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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Entrepreneurial Dominion, Expansions, Relocations & Launches, Who's Hot, Who's Not, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, R&D / Intellectual Property, People, Other News, Commentary, Events, Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. |
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| Back To Top | Entrepreneurial Dominion  |
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Sponsors: 
Legal Services 
Investment banking 
Email Marketing Experts |
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CareerBuilder Founder Unveils mkt10 MCLEAN-Rob McGovern, founder of CareerBuilder, hopes to transform online employment searches with his latest entrepreneurial venture: mkt10 (market10), a website that matches the experience, skills, knowledge and career goals of job seekers with the requirements of positions offered by participating companies. "Yesterday's job sites are about as efficient as a super market bulletin board," he says. "It's not a wonder so many people are frustrated with these sites; they're still applying an early 1990's technology approach to a 2005 problem." McGovern began reassembling his old CareerBuilder team in 2004 with the goal of taking the market to a new level. "We're rested, we're jazzed, and we're ready to do what we do best--take on the status quo. Our mission is clear: to create an entirely new job market that gives candidates and employers an awesome experience as they achieve their goals." mkt10's second-generation approach is being beta tested in the Washington, D.C., area, and will begin a national rollout shortly. Through its intelligent matching capabilities, the Web service presents job candidates with ranked lists of best opportunities for career advancement, provides feedback on how they compare to other candidates with similar skills, and suggests whether their salary requirements are reasonable. Other innovations provide complete confidentiality for job candidates, and deliver feedback via e-mail, text message or cell phone. The service is free for job candidates; employers pay $2,000 per hire. More. |
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| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches |
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Partners: 
B2B Marketing Research 
Virginia Technology Conference 
The Boomer Project 
National Association of Women Business Owners 
Virginia FREE 
Searchable Business Database 
Virginia Technology Alliance |
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Mod-U-Kraf Expands in Rocky Mount ROCKY MOUNT--Mod-U-Kraf Homes, LLC, a manufacturer of systems-built homes, will invest $2.8 million to expand its Rocky Mount facility. The locally based company plans to hire 50 new employees when construction is completed in December. Said Vice President Jeff Powell: "The further we looked into Virginia, Franklin County and the Town of Rocky Mount, we became more convinced that Virginia will continue to offer the quality workforce, competitive business costs, and a general great environment that made Mod-U-Kraf successful from its start in 1971." More. SI International Opens Call Center in Dickenson CLINTWOOD--SI International, an information technology and network solutions company, will invest $1 million to open a customer service center in Dickenson County. The center, which will move into the former Travelocity building in Clintwood, will create 100 new jobs. SI International is working under a contract with the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to provide call center and support services to the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement plan for federal civilian and military employees. More. MSSI Opens Branch Office in Virginia VIENNA-MSSI, a provider of medical personnel, technology services and homeland security products, has opened the first branch office of its nurse recruiting business in its home state. The office will expand the company's reach to more than 220 hospitals in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. More. Flight Explorer Creates Georgia Division ALEXANDRIA-Flight Explorer, developer of Internet-based flight tracking information, has created a Messaging Services Division dedicated to the development of its new Aircraft Data and Messaging (ADAM) product line. ADAM brings satellite-based, worldwide aircraft tracking, along with voice and data communications into the aircraft cockpit. The division will be located in Peachtree City, Ga. More. Reznick Establishes Tysons Office TYSONS CORNER--Reznick Group, a Bethesda, Md.-based accounting, tax and business advisory firm, is expanding its presence in the greater Washington market by opening an office in Northern Virginia. Reznick is the largest CPA firm headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic area. The transfer of resources will include approximately 20 to 25 professionals, including one principal, plus the hiring of 10 new employees. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... |
