annually for sports tournaments. 

“Having worked closely with Garrett for the past decade, I know how deeply he cares about leaving Chesterfield better than he found it,” said Dr. Joe Casey, county administrator. “As he heads into a well-deserved retirement, the positive ripple effects from his service will continue to benefit our residents and business community for generations.”  

A Virginia Tech graduate, Hart is a founding member, current president and past board member of the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), as well as past chairman, board member and honorary life member of the Southern Economic Development Council. He received the designation of Certified Economic and Community Developer from the International Economic Development Council.

Hart, a 2026 Virginia Business C-Suite Awards honoree, has been listed in the Virginia Business 500 Power List every year since its inception. He also received VEDA’s Cardinal Award, the association’s most prestigious honor recognizing leadership in economic development, outstanding professional accomplishments and exceptional service, in 2024.

“Garrett Hart is one of the most distinguished and impactful economic developer leaders, not just in Virginia but across the entire country. He embodies the best in a true team sport, and his partnership has been a significant factor in Virginia’s economic development success,” said Jason El Koubi, president and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. "Garrett has a gift for building strong relationships, and he has been exceptionally generous with his time, insight, and mentorship in giving back to this profession. We are all better because of his leadership and service, and I join many others in celebrating Garrett’s contributions and impact on this milestone announcement.”

A nationwide recruitment will be conducted to identify Hart’s successor.