June 1, 2005.
Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy
Click here for a free subscription To update subscriber information click here.		In This Issue... Expansions, Relocations & Launches, Who's Hot, Who's Not, Who's Winning Business, Deal Makers, Innovations, R&D / Intellectual Property, People, Trends, Other News, Commentary, Employment, Events, Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter.
Back To Top	Expansions, Relocations & Launches
Sponsors: Legal Services Investment banking Email Marketing Experts Partners: B2B Marketing Research Virginia Technology Conference Partners: The Boomer Project		Bank of Hampton Roads Moves H.Q. to Norfolk CHESAPEAKE-The Bank of Hampton Roads plans to move its headquarters to Norfolk, staking out 24,000 square feet in the prestigious Dominion Tower. This will be the bank's seventeenth location. Said CEO Jack W. Gibson: "In order for Bank of Hampton Roads to take full advantage of the economic growth and expansion prevalent in the region, it is important that we increase our presence in the downtown Norfolk market. We're a regional bank that provides community banking services to all of the cities in Hampton Roads." More. In Brief... FAIRFAX---PlanView, an Austin, Texas, provider of comprehensive IT portfolio management solutions, will open a new office in Fairfax as its "next step" in expanding business with the federal government sector. More. CHANTILLY-Communications Technology, Inc. (COMTek), a provider of broadband network service, will expand its service to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands by the end of July 2005. More. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort: The ULTIMATE VIP Conference Package Golf on our PGA-rated Mystic Rock. Indulge in relaxing treatments at our world-class Woodlands Spa. Or strengthen your organization with our team-building activities… Just three hours from the Virginia/DC area. Luxury Overnight Accommodations VIP welcome amenity One Hour VIP Open Bar Welcome reception Catered Breakfast, Break Service, & Lunch day after arrival through day of departure Catered Private Dinner night of arrival through night before departure General Session Meeting room and A/V Package Choice of: Round of golf on The Links Course, 100 sporting clays, 2-hour Off Road Driving Academy, or 50-minute Swedish or Aromatherapy Massage Complimentary use of health club facilities Complimentary credit card, local, and 800 # access fees 10% discount off all retail purchases All Gratuities $579 + tax per night, Sunday-Thursday, June 2005, Sept 2005-May 2006 For details, contact us at (742) 329-6154 or visit our website www.nemacolin.com
Back To Top	Who's Hot...
National Association of Women Business Owners Virginia FREE Searchable Business Database Virginia Technology Alliance Need a Versatile Marketing Piece? Check out our sponsored profiles. We will develop a compelling storyline about your business. Find out more.		Rivermine Secures $10 Million in Expansion Capital FAIRFAX--Rivermine Software, a business applications provider for enterprise telecommunications management, has closed on a $10 million round of funding. Proceeds will be used to accelerate and expand Rivermine's product offerings as well as its sales and marketing efforts. Said CEO Mark Logan: "As Rivermine continues to win deals from the largest and most highly networked corporations in the world, the value of the company continues to increase and this financing reflects that growth." According to Gartner research, the exploding TEM market, which encompasses software and services to acquire, provision, and support corporate telecommunications, is predicted to reach $1.2 billion in 2008. Rivermine Software's solution provides an intuitive and unified way to manage nearly all aspects of telecommunications management. More. CIT Seeds 4FrontSecurity with $100,000 HERNDON-The Center for Innovative Technology's Growth Acceleration Program fund has invested $100,000 in Reston-based 4FrontSecurity, Inc., a developer of software that automates business practices in regulatory and best-practice compliance. Said CIT President Peter Jobse: "The investment by CIT's CAP fund serves as a great steppingstone for 4FrontSecurity to attract targeted angel and venture capital investors. As security for enterprises continues to play an important role in business, 4FrontSecurity is positioned to become a leader in helping companies develop the best possible defense from outside risks." More. In Brief... MCLEAN--Capital Automotive REIT, the nation's leading specialty finance company for automotive retail real estate, will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the public offering of two million shares of common stock to the public. More. RESTON--SpaceVest, a venture capital firm backing high-tech companies, has cashed out of Analytical Graphics, Inc., an Exton, Pa-based developer of software land, sea, air, and space analysis, for 10 times its original $2.5 million equity funding in 1995. More.