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VCampus Rolls out 37 Course and Exam Offerings RESTON--VCampus Corporation, a developer of e-Learning publishing and hosting services, plans to launch 37 additional courses and certification exams in the third quarter of 2005, bringing the total number of offerings since the inception of the program to 46. The offerings cover the range from certification exams to continuing education courses. Said CEO Nat Kannan: "Each product creates a new revenue stream opportunity as our Select Partners start to market them to their audiences and thus fuel growth of revenues for VCampus." More. Fitch Gives 'AA-" Rating to James City County Bonds WILLIAMSBURG--Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AA-' rating to the Economic Development Authority of James City County, VA's $22.5 million lease revenue bonds, series 2005. Bond proceeds will finance construction of a sports stadium and development of various infrastructure projects for the surrounding Warhill property to service the needs of the new Thomas Nelson Community College and the county's new high school. More. In Brief... CHANTILLY--Online Resources Corporation, an outsourcer of Internet financial services, has reported 2Q net income of $1.8 million, a 48 percent increase over the same quarter the year before, on a 42 percent increase in revenue. More. CULPEPER--Virginia Financial Group, a community bank active in Culpeper, Fredericksburg and Staunton, has reported 2Q earnings of $4.5 million, an increase $4.5 million, an increase of 21.3 percent compared to same-quarter earnings last year. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... |
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In Brief... ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc. has won approximately $89 million in contracts to support national security and intelligence activities for clients in the federal government. More. FAIRFAX--Anteon International Corporation has won a contract potentially worth $33.2 million over five years to provide acquisition management support services for the Program Executive Office for Ships, Acquisition Management Directorate, at the Washington Navy Yard. More. FAIRFAX--Anteon International Corporation has received a $27 million award to provide program management support for the Naval Air Systems Command Program Manager Aviation Training Systems. More. BLACKSBURG - Tele-Works, Inc. has won a contract from North Richland Hills, Tex., to build and implement a system that will help to centralize the citizen account information of several government departments. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships |
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Watson Wyatt to Acquire European Partner ARLINGTON-Shareholders of Watson Wyatt & Company Holdings, a human capital consulting firm, have approved the issuance of 11 million shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition of Watson Wyatt LLP, its European alliance partner. The combined company will have have 90 offices serving clients in 32 countries. Said CEO John Haley: "We have just passed an important milestone on our way to completing the business combination. … We are now one step closer to better meeting the global needs of our clients by fully integrating our resources and expertise and by investing as a single firm." More. Advance Auto Laps up Lappen ROANOKE--Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a major auto parts dealer, has acquired substantially all the assets of Lappen Auto Supply Co., Inc.'s auto parts division. Lappen operates 19 stores in the greater Boston market. Advance expects its new-store count for 2005 to reach the high end of its previously announced range of 150 to 175 stores. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations |
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Nextel Extends GPS Capability to the Blackberry RESTON-Nextel Communications Inc. has extended global positioning system (GPS) capabilities from the handset to the BlackBerry 7520 Wireless Handheld. The GPS feature enables users to locate and dispatch workers, manage work orders, process electronic time sheets, and monitor assets directly from a BlackBerry. Said Danny Bowman, vice president Wireless Data Services: "For more than a decade, businesses have improved their productivity by using Nextel's industry-leading voice services. … With the debut of wireless GPS phones two years ago, Nextel again differentiated itself from competitors with location-based applications designed to help customers locate and track assets and navigate to their destinations. Nextel is again out in front of the competition with the launch of GPS-enabled applications for BlackBerry, which will extend management from the desktop to the field." More. Project Lifesaver Expands to Canada CHESAPEAKE-Project Lifesaver International, which equips Alzheimers patients with radio-tracking wrist-bands, has trained and given the go-ahead to the first law enforcement agency in Canada to use its technology to rescue wanderers. The Project Lifesaver system has been used to conduct more than 1,100 successful searches in the United States. More. UMS Unveils Automated Workflow Solution SPRINGFIELD--United Marketing Solutions, Inc., a provider of direct marketing products to a network of franchises, has deployed an automated workflow solution based upon DALiM TWiST digital prepress workflow system. Said CEO Darryl Reed: "More than just a front-end for processing coupons, flyers and other custom marketing materials, the UMS system automates nearly every aspect of production workflow leading up to printing, while driving and pulling essential data from its custom database management system. "We have undergone a true paradigm shift in how we view our workflow processes," Reed continued. "It is no longer a linear and largely manual flow of work through our large marketing production environment. It is now a dynamic process that may be viewed from multiple points by all parties in the process utilizing highly automated tools that are driven through our corporate wide business management system." More. OpenMFG Upgrades Open Source ERP NORFOLK--OpenMFG, a developer of open standards-based enterprise solutions for small manufacturers and distributors, has released OpenMFG Enterprise Resource Planning Suite Version 1.2. This version, the