VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach drone services company and the sole drone partner of the world’s largest retailer announced plans to expand its headquarters and create a research and training facility outside Petersburg, adding 655 new jobs.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that DroneUp, which has been working with Walmart since late 2021, announced plans to spend $27.2 million to expand in Virginia Beach and Dinwiddie County.

The company will spend $7 million expanding its Newtown Road headquarters, which it says will create 510 new jobs.

DroneUp also plans to establish a new testing, training, research and development center for drone operators at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, creating 145 more new jobs.