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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 Winning Business, Deals Makers, Innovations, Deals & Partnerships, People, Trends, Hurricane Katrina: Relief, 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 |
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Reston Firm Launches Sky Posse 
RESTON-Sky Posse, a business founded in August, is selling badge-shaped lapel pins to individuals "ready, willing and able" to participate in active resistance against any hijacking attempt. The company bills the pins as "a visible sign that your resistance in any attempt to commandeer an aircraft will instantly become group resistance." Members of the Sky Posse are not authorized to carry firearms, to contradict direct orders of cabin crews or impede action of certified air marshals in any way. Said Jim Walker, vice president of sales and marketing: "We are in touch with cabin and cockpit unions, security agencies and major airlines promoting the concept. This is a patriotic, American grass roots program that is available to all concerned citizens and frequent flyers. We can never let another airliner become a vehicle for terrorism." More. |
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| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches |
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Email Marketing Experts Partners: 
The Boomer Project |
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Luna Innovations Opens NoVa Office BLACKSBURG-Luna Innovations Incorporated, a technology-development company, has opened an office in McLean to serve Luna's commercial and government customers in the region. Luna identifies market opportunities, builds promising intellectual property portfolios and prototypes, and commercializes them. Core technologies reside in sensing, advanced materials, and systems integration. Within the past five years, Luna Innovations has spun out four new companies. More. Q.Know Opens New York Office RESTON--Q.Know Technologies Inc., a developer of software that files, retrieves, manages and shares unstructured electronic information, has opened an office in mid-town Manhattan. The move, which follows expansions of offices in London and Bermuda, will support the rapid adoption of the company's software by the financial services community. Said Dan Shirra, vice president of marketing: "We're excited about the rapid growth the company is experiencing and expect to continue geographical expansion throughout the year." More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... |
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Virginia FREE 
National Association of Women Business Owners |
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MAP ROI Raises $4.5 Million, Changes Name STERLING--MAP ROI Systems, Inc., has raised $4.5 million in venture capital financing and renamed the company to Synchris, Inc., to reflect the expanded scope of solutions it provides since its acquisition of the software assets of Privia, Inc. Synchris provides a platform for team members to work together in real-time for efficient response to requests for proposals and task order management. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--Argon ST, Inc., a developer of systems and sensors with military applications, has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed public offering of 3,260,000 shares of its common stock. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... |
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Searchable Business Database 
Virginia Technology Alliance
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GTSI, Raytheon Win $300 Million Weather Service Contract CHANTILLY--GTSI Corp., an IT solutions provider to the federal government, will partner with the Raytheon Company on a contract worth up to $300 million from the National Weather Service. The contract, awarded to Raytheon will provide operations and maintenance for the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), a nationwide weather data analysis and dissemination system. More. CACI Lands $188 Million Mine Warfare Contract ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc. has been awarded a five-year, $188 million contract to support the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command's Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare. The contract alls for CACI to support a wide range of current and next-generation mine countermeasure programs and combat systems. More. Orbital Sciences Wins Olympia Bus Contract DULLES--A division of Orbital Sciences Corporation has been awarded a $4.4 million contract by Intercity Transit of Olympia, Wash., to provide an Advanced Communications System to manage a fleet of 85 vehicles. The contract will provide a radio communications system that is fully integrated with its Computer Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location capabilities. With Orbital's ACS deployment, Intercity Transit expects to realize both reduced operating costs and improved service to its riders. More. PoshTots Lands More Celebrity Clients RICHMOND-PoshTots, an online retailer of upscale children's furnishings, continues to rack up the celebrity clients: from actor Ben Stiller to supermodel Heidi Klum and singing sensation Seal. Says co-founder Karen Booth Adams: "Our design strategy is simple. "We create environments where little ones are inspired to dream big, be creative and play; a place where the family can come together to relax and share special moments together." In May 2005, PoshTots launched a brand expansion to target the adult home furnishings market as well: PoshLiving.com -- Luxury Furnishings for Real Life. More. In Brief... RESTON-MAXIMUS has signed a contract potentially worth $60 million over four years to provide enrollment services for the Georgia Healthy Families Program. More. ASHBURN-Telos Corporation has won a contract potentially worth $34 million from the Pentagon Telecommunications Center to manage IT infrastructure that ensures the failsafe delivery of extremely sensitive information. More. STERLING--Anystream has deployed its Agility high-performance media production and Web publishing software with TSR, a Swiss Broadcasting Corporation enterprise. More. RESTON--IPIX Corporation, a provider of digital surveillance and 360-degree immersive imaging solutions, has deployed its CommandView cameras at the Loyola University Museum of Art as part of a security infrastructure upgrade to ensure the security of priceless artifacts. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships |
