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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions, Relocations & Launches, Who's Hot, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, People, Trends, 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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Isabel Healthcare Rolls out Bioterror Diagnosis Module HERNDON--Isabel Healthcare, Inc., has unveiled the Isabel Bioterrorism Module to help emergency departments diagnose illnesses resulting from nerve agents, chemical agents, biotoxins and emerging infectious diseases. Accessible through the Web, the Module processes the patient's systems and presents the user with a list of likely diagnoses, from nerve agents like Sarin to infectious diseases like Anthrax, along with the most up-to-date treatment knowledge available from the Centers for Disease Control. Said CEO Joseph Britto: "Bioterrorism is a very real threat, and many ED providers lack the necessary clinical training and experience needed to quickly diagnose and manage patients that present with these conditions." Development of Isabel's clinical decision support system was inspired by the misdiagnosis of co-founder Jason Maude's 3-year-old daughter, Isabel, who nearly died of necrotising fasciitis as a complication of chicken pox. More. |
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| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches |
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ADS to Relocate to Expanded Facilities in Virginia Beach VIRGINIA BEACH--ADS, Inc., a provider of special operations and tactical equipment, will hire 50 employees and relocate to a larger corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art distribution center in Virginia Beach. The move follows three years of strong growth, capped by the recent award of a contract potentially worth $500 million over seven years to deliver gear to warfighters. The contract covers products used for personal protection, search and rescue operations, flight crew safety, deck crew safety, life saving, diving, and equipment for tactical operations. More. As Business Booms, Approva Relocates to Reston RESTON--Approva Corporation, a developer of controls intelligence software for global enterprises, has relocated its headquarters from Vienna to Reston to accommodate the company's growth. Having doubled its employees in the past year, Approva anticipates continued strong growth in the number of employees during the year ahead. Said CEO Prashanth Boccasam: "We have seen exponential growth due to the rising need for an immediate and sustainable solution to compliance issues … since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. But companies also are discovering that improving business controls translates to more efficient business processes and increased profitability." More. Lumbee to Invest $2.6 Million in Pulaski County DUBLIN--Lumbee Enterprises, a provider of high-end inspection, sorting and engineering rework services in the automotive industry, will invest almost $2.6 million to open a facility in Pulaski County. Occupying the former Pfizer facility, the company will perform post-manufacturing modifications for commercial trucks, with a potential of creating 30 to 50 jobs. "Dublin, Virginia was a logical choice for Lumbee Enterprises," said Joseph Clark, Managing Member. "In our business it is essential for us to have close proximity to our customers' facilities." The location of the Pfizer building, near the Volvo/Mack truck manufacturing facility in Dublin, was "a perfect fit for us," he added. "Lumbee desires to become a full-service supplier for Volvo/Mack, providing many services to the New River Valley Plant as well as their supplier base." More. Intelligenxia Opens NoVa Office FALLS CHURCH-Jacksonville, Fla.-based Intelligenxia, a developer of software solutions for unstructured information decision support, has opened an office in Falls Church. The Northern Virginia office will serve as the center of sales, marketing, training and customer support functions while the corporate office, product development, research, and technical support functions will remain in Jacksonville. The company's flagship product, IxReveal, uncovers hidden trends and critical relationships in unstructured data. More. Westwood College to Open Two NoVa Campuses ARLINGTON-Westwood College, based in Denver, Colo., will expand its career-school programs to Virginia with the opening of two Northern Virginia campuses: one in Arlington and one in Annandale. Westwood, which operates 17 campuses and three aviation campuses nationally, is known for its programs in computer animation and criminal justice. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... |
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Virginia Technology Alliance