Back To Top	Who's Not...
Got News? Submit press releases in electronic format to VA Newswire. View our press release guidelines.		Ouch! GTSI Flubs ERP Conversion CHANTILLY--GTSI Corp., a leading government technology solutions provider, has temporarily suspended monthly release of sales, backlog and bookings data due to reporting and operational difficulties associated with the transition to the new enterprise resource planning system. Publication of the data will resume when the company is sufficiently comfortable with its validity. Said CEO Dendy Young: "We believe the new ERP is an essential step in the path to doubling our revenues, increasing margin, and increasing productivity. …While ERP transitions are frequently painful for an organization, we are making progress: … We are aggressively tackling software bugs and we are working to regain our previous level of productivity." More. Yikes! Feds Investigate Orbital Facilities DULLES--Orbital Sciences Corporation, a developer of satellites and launch vehicles, has revealed that U.S. government agents executed search warrants at its facilities in Dulles, Va., and Chandler, Ariz. The company believes that the investigation is focused on contracting procedures on certain U.S. government launch vehicle programs. NOLINK!!!!!!!!! Egads! Foreign Customer Cancels Additives Purchase RICHMOND--NewMarket Corporation, a developer of chemical additives for petroleum products, said it would be impacted by a cancellation of purchase orders by "a major customer" of tetraethyl lead gasoline additives sold by Octel Corp. Newmarket receives 32 percent of the net proceeds from Octel's sale of TEL, a highly toxic chemical being phased out of use around the world, outside North America. Stated Newmarket: "At this time we are unable to predict the impact of these events on the net proceeds we receive under the marketing agreements. More.
Back To Top	Who's Winning Business...
		Afton Wins Contract to Build Texas Chemical Plant RICHMOND-Afton Chemical, a manufacturer of petroleum additives, has agreed to help Irvine, Calif.-based ORYXE Energy International construct a manufacturing facility in Pasadena, Texas, to produce ORYXE's OR-LED additive. Besides assisting in the design and construction of the new facility, Afton will blend the OR-LED additive for distribution to customers in 110 counties across Texas. Afton also will supply its integrated inventory management and distribution system called "X-CHANGE" to supply customers. Said ORYXE CEO Walter Schindler: "Afton Chemical [is] a world-recognized specialty chemical manufacturing company with an award-winning safety and environmental track record." More. FCBS Nails Down Air Force Maintenance Contract FAIRFAX-FC Business Systems, along with subcontractor, Principal Technologies, has won a $4 million contract to support the U.S. Air Force Aircraft Structural Integrity program, which receives aircraft flight and stress for each mission, edits the information for accuracy and completeness, and then produces engineering reports for use by Air Force engineers. The office supports 13 Air Force aircraft weapon systems. More. Raytheon Nabs Intelligence System Contract from Bay State Cops FALLS CHURCH--Raytheon Company, in partnership with Knowledge Computing Corporation, of Tucson, Ariz., has won a $2.2 million contract to provide the intelligence management system for the Massachusetts State Police criminal information section and anti-terrorism unit, also known as the Commonwealth Fusion Center. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Va. More. In Brief... ARLINGTON-Group Logic, a developer of workflow solutions, has sold its ExtremeZ-IP solution to enVision, a Danish advertising agency, to optimize workflow processes between Macintosh and Windows platforms. More.
