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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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PCImmunity Defends PCs Against Internet Threats 
CHARLOTTESVILLE-Viruses, spyware and poor computer maintenance are the bane of personal computer users everywhere. Matt Connor, founder of Computer Assurance, LLC, hopes to build a business helping people keep their PCs running smoothly. "The first line of defense is antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall applications, which are not 100 percent effective, allowing viruses and online threats to contaminate a computer," says Connor, who served with the Military Intelligence Corps before starting his own business. "Therefore, a second line of defense is required to provide complete protection by constantly and automatically ensuring those applications are functioning properly and are properly maintained." PCImmunity, out-of-the-box software developed by Computer Assurance, has been designed to be that second line of defense. PCImmunity will automate the user's antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall programs while providing preventive maintenance. PCImmunity, the company contends, can even defend against threats that Norton, McAfee and other big names cannot detect. 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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Paris Ceramics Expands to Prince Edward County PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY--Paris Ceramics USA, Inc. will invest $2 million to open a facility in Prince Edward County, creating 30 new jobs. The company will manufacture high-value stone flooring and stone-related products. Warner administration officials had met with Charles Smallbone, Chairman of Smallbone plc, the United Kingdom parent company of Paris Ceramics, during a June 2005 European trade mission. Paris Ceramics' United States headquarters are located in Stamford, Conn. The company has established a worldwide reputation for supplying high-quality stone flooring and stone-related products. Paris Ceramics offers a range of specialist services, working closely with the client through the completion of a project. More. KB Home Enters Mid-Atlantic Market LEESBURG-KB Home, a Los Angeles-based home building company, has established a Mid-Atlantic Division to serve the Washington, D.C., market. Its first project, Martin's Chase in Loudoun County, will feature approximately 147 single-family homes. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... |
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Virginia FREE 
National Association of Women Business Owners 
Searchable Business Database 
Virginia Technology Alliance |
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US Airways Reorganization Plan Approved ARLINGTON-The reorganization plan for US Airways has been approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Stephen S. Mitchell, clearing the way for US Airway's merger with America West Airlines. The plan will provide the merged airline with $1.7 billion unrestricted cash and resolve nearly $2.7 billion in pension claims. On annual revenues of roughly $10 billion, the company will generate more than $600 million annually in synergies. More. TNS Grosses $180 Million in Public Offering RESTON--TNS, Inc., a provider of services for transaction-oriented applications, has completed an offering of 7,780,255 shares of common stock at $23.25 per share, grossing more than $180 million. The company sold 1.2 million shares, while stockholders unloaded nearly 6.6 million. More. Visure Raises $330,000 in Angel Funding RICHMOND-Visure Corp., developer of proprietary product-placement metrics and a market research platform, has raised $330,000 in an angel investment round led by the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology's GAP Fund. Visure is capitalizing on the rapidly expanding product-placement market by tracking audience response and consumer profiles. Additional investors in the round include Richmond's AdvanTech Incubator, a major media industry executive and a number of local angel investors. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... |
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Orbital Selected for Long-Term Launch Services Contract DULLES-- Orbital Sciences Corporation has been awarded a contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide Pegasus and Taurus launch services for future NASA space missions over a seven-year period from 2005 to2012. Many of NASA's high-value scientific missions can be carried out by small-class satellites, which are best launched into orbit aboard dedicated, reliable and cost-effective small launch vehicles like Orbital's Pegasus and Taurus rockets. More. Alion Awarded $61 Million DoD Contract MCLEAN--Alion Science and Technology has been awarded a $60.7 million contract modification from the DoD Weapons Systems Information Analysis Center. Alion develops, analyzes and assesses weapon and delivery-systems technologies. Alion has also developed DoD-standard software tools to model the effectiveness of "smart" weapons systems. More. In Brief... ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc. has been awarded a four-year, $14 million contract to support the Military Health System Information Assurance Program. More. RESTON--XO Communications, Inc., has won a $7 million, five-year contract to provide data and voice services to MinolConnect, a division of Minol International, a provider of consumption data equipment. More. MCLEAN--Angel.com will provide its Virtual Call Center Solution to Borland Software Corporation. More. RESTON--Official Payments Corp., a subsidiary of Tier Technologies, Inc., has been authorized by the City of Virginia Beach to process electronic credit and debit card payments for personal property tax, real estate property tax, utilities and parking ticket obligations. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships |