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Massey Pondering Uses of Free Cash Flow RICHMOND-The board of Massey Energy Company is evaluating how to commit the company's free cash flow, including the option of repurchasing shares. Enjoying higher margins due to rising coal prices, Massey generated 2Q net income of $37 million. Said CEO Don Blankenship: "Due to Massey's favorable position as the largest producer in Central Appalachia and the continuation of the strong coal marketplace, the board believes that the company will generate significant free cash flow in future years." More. MCI Expands DSL Service to Israel, Asia Pacific ASHBURN--MCI, Inc., is expanding Internet DSL access services from Australia to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Israel so clients can connect their remote office locations. Working through regional telecommunications carriers, MCI has designed its solutions for companies that want high-speed access but do not require traditional leased line-Internet connectivity. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--Argon ST, Inc., developer of sensors and systems for the Command and Control Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance market, has announced record results for 3Q 2005: an 71 percent increase in earnings per share on revenue growth of 94 percent. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Not... |
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American Stock Exchange Approves CEL-SCI Plan VIENNA-The American Stock Exchange has accepted a plan by CEL-SCI Corporation to come into compliance with AMEX listing standards. AMEX had cited its shareholders equity of less than $4 million and losses from continuing operations in three out of its four most recent fiscal years. CEL-SCI is developing new immune system based treatments for cancer and infectious diseases. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... |
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GTSI Wins $50 Million in USDA Contracts CHANTILLY--GTSI Corp., an IT provider to the federal government, has won two contracts, each potentially worth $25 million over five years, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. GTSI will provide rugged notebook PCs that employees can take into the field, and build a wireless wireless networking platform. Said Bruce Klein, vice president of federal sales for Cisco Systems, Inc., a GTSI partner in the project: "With GTSI providing an end-to-end mobility solution that includes Cisco wireless technologies and support, USDA is well-positioned to achieve improvements in business processes, operating costs, and the delivery of services to citizens." More. Northrup Grumman Wins Brit AWACs Contract MCLEAN--Northrup Grumman has signed a contract to provide aircraft-maintenance and design-engineering support services for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force Fleet of airborne warning and control system (AWACs) aircraft. The program, valued at 665 GBP over 20-plus years, will ensure that only one in the seven-plane fleet is in scheduled maintenance at any given time. More. Health Management Wins Vermont Blue Cross Business RICHMOND--Health Management Corporation has won a contract to provide disease management services to enrollees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Under HMC's Healthy Returns program, a primary nurse care manager maintains significant contact with participants suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, and follows up to ensure that patients are adhering to plans designed by their physicians. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., has been awarded a competitive task order with an estimated value of $26.8 million to provide logistics support services to the U.S. Army to enhance unit readiness. More. FAIRFAX-Dynamic Animation Systems, Inc., has been awarded a $3 million contract by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to operate and maintain the Simulation and Training network at FEMA's National Emergency Training Center for the nation's firefighters and other emergency first responders. RICHMOND--Bond International Software, a UK-based company with operations in Richmond, has signed a contract with Eastridge Infotech, part of the Eastridge Group of Staffing Companies, to implement Bond's integrated staffing and recruitment solutions. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships |
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Norfolk Studio Center Goes Hollywood!
NORFOLK-Studio Center Worldwide Audio, a production facility for audio commercials, has acquired Hollywood, Calif.-based Tele-Talent International, Inc., as part of a nationwide expansion. Tele-Talent, which provides Hollywood actors and voice-talents for TV commercials, radio commercials and movie trailers, is known for its outstanding foreign language voice-over and translation division. Said Studio Center William Prettyman: "Foreign language translation and voice-overs is a rapidly growing market. By acquiring Tele-Talent International, Inc. we bolster our own foreign roster and hopefully attract more voices from around the world." Studio Center produces more than 10,000 commercials annually; clients include McDonalds, Pepsi, Starbucks, GEICO and other blue-chip advertisers. More. General Dynamics Swallows Tadpole Computer FALLS CHURCH--General Dynamics has acquired Tadpole Computer, Inc., a Cupertino, Calif.