third major system release, includes more than 200 code enhancements contributed by customers and value-added resellers. OpenMFG provides inventory management, purchasing and sales, manufacturing scheduling and planning, financials, logistics and its own native graphical report writer and rendering engine. More. Afton Rolls Out New Tractor Additive RICHMOND--Afton Chemical Corporation has introduced its newest tractor hydraulic-fluid additive formulated to reduce the cost of maintenance and extend the working life of agricultural and construction equipment. Said Marketing Manager Ian Macpherson: "The complex design of modern machinery … demands higher performance from the tractor hydraulic oil. For key components of today's tractors, an improved additive is needed because temperatures are getting hotter, loads are becoming higher, and transmissions are becoming more complex." More. C-AT Extends Radio Coverage for First Responders RESTON--Communications-Applied Technology, a manufacturer of portable radios and intercoms, has launched the ICRI-2P, a device that allows first responders to maintain communications in tunnels, subways, malls and other structures that commonly disrupt radio signals. At a cost below $5,000 the 2P can link communications between security personnel of a school, industrial plant, casino, hotel, or office building with municipal and state public safety personnel. More. EMC Rolls Out Data Conversion Solution VIENNA-Softek Storage Solutions Corporation, a developer of data-migration software, has partnered with Massachusetts-based EMC Corporation, a leader in data storage solutions, to offer Logical Data Migration Facility software - the first software that relocates data non-disruptively at the dataset-level on storage arrays operating within mainframe environments. Said Dianne McAdam, senior analyst and partner with EMC: "Automating the process of converting data between volume sizes solves a huge problem for mainframe storage managers." More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property |
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In Brief... ARLINGTON-SDS International has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research contract by the US Air Force to develop metrics and a software suite for qualifying the impact of simulator fidelity on pilot performance during simulated combat. More. |
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| Back To Top | People |
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Daniels to Chair Mobile 365 CHANTILLY--Mobile 365, a provider of mobile messaging and data services, has appointed Mike Daniels, former chairman of domain-registration company Network Solutions, as chairman of its board of directors. Said Mobile 365 CEO Neville Street: "Mike was offered many industry opportunities to share his wisdom and experience, and he chose Mobile 365 above all others. Our ability to attract such a talented chairman is a real coup for the company, and for the mobile messaging and data services business as a whole." More. |
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| Back To Top | Other News |
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Circuit City Blasts Video Game Off Shelves RICHMOND--Circuit City Stores is halting the sale of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and is removing the title from its stores and Web site. The action comes in response to a ruling by the Entertainment Software Rating Board that the video game's rating has been changed from "Mature 17+" to "Adults Only 18+." The violence- and sex-drenched game has inspired the ire of consumer watchdog groups. More. Ringling Bros. Takes on Elephant Herpes VIENNA-Didn't know that elephants get herpes, did you? The disease is a leading killer of young Asian elephants, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the circus division of Feld Entertainment, is donating $180,000 to the Smithsonian Zoological Park to fund research into the deadly virus. Said Mike Keele, Chair of the Elephant Species Survival Program: "Unlike many groups that claim they care deeply about elephants, Ringling Bros. is making a major resource commitment to improve their lives while in our care. Ringling Bros.' generosity is an example of cooperative efforts that can truly make a difference for elephants worldwide." More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary |
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The Odd Couple Bill Howell and John Chichester find themselves at odds over tax policy. But in a throwback to a past political era, the two senior legislators manage to stay friends. More. |
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Smell the Red Herrings Virginians will be the losers if the election debate focuses on the world according to the political consultants. Bill Hamilton, one of the now long-gone political pollsters who helped start the whole professional approach to political campaigning decades ago, used to tell his clients to take care not to become slaves to the survey research he conducted. "Remember that the reason a voter gives us an answer is because we asked him a question," Hamilton advised. "It doesn't mean that he actually was thinking about it at the time." More. |
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| Back To Top | Events |
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VA Newswire is a free, email-based weekly newsletter that covers news and events from around the state. If you have any news, events, job openings, or office space availability that you would like to include in next week's newswire, email jim@vanewswire.com. Click here for a free subscription. Click here to unsubscribe. |
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