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Landmark Increases Holdings in CoolSavings NORFOLK-Landmark Communications, Inc., has agreed to purchase all the common and Series C preferred stock of CoolSavings, Inc., held by two board members. Landmark owns 83 percent of the company's stock, and this transaction represents the first step in a series of transactions through which the media giant intends to take CoolSavings private. CoolSavings, a provider of interactive marketing services to advertisers and publishers, has a market valuation of roughly $43 million. More. GE Fanuc Buys PowerPC Product Line CHARLOTTESVILLE--GE Fanuc Embedded Systems, Inc., a unit of GE Industrial, has purchased the multiprocessor PowerPC product line from DNA Computing Solutions, Inc. Said Jeff Garwood, CEO of GE Fanuc: "As we increase our commitment to the defense electronics market, we will provide a complete line of hardware and software solutions ranging from benign through rugged environments, including air and conduction cooled applications." More. Comstock to Convert Two Apartment Complexes RESTON--Comstock Homebuilding Companies, Inc., has entered into definitive agreements to purchase two condominium conversion projects in the Washington metropolitan area: Carter Lake Condominiums, a 258-unit apartment community in Reston, and Bellmeade Condominiums, a 316-unit apartment community in Leesburg. Through a redevelopment effort including new kitchens and flooring, exterior refinishing and amenity improvements, the project is being converted to for-sale condominiums targeted to first time home buyers. More. In Brief... RESTON--JNetDirect Incorporated, has acquired Vanward Technologies, Inc., a supplier of software quality assurance products and services based in Leesburg. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations |
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Sillyasstoys.com Expands Product Offering. Now Available: Owl Puke and Ladybug Larvae RICHMOND--Sillyasstoys.com has the product offering of its online toy store specializing in unique and unusual toys by adding 75 items for the new school year. One hot seller is Owl Puke - a "teaching tool" that uses the regurgitated pellets of indigestible remains to teach children about owls, the food chain and animal anatomy. Another toy, Ladybug Land, comes with a coupon for ladybug larvae, a habitat for the bugs to live in and a guidebook about lady bugs. More. Parallels Squares Off with Desktop Virtualization Solution HERNDON--Parallels, Inc., a developer of next-generation virtualization solutions, has released Parallels Workstation, a desktop virtualization that "empowers IT professionals with the ability to create completely networked, fully portable, and entirely independent virtual machines on a single physical machine." The product reduces hardware overhead as well as space, cooling costs and support costs. More. ValueOptions Introduces Smoke Cessation Program NORFOLK-ValueOptions, a behavioral health care organization, has launched a comprehensive tobacco cessation initiative for corporate customers. Despite widespread publicity of the harmful effects of tobacco use, 22 percent of adult Americans continue to smoke. While more than 70 percent of smokers want to quit, each year less than five percent are successful. An effective workplace smoking cessation program, however, increases the success rate to 25 percent. More. Headphones Website Serves Public School Market RICHMOND--Quietheadphones.com is pleased to announce the expansion of its market to include public schools. Since the website launched in November 2004 Quietheadphones.com has experienced healthy growth selling its noise canceling headphones to consumers. Recently the website began receiving inquiries and sales for noise reduction headphones from schools. More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property |
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Hokie/Deacon Research Partnership is Prospering BLACKSBURG--The School of Biomedical Engineering and Science, a joint venture between Virginia Tech and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, hauled in $4 million in new sponsored research grants in fiscal year 2004-05. Grants have been growing rapidly since the partnership between Virginia Tech's engineering school and Wake Forest's medical school was forged in 2001. More. |
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| Back To Top | People |
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First Avenue Grabs Gallagher to Lead Growth Phase MCLEAN--First Avenue Networks, owner of a broad portfolio of millimeter wave spectrum assets, has hired Mike Gallagher as CEO, taking on strategic and functional responsibilities from founder Dean Johnson. Gallagher had served as president of Flarion Technologies, recently acquired by QUALCOMM. More. |
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| Back To Top | Trends |
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Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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Employment in Virginia increased 1.3 percent for the twelve months ending with July 2005 compared to a 1.7 percent gain in U.S. employment. Over the last year, Winchester (+5.2 percent), Harrisonburg (+3.3 percent), and Richmond (+2.9 percent) showed the strongest employment growth among the state's metropolitan areas. Danville (-3.5 percent) and Blacksburg (-1.1 percent) were the only metro areas that registered negative growth since last July. The monthly periodicity of employment data makes it the most timely and encompassing measure of regional economic growth. For details and forecasts of economic conditions across Virginia, as well as a list of Chmura Economics & Analytics (CEA) products and services, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. State & Local Education IT Spending Is Stalling RESTON--Spending on information technology in the state & local education market shows little growth over the next two years, but will recover by fiscal year 2008 and ultimately grow 45 percent to reach $10 billion by FY10, according to a report released today by INPUT, a provider of intelligence on government business. "Right now education IT initiatives play second fiddle to healthcare and public safety programs," said James Krouse, manager, state & local market analysis. Funding for public higher education, constricted in state appropriations, continues to see significant budget cuts. In the near-term, universities will rely heavily on raising capital through increased tuition and fees. More. |
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| Back To Top | Hurricane Katrina: Relief |