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Advance Auto Acquires Autopart International ROANOKE--Advance Auto Parts, Inc., an auto parts retailer, has acquired Sharon, Mass.-based Autopart International, Inc., in an all-cash transaction. Automotive International provides replacement automotive parts to the growing Do-it-For-Me commercial market, as well as to warehouse distributors and jobbers. In 2004, the company generated annual sales of $90 million in 61 stores in the Northeast. More. ORBIMAGE Buys Space Imaging Assets DULLES--ORBIMAGE Holdings Inc., a provider of earth imagery products and services, has agreed to acquire the assets of Space Imaging LLC for $58.5 million, before adjustments for existing debt. Space Imaging, based in Denver, Colo., launched the world's first one meter-resolution, commercial Earth imaging satellite, IKONOS, in 1999. More. Richmond Information Group Merges with PA Firm RICHMOND-The Richmond Information Group, Ltd., has engineered a "merger of equals" with Greensburg, Pa.-based PHOENIX Business Consulting, Inc. The company will retain the Phoenix name, but RIG executives will own 50 percent of the new company. Both firms provide business consulting services and solutions specializing in SSA BPCS ERP software. RIG brings a customizable web- or paper-based employee evaluation process tool, InfoMark, to the merger. More. TARGUSinfo Partners with MicroBilt VIENNA--TARGUSinfo will partner with Kennesaw, Ga.-based MicroBilt Corporation, an online provider of credit information. MicroBilt will integrate TARGUSinfo's on-demand identification and verification services into the CreditCommander.com pre-screening product for credit applications. Credit grantors, alarmed by the increase in identity theft, are eager to include authentication tools in a pre-screening environment to fight identity fraud. More. Bond Bonds with Valtera RICHMOND--Bond International Software, a provider of workforce management solutions, has forged a strategic partnership with Chicago-Based Valtera, a selection and assessment provider. The partnership will provide customers with an end-to-end product to manage their recruitment and assessment processes. Said Bond's Zachary Thomas: "The result will be the first scientifically grounded assessment engine within a workforce management system." More. In Brief... RESTON--QuadraMed Corporation has sold its EDI Division (Electronic Data Interchange) to i-Plexus Solutions, Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations |
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SAIC to Create Road Condition Information System MCLEAN--The Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology Business Unit of SAIC is teaming with North Dakota-based Meridian Environmental Technology, Inc., to create a system that delivers integrated information on road, weather and traffic conditions. Said Meridian President Leon Osborne: "As transportation agencies at all levels of government strive to make more informed decisions, they need to have the ability to integrate data and information from multiple sources. Our system provides a framework for bringing all required data and information into one location for those decisions makers." More. HazMat Unveils Chemical Detector ALEXANDRIA--HazMat Systems, Inc., a developer of products for the chemical, petroleum and transportation industries, has unveiled a new, more versatile model of Chemical Acoustic Signature System. The new model obtains readings from hard-to-reach areas, such as in between drums and compartments in tanker trucks. More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property |
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NASA Launches Knowledge Capture Program HAMPTON--The National Institute of Aerospace, a research and education consortium supporting aerospace and atmospheric research at the NASA Langley Research Center, has awarded a multimillion dollar, three-year contract to Denver-based IT consultancy CIBER, Inc. CIBER will create an outreach program that captures lifetime experiences and knowledge of senior scientists and engineers to share with current NASA employees, the next generation of NASA engineers and the academic community. More. Hokies to Study the Stars BLACKSBURG--Virginia Tech has received a $273,000 National Science Foundation grant to search for low-frequency radio pulses associated with gamma ray bursts, neutron stars and black holes. Researchers will build an array of 12 antennas that will continuously observe the entire sky and use a real-time computing system to search for faint pulses that exhibit the unique characteristics expected from distant astronomical explosions. More. Sprint, Samsun to Test Advanced Wireless Technology RESTON-Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America have agreed to engage in joint wireless broadband technology efforts to test the IEEE 802.16e standard and drive the development of advanced wireless broadband services. The collaboration will involve lab trials at company facilities and field trials with customers. More. VCU Investigates Hydrocephalus RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 20, 2005) - An international team of medical experts led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher has established the first clinical guidelines to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of people with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a debilitating condition in the brain that often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. More. In Brief... MANASSAS--A study by scientists Lance Liotta and Emanuel Petricoin III, co-directors of George Mason University's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, has identified an archive of protein fragments in human blood that may be markers for early disease detection, prognosis and treatment. More. NORFOLK-The Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School has received a $250,000 grant from the national Alzheimer's Association to study driver safety among motorists with dementia. More. |
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| Back To Top | People |
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Hilb Rogal Hires Dinkins as CFO RICHMOND--Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company, the world's 10th largest insurance and risk management intermediary, has appointed Michael Dinkins to the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer. Dinkins, who joins the company from Guidant Corporation, will succeed Carolyn Jones, who recently announced her intention to retire. More. |
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| Back To Top | Trends |