Back To Top	Deal Makers
		LanpherWilson Acquires Computer Forensic Group RESTON--LanpherWilson Corporation, an IT consulting firm, has acquired Computer Forensic Group, Inc., of Germantown, Md., to form a new company called Turiss. The new company will specialize in digital investigations and information protection, with target markets in the corporate, legal and government arenas. Said Turiss co-founder Trevor Reschke, a former counterintelligence special agent: "We assembled the most capable team of computer security, computer crime, and cyber-terrorism experts to meet the increasing demands for professional digital investigations services." Turiss is providing litigation support services to several large law firms. Said Simon Mantel, a Turiss co-founder and computer crime detective: "Our clients entrust Turiss with volumes of sensitive client data. They depend upon our consulting team to determine who, what, when, where and how computers are used to perpetrate everything from corporate fraud to theft of intellectual property." More. James River Coal Acquires Triad Mining RICHMOND--James River Coal Company, a producer of steam- and industrial-grade coal, has completed the acquisition of Triad Mining, Inc., for $75 million, consisting of $64 million in cash and $11 million in shares of common stock. Triad owns and operates six surface mines and one underground mine in Southern Indiana. More. XcelPlus Forms Thailand Joint Venture SALUDA--XcelPlus International Inc., a developer of engine lubricants, will launch Xcelplus Asia Pacific, a joint operation in Bangkok, Thailand, to build a bottling plant and a blending plant. XcelPlus' partner is the Thailand-Singapore group, which currently distributes XcelPlus' products in Southeast Asia. Xcelplus International will own approximately 49 percent ownership of the new operations, the Thai-Singapore group approximately 30 percent, with the balance going to other investors. More.
Back To Top	Innovations
		E.T. Won't Be the Only Alien Calling Home MCLEAN--Lingo, an Internet phone service provider, has become the first VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) provider to offer unlimited phone calling to Mexico. The new Lingo "Unlimited Mexico" plan provides an estimated 20 million members of the U.S. Mexican community to call Mexico as often as they like for $29.95 per month. With the VoIP calling plan, along with recently introduced "local" phone numbers in top Mexican markets, Lingo claims to offer more options for calling to and from Mexico than any major broadband Internet phone service available today. More. Data Systems Releases Safety Management Software RESTON--Data Systems & Solutions, LLC, has released a web-based version of its Knowledge Management System, KMS.net, that helps companies manage environmental, health and safety data in compliance with federal safety and environmental rules. This new service automates audits, risk assessments, corrective and preventive action tracking, change management and incident investigation. More. Velocity PCs to Deploy new Athlon Processor RICHMOND--Velocity Micro, a manufacturer of high-performance PCs, will be one of the first PC companies in the world to ship computers based on the new Athlon 64 X2 processor. By handling two separate streams of data, the microchip will appeal to PC enthusiasts who max out their current processing abilities with multitasking and digital media work. Digital media will offer the chip in three products: one for the home office, one for professional work stations, and one for digital media enthusiasts. More. Upstate Introduces Red-Shifted Assay CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Upstate Group, a subsidiary of Serologicals Corporation, has introduced a new red-shifted assay to its fluorescence polarization products platform. The new emissions spectra reduces compound interference issues that tend to occur in the bluer end of the spectrum. Upstate is a leading research discovery provider of the highest quality cell signaling products and services to scientists in the life science market. More.
Back To Top	R&D / Intellectual Property
		Hokie Research Grants Surge 34.5 Percent BLACKSBURG-Virginia Tech has racked up $150.7 million in research awards during the first nine months of the 2005 fiscal year, an increase of 34.5 percent over the same period a year ago. Said Brad Fenwick, vice president for research: "These are largely multi-year awards. It means there is at least $150 million in the pipeline, probably over the next three years… Faculty members' research activity and success in attracting funding during fiscal year 2005 certainly makes up for the slump the university experienced in 2004." The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute led the way, receiving $16.8 million. More.