-based developer of Unix-based mobile, secure and battlefield-tested computing platforms for mission-critical military, government and commercial operations. Tadpole will be folded into General Dynamics' C4 Systems unit. Said C4 Systems President Mark A. Fried: "Tadpole Computer's products, services and capabilities are synergistic with our growing operation and complement our existing rugged computing platform offerings for tactical environments requiring mobile, reliable and secure solutions." More. BlackHawk Acquires Dynamic Entry NORFOLK--BlackHawk Products Group, LLC, has acquired Dynamic Entry, a manufacturer of manual tactical entry tools, such as entry rams and striking tools, used by S.W.A.T. teams and military search squads. The Monoshock Ram, the flagship of the Dynamic Entry tool line, features electrically non-conductive, non-sparking construction, which is extremely important into today's unknown and potentially explosive environments. Said Blackhawk CEO Mike Noell: "Dynamic Entry's manual breaching tools have a worldwide reputation as the finest tools available for tactical entries. Used by US and international agencies, Dynamic Entry's tools have been instrumental in the safe apprehension of terrorists and criminals from England to Baghdad." More. Proxicom Acquires Daou Systems RESTON--Proxicom, Inc., an Internet consulting firm, has agreed to acquire Daou Systems Inc., an Exton, Pa., firm that provides IT consulting and management services to healthcare organizations. The transaction is valued at approximately $21.6 million. Said Proxicom CEO Paul Cooley: "This acquisition … greatly enhances our solution and service offering portfolio in the health care and public services sectors." More. GigaBeam Teams with Vitesse to Develop 10 Gigs-Per-Second WiFiber HERNDON--GigaBean Corporation is acquiring rights to Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation's semiconductor technologies for use in GigaBeam's next-generation wireless data transmission service. GigaBeam's WiFiber technology, which operates in the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz radio spectrum bands, currently achieves speeds of one Gigabit-per-second, the equivalent of 647 T1 lines. The goal is to reach 10 Gigabits per second with the help of Vitesse's technology. Said Vitesse CEO Louis Tomasetta: "GigaBeam has emerged as the clear leader in high data-rate wireless communications." More. Lighthouse Instruments Partners with Diamond Machine Werks CHARLOTTESVILLE--Lighthouse Instruments, LLC, a developer of laser-measurement tools for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Diamond Machine Werks, of Arlington Heights, Ill. Lighthouse will have exclusive access to DMW's fourth-generation vial handling and rejection system. Said President Jim Veale: "This [collaboration] resulted in the creation of the simplest and most reliable vial inspection system available commercially." More. Cedar Shopping Centers Acquires Six Virginia Properties VIRGINIA BEACH--Cedar Shopping Centers, Inc., of Port Washington, N.Y., has completed the purchase of eight properties - including six in Hampton Roads - anchored by or leased entirely to supermarkets for $93.8 million. The six Virginia properties are anchored by Farm Fresh (SuperValu) supermarkets. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations |
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Tenax Releases FileCruncher 2.0 RICHMOND--Tenax, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of UK-based FAST, has introduced FileCruncher 2.0, a database of more than six million records of unlicensed, misnamed and rogue software applications - including password crackers, keystroke loggers, hacker tools, Trojans and viruses -- that most software discovery tools do not identify. Said Paul Lenz, VP of Operations: "For any organization that needs to comply with the standards of such acts as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA or GLB, the recognition of all software on their infrastructure is federally mandated. However, most organizations, even those employing the best ... tools and security measures, have a large quantity of unrecognized files resident on their infrastructure." More. Webmail.us Launches Webmail Lite BLACKSBURG-Webmail.us, a provider of email hosting services to small and geographically dispersed businesses, has unveiled a beta version of Webmail Lite, a free web-based aggregator that allows users to set up and manage third party email accounts and RSS feeds through an extension of the company's webmail interface. Said CEO Pat Matthews: "Combining RSS and email lowers the technology learning curve. People know how to use email-now they will know how to use RSS, sometimes without even realizing it." More. Carpenter Introduces Two New Foam Products RICHMOND-Carpenter Co., a supplier of chemicals to the polyurethane industry, has added two new polyethers to its product line, suitable for use in low-density, rigid-foam systems. MS-425 is a candidate for quick-reacting spray foam formulations, while GSP-280 is a formulating base for rigid systems requiring good flow and yielding closed cells for thermal insulating properties. More. In Brief... HERNDON-NameSecure, a full-service domain registrar for over 10 years, is offering one-year offering one-year domain name registrations or transfers for only $3.99, with any purchase of an annual hosting package, e-mail package or the NamePrivacy service. More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property |
