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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, Partnerships & Collaborations, People, R&D / Intellectual Property, Trends, Other News, Commentary, Events, Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wytheville: Amcor's PET WYTHEVILLE--Amcor PET Packaging, a global packaging company, will invest $105 million to develop a manufacturing operation in Wythe County's Progress Park, creating 144 new jobs. The company will supply hot fillable plastic bottles to the beverage industry. Amcor PET Packaging is the leading manufacturer of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic packaging for the global beverage, food and non-food industries, with more than 80 manufacturing sites located in 20 countries. More. Coors Expands - Again - in Rockingham ELKTON--Coors Brewing Company will invest $24 million to expand its Rockingham County facility. The expansion, which will create eight new jobs, will allow Coors to improve production efficiency through the addition of a new high-speed line. The move comes on the heels of Coors' announcement in August 2004 to open a brewery at the Shenandoah facility. More. Intermet Invests $14.3 Million in Radford RADFORD--Intermet Corporation, a supplier of cast-metal automotive components, will invest $14.3 million to expand its Radford facility as part of a consolidation of its manufacturing capabilities. The Troy, Mich.-based company expects to create 175 jobs over 30 months. More. Timken Expands in Campbell County ALTAVISTA--The Timken Company, an Ohio-based maker of highly-engineered bearings and alloy steel, will invest $10.27 million to expand its Campbell County facility. The company will add production capacity and create 50 jobs to manufacture light-duty pickup truck and sports utility vehicle wheel-hub bearing assemblies. The Altavista facility is a star performer for the company. Said John Plazak, plant manager: "Access to a strong, well-educated workforce and excellent infrastructure in a pro-growth business environment has been integral to our success in Virginia." More. Scranton Firm Opens Customer Support Facility in Gordonsville GORDONSVILLE--Diversified Information Technologies, a business process management firm, will invest $10.16 million to open a customer support facility in Orange County and create 200 jobs. The Scranton, Pa., firm helps clients transfer paper-based file management systems to a secure, electronic environment. More. Raytheon Adds to Suffolk Modeling & Simulation Cluster SUFFOLK--Raytheon Company will open a facility in Suffolk that will provide computer modeling, simulation and imaging services for the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military services. The 22,000-square-foot facility, to be located near other government and private-sector modeling & simulation operations, will employ 15 people. The company anticipates that it will grow in size and employment. More. SAVVIS Forms Federal Unit HERNDON-SAVVIS. A global IT utility services provider, has formed SAVVIS Federal Systems, Inc., specializing in the IT needs of the federal government. The unit will offer the full range of SAVVIS services via its GSA Schedule 70 contract, including hosting, networking, digital content services, managed security services, and professional services. SAVVIS Federal Systems also has been awarded a contract to stream and cache all International Broadcasting Bureau broadcasts worldwide, including the Voice of America, using SAVVIS' global Content Delivery Network. VOA, which broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of programming each week, will make those broadcasts downloadable over the Internet. More. Telvista to Hire 250 in Danville DANVILLE-Telvista, Inc., an operator of customer service contact centers, will invest $1.1 million in technology upgrades to expand staffing at its Danville facility. The company will hire an additional 250 employees, reaching 750 by the end of 2006. More. Polymer Solutions Invests $2.2 Million in Hokietown BLACKSBURG-Polymer Solutions Inc., an independent lab that provides testing and R&D services, will invest $2.2 million to build a new headquarters and house expanded lab facilities. The company, which currently employs 14, expects to add six new jobs. More. Advanced Logic Builds New H.Q. Building, Hires 10 BLACKSBURG--Advanced Logic Industries, a regional IT consulting firm, will invest $1.1 million to construct a 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot building to serve as a corporate headquarters, training, and light manufacturing facility. The company, which has 51 employees, expects to create 10 new jobs. More. In Brief... MCLEAN--Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., the nation's largest provider of senior living services, has started construction on 15 new senior living communities -- six of them in Europe. More. RICHMOND--Alcoa Flexible Packaging, a packaging and consumer business unit within Alcoa Inc., will consolidate its custom thermoforming operations into a new pharmaceutical and medical packaging center of excellence at its Downingtown, Pa., location. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ORBCOMM Raises $110 Million in Equity Financing DULLES--ORBCOMM, a global satellite telecommunications company, has completed equity financings totaling more than $110 million. Proceeds will be used primarily to fund ORBCOMM's next-generation satellite program, which will replenish the existing 30 satellites in the company's low-earth orbit constellation and upgrade the network's infrastructure over the next few years. The new satellites will have unique features and capabilities. More. PixelOptics Eyes $32 Million in Capital ROANOKE-PixelOptics, Inc., has struck an agreement with Boston Health Group, Inc., of San Diego, that will provide up to $32 million in equity and debt funding to finish development of Pixel's dynamic focusing eyeglasses for the correction of presbyopia (loss of near vision after the age of 45). An estimated 110 million people in the United States and 1.6 million worldwide suffer from the malady. Said Babak Nemati, CEO of Boston Health Group: "The dynamic focusing lens that Pixel has invented and is developing for commercialization could represent the most significant advance in eyeglasses for presbyopes since Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals in 1784." More. Softek Snares $10 Million in Debt Financing MCLEAN-Softek Storage Solutions, a developer of data migration solutions, has raised $10 million in senior debt financing from ORIX Venture Finance. The refinancing will strengthen Softek's balance sheet and fuel faster growth. Softek's solutions enable customers to see, move and recover data, regardless of the server platform or storage vendor they use, reducing downtime during data movement from hours to minutes. Said Henry "Huck" O'Connor, principal of the ORIX Northern Virginia office: "Softek is clearly the non-disruptive migration vendor of choice." More. 
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CGI-AMS Snags $300 Million Virginia IT Contract RICHMOND--The Commonwealth of Virginia has selected CGI-AMS Inc. as its private sector partner to transform administration of the state's business and information technology programs. The initial value of the seven-year contract for CGI-AMS is expected to be up to $300 million, with two optional three-year renewal periods. The Virginia Enterprise Applications Architecture public-private partnership will consolidate and modernize processes and technology for financial, human resources, supply chain, and administrative management. More. ATS Nabs Border Contract MCLEAN--Advanced Technology Systems has won a five-year, $11.9 million contract to support the development of the Border and Transportation Security Network, an information management network test bed for supporting Border Patrol operations in the field and in regional and national offices. The Network will provide connectivity and situational awareness. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--Anteon International Corporation has been awarded a contract potentially worth $90 million over five years to provide C4i (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) operations and maintenance support to United States Forces Korea. More. CHANTILLY--American Systems Corporation has been awarded a $43 million contract to support the Department of Defense Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program. More. SUFFOLK--Science Applications International Corporation has been awarded a three-year, $7.5 million time-and-materials contract to provide management and engineering support services to the Joint Warfighting Center at the United States Joint Forces Command. More. ARLINGTON--General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has received an initial $6.7 million award under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Navy sensor, weapon and combat systems. More. SPRINGFIELD--VERSAR, Inc., has been awarded a $3.1 million expansion of its construction-management contract in support of the Air Force Center of Environmental Excellence's reconstruction mission in Iraq. More. HERNDON--Strategic Thought, Inc., a London company with operations in Fairfax County, has won a $1.7 million contract supplying its Active Risk Manager Software to NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. More. CHARLOTTESVILLE--GE Fanuc Automation, Inc., is working with CH2M HILL, a multinational engineering firm and designer of Singapore's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System. More. HERNDON--Guardian Technologies International, Inc., a developer of intelligent imaging informatics solutions, has received permission to export its PinPoint explosive detection technology to Mexico to help aviation authorities bolster their security systems. More. HARRISONBURG--Fairfield Language Technologies, creator of Rosetta Stone language immersion software, has renewed its contract with Berlitz, the world's premier provider of language instruction. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Acquires Video Search Pioneer DULLES-American Online Inc., has acquired Truveo, Inc., a pioneer in Internet video search. The California firm, which uses a proprietary web crawling technology called "Visual Crawling," has amassed one of the most comprehensive indexes of high-quality, current video on the web. The technology discovers video files and related information on complex, dynamic web pages - a challenging task for existing conventional crawling technologies. Said Truveo co-founder Tim Tuttle: "The next few years will see a dramatic increase in the amount of video available on the web." More. Stanley Gobbles Morgan Research ARLINGTON--Stanley, Inc., a professional services company, has agreed to acquire Morgan Research Corporation, of Huntsville, Ala., a provider of technology services in software development, systems engineering, electro-optics, Microsystems, material sciences and nanotechnology to federal government customers. Said Stanley CEO Phil Nolan: "The acquisition … provides us with the platform to expand our presence in Huntsville and the opportunity to further strengthen relationships with existing customers through a broader range of services." More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Strangest Advertising Scheme Ever
CENTREVILLE-David Pitlyuk and Jason Gunther, two tech geeks who want to raise money to open their own bar, have come up with one of the strangest money-making schemes under the sun: SmashMyViper.com. The SmashMyViper website features a million-pixel grid. For $1 per pixel, advertisers can buy space on the grid where curiosity seekers will see their ad. As a bonus, the bigger the ad clients buy, the more damage that can wreak upon Gunther's prized Dodge Viper. Small ads buy you a key scratch, bigger ads a swing with a baseball bat, and even bigger ads damage inflicted by a SmashMyViper.com girl. Photos and videos of the mayhem are posted on the SmashMyViper.com blog. So far advertisers have snapped up 4,300 pixels. Only 995,700 to go. More. Velocity Micro Unleashes World's Highest Performing AMD PC at Best Buy RICHMOND-Velocity Micro, a manufacturer of high-performance PCs, is distributing "the world's fastest PC" through Best Buy stores. The Gamers' Edge DualX T1425 is highlighted by the powerful AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual-core processor. Said CEO Randy Copeland: "We have created the world's highest performing PC. More. ROI Squared Updates Business Intelligence Software VIENNA--ROI Squared has released Version 3.0 of its Market Intelligence Platform, which provides pharmaceutical companies with market intelligence. Version 3.0 allows customers to view, measure and analyze information from in depth profiling of physicians, their markets and therapies through multiple data sources. More. Access America, US Air Expand Travel Insurance Options RICHMOND--Access America, a provider of travel insurance, has partnered with Arlington-based US Airways Vacations to offer protection to travelers booking vacations on usairways.com and through the company's reservation center. The Travel Protection Plan combines US Airways Vacations' existing cancellation waiver with new Access America post-departure insurance benefits. The $49 domestic plan, said Beth Goodlin with Access America, "is a great way for travelers to easily protect their trip investment and their vacation memories." More. In Brief... HERNDON--Apptix, a provider of managed messaging and collaboration solutions, has launched an archiving and monitoring service to help small and midsized businesses meet regulatory mandates such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Enters Video-on-Demand Space DULLES-American Online Inc. is partnering with Intel Corporation to deliver AOL's digital entertainment services, including its new AOL Video Service, to consumers' living rooms via Intel ViiV technology-based PCs. AOL.com content - from music, movies, TV shows, videos and more - will be tailored for Intel's new platform, making the content easily viewable on home television sets and other devices. Said America Online CEO Jon Miller: "This new initiative extends AOL's leadership in the on-demand video space, which includes an extensive library of original and licensed videos, powerful video search, advancements such as the 'Hi-Q' video format. … We are creating new ways for consumers to watch and interact with content by bringing a high-quality, on-demand media experience into the living room." More. CBI Partners with Prism to Commercialize Peptide Technologies RICHMOND--Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. (CBI), has reached an agreement with Prism Pharmaceuticals, Inc., of King of Prussia, Pa., to develop, manufacture and commercialize CBI's helix-based peptide technologies. Conceived, developed and patented by CBI, this series of compounds is currently under investigation for the treatment of acute care cardiovascular indications. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Be Gone, Ye Screw Frames RICHMOND--The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center has combined two state-of-the-art systems that make it possible to remove once-inoperable cancer tumors. Combining a Trilogy linear accelerator and an ExacTrac X-Ray positioning system, VCU docs can visualize and target tumors within 0.4 miligrams of accuracy, making it possible to operate near blood vessels, nerve chords and other critical structures. Unlike other "non-invasive" treatments, the dual technology does not require doctors to screw frames into patients' heads to immobilize them. More. In Brief... RICHMOND--Insmed Incorporated has initiated Phase 2 clinical study at the University of Rochester investigating the use of its iPlex compound (formerly called SomatoKine) for the treatment of myotonic muscular dystrophy, a form of adult muscular dystrophy that affects an estimated 40,000 individuals in the United States. More. CIT Awarded $1.8 Million Grant for Coastal Observation HERNDON--The Center for Innovative Technology announced today that it has been awarded a $1.8 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to continue Coastal Observation, a program that uses sensor technologies to monitor in real time the influence of the Chesapeake Bay on nearby coastal ocean margin ecosystems. The program will deploy a fleet of solar-powered Surface Autonomous Vehicles outfitted with ocean and weather sensors that can be monitored from a desktop. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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HERNDON--Triple Canopy, Inc., a security solutions company, has promoted Roger A. Young as president, reporting to CEO Lee Van Arsdale. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Richmond employment growth. The chart displays employment growth for Richmond MSA alongside growth in Virginia. Employment trends in Richmond have closely followed state trends since 1991. For the year ending with the second quarter of 2005, employment increased by 2.1 percent in Richmond compared to 2.3 percent growth in the state. During that period, Richmond gained 12,007 jobs, or over 15 percent of the 78,704 jobs gained 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, these data are not available for localities. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here, or call (804) 649-1107. 2005 Online Holiday Spending Up 25 Percent RESTON-Online, non-travel spending during the 2005 holiday season (November 1 through December 31, 2005) totaled $19.6 billion, representing a 25-percent increase over the same period in 2004, according to research released by comScore Networks. Total Internet spending for the reach reached $143.2 billion, up 22 percent. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Virginians Won't Freeze this Winter Thanks to Dominion Rate Freeze RICHMOND--A fuel rate freeze put in place two years ago by the Virginia General Assembly will save the typical Dominion residential customer about $260 during 2005 and 2006. The cap protected consumers from the impact of higher fuel prices as well as more than $2 billion spent to pay for clean air. Said Mark McGettrick, CEO of Dominion Generation: "The rate stability in Virginia stands in sharp contrast to the recent rate increases for many other utilities." More. Does This Mean We Don't Have to Take Off our Shoes Anymore? WASHINGTON--The Transportation Security Administration has deployed explosives detection machines at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, joining 21 other airports nationally slated for protection. When passengers enter the trace portal, they stand still for a few seconds while several "bursts" of air are released, dislodging microscopic particles that are collected and analyzed for traces of explosive. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 A Pricing Approach to Growth Growth in Virginia is inevitable but sprawl is not. The key is not more government control but less -- in particular, an end to transportation subsidies. More. |
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"Then Let Them Stand" With the Virginia Capitol under construction, the Governor and General Assembly will convene this month in unfamiliar surroundings. It is from British statesman, prime minister and author Winston Churchill that we got the phrase, "We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." Environment and circumstance can drive behavior. So the shape of the Kaine Administration in 2006 and the shape of the work to be done by the Virginia General Assembly this year may be distinctive as they embark from new and different physical points of departure. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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