Back To Top	People
		Dubow Named CEO of Gannett MCLEAN--Gannett Co., Inc., a national chain of newspaper and television properties, has elected Craig A. Dubow CEO, effective July 15. Said Chairman Douglas H. McCorkindale, who will step down as CEO but remain chairman until 2006: "Craig has all the skills a 21st Century media CEO should have, from highly successful management experience and broad-based knowledge of the digital world to the vision and energy of a top-notch leader." More. It Takes Two to Fill Matt Thompson's Shoes RICHMOND-Horace Whitworth and Larry Gibson have been named managing directors of Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley investment advisors, sharing CEO responsibilities and succeeding founder Matt Thompson, effective July 1. Whitworth, a portfolio manager and senior research analyst, will oversee the firm's investment and administrative functions; Gibson will lead client service, marketing and strategic planning. Thompson, who founded the firm in 1969, will become chairman. The firm, which pursues a value-oriented investment philosophy, managed $5.4 billion as of March 31, 2005. More.
Back To Top	Trends
Chmura Economics & Analytics		Annual average wages in Charlottesville are lower than the state average but have grown at a pace similar to the state over recent years. For the year ending with the third quarter 2004, annual average wages per worker were $35,278 in Charlottesville compared to $39,860 in Virginia overall. Over the same period, annual average wages in Charlottesville increased 4.4 percent compared to a 4.5 percent growth rate for the state. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. Face It... We're Addicted DULLES-In a survey asking Americans about their e-mail habits, America Online found that e-mail users average an hour a day with their e-mail, checking it morning noon and night. Forty-one percent said they checked e-mail first thing in the morning, 14 percent when they get home from work, 18 percent right after dinner, and 14 percent right before they go to bed. Forty percent have checked their e-mail in the middle of the night. Nowhere, it appears, is sacrosanct from the e-mail intrusion. Locations include: In bed, in pajamas (23%) In class (12%) In a business meeting (8%) At a Wi-Fi hotspot, like Starbuck's or McDonald's (6%) At the beach or pool (6%) In the bathroom (4%) While driving (4%) In church (1%) More. Federal IT Contracts Take Nose Dive in 2Q FY05 RESTON-First the bad news: Federal government agencies awarded only $11 billion in IT-related prime contracts during the 2Q of fiscal year 2005, a decrease of 40 percent from the previous quarter, according to a report released today by INPUT, a provider of government market intelligence. Now the good news: INPUT anticipates contract awards to nearly double next quarter to $20 billion. More.
Back To Top	Other News
		Ports Impose Security Surcharge on Containers NORFOLK-To offset the cost of security measures mandated by the Transportation Security Act of 2002, the Virginia Port Authority will begin assessing a surcharge on cargo moving through The Port of Virginia. The rates will be $2.00 per container and $0.10 per short ton for break bulk cargo. The Port Authority has incurred in excess of $2 million in annual costs due to new security requirements. In Brief... RICHMOND-Virginia Commonwealth University has become the first college campus in the country to equip its campus police with Motorola Inc.'s Mobile Video Enforcer digital camera systems. More.
Back To Top	Commentary
Elegant, Exquisite Judgment Tim Sullivan was a great university president. William and Mary will miss him. So will we. More.		In Name Only US Airways keeps its name in its merger with America West, but the Arizona airline is sucking the show right out of Virginia. Arlington-based US Airways has been out of bankruptcy for less than 18 months of the last 50 since 2001, so it is fair to wonder exactly how attractive the airline would be to any investor, particularly in a year when rising fuel costs and cheap seats will drive American carriers to lose about $5 billion dollars. Now the airline built over the last 25 years on Alleghany, Piedmont, Colgan Air and Pacific Southwest is being acquired by Phoenix-based America West. More.
Back To Top	Employment
		Downtown Richmond -- 303 Media Serious inquiries only please. Click here for more information. Small but growing internet company has immediate fulltime/part-time openings for individuals who are friendly, fast learners, detail oriented and multi-task capable. Duties will include handling customer communication, assisting with web projects, and minor accounting. Experience preferred but will train the right person. High school degree required, college degree a plus. Hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday-Friday.