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Norfolk Southern Restores Rail Service to New Orleans NORFOLK--Sixteen days after Hurricane Katrina struck, Norfolk Southern Corp. has completed repairs to its Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, restoring rail freight service into New Orleans and reopening important interchange points with western rail carriers. Nearly five miles of track were washed from the top of the 5.8-mile rail bridge and into the lake. Nine cranes on barges were used to lift the track out of the water and back onto the bridge. Nine miles of track running through New Orleans required major repairs due to washouts and other water-related problems. Norfolk Southern employees have removed 5,500 downed trees, installed 11,000 railroad ties and unloaded and surfaced track on 55,000 tons of ballast to restore bridges and rail lines to service. More. Circuit City to Donate $1 Million RICHMOND--Circuit City Stores, Inc., is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Eleven Circuit City Superstores, employing a total of 457 associates, were affected in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Six of the stores remain closed at this time and managers are working to establish contact with several dozen store associates. The company has assured that it will continue to pay associates even if they have relocated to other parts of the country. More. LandAmerica to Contribute $1 Million RICHMOND--LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., a provider of real estate transaction services, has reached an agreement with the Arizona Department of Insurance under which the company will voluntarily contribute $1 million to the Arizona chapters of the American Red Cross to benefit Arizona citizens and the victims of Hurricane Katrina recently evacuated to Arizona. In addition, LandAmerica will partner with the Arizona DOI to implement a pilot program designed to educate Arizona consumers about title insurance. LandAmerica and the Arizona DOI had been engaged in discussions over the propriety and legality of captive reinsurance transactions in that state. More. PBM Delivers Infant Formula for Hurricane Relief GORDONSVILLE--PBM Products, LLC, the largest supplier of store brand infant formulas in the United States, is now supplying the Hurricane Katrina relief effort with its Bright Beginnings and store brand infant formulas. Said CEO Paul B. Manning: "We … are donating baby formula and food products to help feed the hungry, and now we are operating at maximum capacity to manufacture and supply formulas for various organizations that are helping America recover." More. EADS Leads European Relief Effort ARLINGTON-EADS, a major European aerospace and defense company with a North American H.Q. in Arlington, dispatched an Airbus Beluga Super Transporter to Mobile, Ala., with 22 tons of relief supplies donated by the United Kingdom and France for hurricane relief. The company also supplied two rescue-and-relief helicopters and a mobile hospital. More. .ORG Registry Raises Funds for Hurricane Relief RESTON--Public Interest Registry, the .ORG registry, has partnered with its founding organization, the Internet Society, and its technology services provider, Afilias Limited, to donate $1 for every new .ORG domain name registered by the end of December to aid relief. To provide immediate help, PIR and Afilias already have donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross as an advance payment on the final contribution. More. Volunteers of America to Provide Homes for 350 ALEXANDRIA--Volunteers of America has reserved more than 350 apartments in affordable housing communities in 21 states across the country for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The not-for-profit organization also is serving as a clearinghouse for other housing providers to provide hurricane victims with housing opportunities. More. In Brief... HERNDON--ePlus inc., a developer of Enterprise Cost Management solutions, has raised more than $30,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina through a company program that matched each dollar donated by ePlus employees. More. VIRGINIA BEACH--The Independent Hardee's Franchisee Association has pledged a minimum of $15,000 to assist franchisee restaurant employees in the Gulf Coast whose lives have been devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. More. ASHBURN--Tech-Knowledgy Services LLC of Ashburn has committed to donating 10 percent of all non-contract labor revenue to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. More. |
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| Back To Top | Other News |
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Duke to Build Pipeline into SW Virginia JEWELL RIDGE--East Tennessee Natural Gas, a unit of Duke Energy Gas Transmission, has filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a 32-mile, 20-inch natural gas pipeline to connect its mainline pipeline system to the Cardinal States Gathering System. The capacity of 235,000 dekatherms a day will be expandable to meet market demand. Said Guy Buckley, group vice president of DEGC: "The Jewell Ridge Lateral project will provide Appalachian natural gas producers a new outlet for their growing supply to support the growth in the Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina markets." More. Bassett Unveils National Advertising Campaign BASSETT--Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of branded home furnishings, has announced plans to promote its new West End Collection using national television advertising and direct mail. The 30-second West End commercials will run throughout the month of September on cable channels such as Style Network, E!, and HGTV. In addition, Bassett will send out nearly two million direct mail pieces to consumers' homes. More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary |
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Carpool Comeback Thanks to $3-per-gallon gasoline and NuRide's online, ride-sharing service, carpooling could stage a big rebound. More. |
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The M&M Factor Virginia normally leans Republican. But the 2005 election isn't normal. Electoral Math + Mark Warner tips the odds to Tim Kaine. As we slide, stumble, waltz (you pick the word) mercifully out of August, this one, with debate quarrels, base closings, ipods and Pat Robertson, an oddity beyond most, let us refocus for a moment on the governor's race and the two determinants of what happens in November. Let us speak of these determinants as M&M-read that "Math and Mark." 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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