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Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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Auto sales in Virginia have fluctuated in recent months and have fallen over the last year. For the year ending with July 2005, auto sales in Virginia dropped by 2.3 percent. The six-month moving average for auto sales in the state stood at 39,618 in July, falling from a peak of 41,240 in June 2004. Auto sales are a key indicator of consumer spending and comprise roughly 25 percent of total retail sales for any given period. 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. |
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| Back To Top | Hurricane Katrina: Relief |
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Defense Agency "Fuels" Hurricane Recovery Efforts FORT BELVOIR--The Defense Energy Support Center, a provider of fuel to the Defense Department, was a key player, working behind the scenes to supply fuel used in small-boat and helicopter rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina. A dozen DESC fuel and contracting specialists, worked around the clock to find and deliver fuel for generators, cars, boats, trucks, helicopters, planes and construction vehicles operated by rescue and recovery forces. DESC employees diverted and expedited fuel shipments, found alternative methods of fuel delivery and alternative fuel sources, and modified contracts to support unique and often unorthodox procedures and deliveries. Five quality assurance representatives also battled traffic jams, flooding, downed power lines and road debris to assess the capabilities of nearly 50 fuel refineries, terminals, distribution hubs, storage facilities and pumping stations within days after the storm. More. Genworth Provide 37 Housing Units for Hurricane Victims RICHMOND--Genworth Financial has unveiled an initiative to provide 37 housing units for families left homeless by Hurricane Katrina for a period of up to one year in Virginia and North Carolina. Genworth Financial will fund the costs for housing and utilities, and Genworth Volunteers will help evacuees with supplies, clothing, furniture, food and other needs. Additionally, the company and its employees have contributed $150,000 to the American Red Cross for disaster victims. More. XO Donates Cash, Phone Cards to Relief Effort RESTON--XO Communications, Inc., and its employees are donating a total of $140,000 to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in the communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. The company also has provided the American Red Cross with 2,000 free long-distance calling cards to distribute to people affected by the disaster. More. Thrane & Thrane Lends Satellite Terminals to Katrina Effort VIRGINIA BEACH--Thrane & Thrane, Inc., a provider of global mobile satellite and radio communication solutions, has teamed with France Telecom and Xantic to donate several thousand minutes of satellite airtime, enabling victims and relief workers to call their family members around the world. Thrane & Thrane, Inc., contributed an RV, equipped with 20 satellite phones and a satellite data terminal. More. Freddie Mac Extends Mortgage Relief to National Guard MCLEAN--Freddie Mac, a packager of mortgage-backed securities, has told its 2,300 mortgage servicers to extend immediate relief to all National Guard members involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery operations. Local firemen, police, and other first responders who live in the storm-affected areas and have Freddie Mac-owned loans are covered by a Sept. 8 announcement that suspended their September, October and November mortgage payments. More. Virginia Veterinarians to Help Horse Hurricane Victims MARSHALL--Equine veterinarian Lynne Miller Johnson has taken a 40-foot trailer loaded with supplies and advanced diagnostic medical equipment to Mississippi and Louisiana to help horses affected by Hurricane Katrina. Common ailments affecting horses in the area are colic, skin disorders and assorted wounds. Said Johnson: "We have all seen the horrific aftermath and human tragedy which Katrina has inflicted. What hasn't been so widely publicized is the extent of healthcare needs of horses affected by the storm." More. In Brief... TYSONS CORNER--Cardinal Financial Corporation has delivered $32,000, representing the first week of employee contributions and the Cardinal corporate matching funds, to the American Red Cross. More. |
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| Back To Top | Other News |
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Guv Designates Six New Enterprise Zones RICHMOND-Gov. Mark R. Warner has designated new enterprise zones in the cities of Bedford, Hampton, Hopewell, and Petersburg and in Lee County and Wythe County. These six zones are the first to be designated under the newly restructured Virginia Enterprise Zone program. Each locality will use state and local enterprise zone incentives to help create new jobs, promote private investment, and improve the overall economic growth. More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary |
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Twin Hopes Virginians hope that their candidates listen to them -- and that they don't. More. |
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It's the Global Economy, Stupid A "flat" world is opening Virginia's economy to ferocious foreign competition. Business people worry about it every day. Our candidates for statewide office appear to be clueless. E. Morgan Massey may be 78 years old, but he's still piloting his own private plane, and he'd just finished a week of flight training when I caught up with him on the phone a few weeks ago. Over his long career, he has created more wealth than any but a handful of Virginia entrepreneurs, and he did it in the brutally competitive U.S. coal industry, battling geology, other coal operators and the United Mine Workers of America. After building the A.T. Massey Coal Company into one of the largest coal mining enterprises in Central Appalachia, he set about developing empires abroad, founding new ventures to extract coal from Venezuela and China. 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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