Back To Top	Events
Hosting an event? Post the details in our weekly events listing. Click here for our listing guidelines.		June 5-7 Virginia Beach The Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation will hold the 2005 MBE Capital Call, assembling entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect with private investors, financial industry experts, lenders, financial services companies, government resources, and venture capital firms in a single venue. Time: 6 p.m. June 5 to 12 p.m. June 7. Location: Holiday Inn-Virginia Beach Executive Center. Charge: Varies. For more information visit www.mbecapitalcall.com or contact James Taylor at (757) 671-8333. June 7 Tysons Corner "Starting a Business in Fairfax County" is a workshop hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Program includes discussion of county licenses and permits, state work force service programs and training information, and Small Business Administration resources. Time:. 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Location: 8300 Boone Boulevard, suite 450, Vienna. Charge: none. Register online here. For more information call 703-790-0600. June 15 Richmond The Central Virginia Chapter of the Project Management Institute will hold a monthly dinner meeting featuring Ken Mauldin, founder and president of Projecting Success, on the topic, "A Client's Perspective of Project Management: The True Measure of Project Success." Time: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: Holiday Inn Koger Center South. Charge: $35 for non-members. For more information and to register by credit card, click here. June 16 Roanoke The NewVa Corridor Technology Council will hold its monthly technology and toast breakfast, featuring Larry Curfiss, vice president and director of business development for ITT Night Vision. He will discuss how ITT Night Vision dominates its market space with critical technologies for the military and first responders. Time: 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Location: Wyndham Hotel, Roanoke. Charge: $25 for non-members. For more information, click here. June 17 Richmond The National Association of Purchasing Management-VA will hold a seminar on "Your Professional Development-A 360° Perspective" , featuring Dr. Wally Johnston, management consultant; Charles Meacham, Dominioni Resources Services; and Ellen Raynor, McKesson. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Dominion Resources Services, Glen Allen. For seminar and registration information, click here. June 18 Richmond The Central Virginia Chapter of the Project Management Institute will hold a Professional Development Saturday Seminar featuring Jim Mercante, TGaS Consulting, on the topic, "Creating a Customer Care Plan for your Project." Time: 8 a.m. to noon. Location: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Charge: $55 for non-members. For more information and to register by credit card, click here. June 22 Fredericksburg The Virginia Department of Business Assistance presents a Virginia Economic Development Seminar, "Selling to the Commonwealth and Buyer-Supplier Exchange." Explore opportunities for growing your business through state government contracts for goods, services and construction. Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Location: Wingate Inn, Fredericksburg. Charge: $25. For more information click here or call (804) 371-8200. June 23 Richmond The Charlottesville Venture Group/Entrenet presents its ongoing Breakfast Dialogue program with a panel discussion on the topic, "Minority Ownership, Majority Headaches." Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Location: Jepson Alumni Center, University of Richmond. To register click here. Sept. 18-20 Richmond The Greater Richmond Convention Center is the site for the 7th annual Commonwealth of Virginia Information Technology Symposium (COVITS 2005). Virginia's signature business and technology event is hosted by Secretary of Technology, Eugene Huang for the Governor of Virginia, Mark Warner. The COVITS 2005 theme is: "The Promise of the Digital Government." COVITS 2005 is nationally recognized as a key event where industry solutions meet government requirements. Issues and challenges facing governments and the solutions offered by the private sector will be examined. For more information and to register, please click here. October 26-28 Roanoke The Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Department of Aviation, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute will co-host the 54th Virginia Transportation Conference. This year's theme is "Virginia Transportation: At the Crossroads Investing in Mobility and Accessibility." Transportation leaders from across Virginia and other states will participate in this high-caliber event. Location: Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. For more information please visit the website here.
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