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NASA Testing Aircraft Noise-Reducing Technologies HAMPTON--NASA and aerospace industry partners are flight testing new technologies to see if they can make aircraft quieter. Scalloped edges on engine exteriors and toboggan-like fittings on landing gear are some of the high tech ideas being tested to reduce aircraft noise. More. |
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| Back To Top | People |
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In Brief... RICHMOND-Paula S. Gulak, a principal and founding partner of SyCom Technologies, has been named chairman of the board of Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology. More. |
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| Back To Top | Trends |
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Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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Winchester employment. The chart displays employment growth for Winchester MSA alongside growth in Virginia. Since 1991, employment growth in Winchester has been relatively strong compared to the state. Winchester exhibited its strongest growth during the year ending with the first quarter of 2001, increasing by 9.0 percent. For the year ending with the fourth quarter of 2004, employment in Winchester advanced 3.6 percent compared to 2.6 percent growth in the state. Employment trends in regional labor markets are often the best overall measure of economic performance. While statistics relating to output growth, such as real gross domestic (state) product, are considered the most comprehensive performance figures for states and the nation, this data is not available for localities. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. Warner Hails Virginia Job Creation RICHMOND-Virginia's nonagricultural employment rose to an all-time high of 3,674,600 jobs in June 2005 -- 26,800 more than the previous all-time high payroll employment level set in November 2004. According to today's announcement from the Virginia Employment Commission, the Commonwealth's annual job increase from June 2004 to June 2005 was 50,300 jobs. "Virginia's economy is very strong right now, and we continue to see remarkable employment growth in Northern Virginia," said Gov. Mark R. Warner said. "While virtually every region of Virginia recorded job growth, we continue to face some challenges in Southside, where the economy is based largely on traditional textile and tobacco employment. … In the past year alone, we have announced 10 successful economic development projects in the Southside region representing $66 million in new investment. As these projects come on-line in coming weeks and months, they will create more than 1,550 new jobs for Southside." More. |
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| Back To Top | Other News |
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UVa Alumni to Set up Hoo's Who Online CHARLOTTESVILLE--The University of Virginia has hired Kintera, Inc., of San Diego, Calif., to expand the University's interactive communications strategies and alumni engagement initiatives, launching the HoosOnline alumni directory and member center. HoosOnline provides networking services for alumni, students, faculty and friends. Future features will provide reunion updates, regional giving functionality, customer relationship management, a Web content management system and other capabilities. More. In Brief... RICHMOND--Philip Morris USA's spending on cigarette brand advertising, as reported to the Federal Trade Commission, decreased for the sixth consecutive year - down 10 percent in 2003 -- as the company continued to reduce magazine, newspaper and retail point-of-sale advertising. More. Latest Edition: Inside Virginia The Virginia Department of Business Assistance has published the Summer 2005 edition of Inside Virginia. Contents include: *An article from Gov.Mark R. Warner on State Procurement Efforts *Virginia Business Network - Assistance for Disabled Workforce *ED Corner: Workforce Services Program celebrates 40 years of service to the Commonwealth *2005 Virginia Quality Conference & Forum for Excellence *Virginia Institute for Economic Development (Oct. 23rd-27th) *Virginia's Technology Capital Access Forum *Recent VSBFA loan approvals *Governor Announces Funds for tourism and technology projects in Appalachia and More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary |
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In Search of a Budget Strategy The state's swelling budget surplus should embarrass Gov. Warner, but it doesn't. He says we need it to pay for Virginia's bottomless needs. In other words, spending is out of control. More. |
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The Shucet Effect If the rest of state government had kept pace with VDOT over the past three years, Virginia could have cut spending by nearly $900 million. Don't tell me there's no waste left in government! There's no way the state of Virginia could pay Philip Shucet enough to reward him for what he accomplished as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation. In three-and-a-half years there, he reduced VDOT staff by more than 1,100 positions and payroll by more than $67.5 million. And he did so without the slashing and burning so often associated with cost cutters. 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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