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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 Not, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, R&D / Intellectual Property, People, 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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Mennel Milling Expands to Roanoke County ROANOKE--The Mennel Milling Company, an Ohio-based miller of specialty flours, will invest $30.8 million to relocate hits facility in the City of Roanoke, making room for the biomedical park planned for downtown, to Roanoke County. The company mills flours for cake mixes, cookies, snack crackers, breadings, batters, gravies, soups, ice cream cones, pretzels, oriental noodles, and regional branded breads. Major customers include Maple Leaf Foods, Nestlé, Hershey and Interbake. More. Illinois Manufacturer Hot for Southside CLARKSVILLE--American Industrial Heat Transfer, Inc., will invest $11 million to move its business from Zion, Ill., to the Roanoke River Regional Business Park, a joint venture between Mecklenburg and Brunswick Counties. The move will bring 85 jobs to Virginia. Relocating from Zion, American Industrial Heat Transfer manufactures more than 30 product lines of air cooled and liquid cooled heat exchangers. More. Curam Locates North American H.Q. in Herndon HERNDON--Curam Software, the leading provider of Social Enterprise Management (SEM) software solutions, has opened its North American headquarters in Herndon. SEM software fosters holistic, convenient services for citizens, and provides screening for needs and referrals to state- and community-based resources. The company noted that its new location put it "within the heart of Virginia's technology corridor, as well as on the doorstep of Washington, D.C." More. In Brief... VIRGINIA BEACH-Liberty Tax Service, which claims to be the fastest-growing tax preparation service in history, has opened a branch office in Los Angeles. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||
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Clarabridge Raises $3 Million in Financing FALLS CHURCH-Clarabridge, a developer of text mining software, has raised $3 million in financing to continue product development and the expansion of its sales and marketing efforts. Clarabridge's newly released Content Mining Platform transforms unstructured content - contracts, filings, forms, call center notes, medical records, insurance claims, emails, etc. - into information that can be directly mined using standard businesses intelligence (BI) tools, such as MicroStrategy, Cognos and Business Objects. Clarabridge bridges the gap between the worlds of unstructured and structured data. Said President Justin Langseth: "Clarabridge users can, for example, see how certain patterns of communication lead to the loss or retention of customers over time by merging call center notes and email logs, with structured service data and demographics information." More. Compass Achieves Top Microsoft Partner Sales in Mid-Atlantic CHESAPEAKE-Compass Technology, a Gold Certified Partner providing Microsoft-based contact management solutions, has achieved top sales honors for the newly released Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 3.0 software. Compass posted the results based on a large commitment from a client, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), resulting in the largest single sale by seat size for the November 2005 sales period in the Mid-Atlantic region. Seeking an integrated CRM solution that would help improve marketing, uncover additional opportunities, and tie together its fundraising activities, CBN opted for Compass CRM for Fundraisers. Read full press release. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Not... | |||||||||||||||||
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NOVA Closes Chesapeake Polystyrene Plant CHESAPEAKE--NOVA Chemicals Corporation, of Pittsburgh, Pa., will close its Chesapeake polystyrene manufacturing plant and technology center later this year. Said Chris Pappas, president of the company's Styrenics business: "We continue to drive cost improvements in our Styrenics business as aggressively as possible. We were able to take this step because upgrades to the Performance Products operations at our Belpre, Ohio, site freed up capacity at other locations." More. Professional Products Closes Virginia Offices GAITHERSBURG--Professional Products, Inc., a provider of hardware and software solutions for broadcast, video on demand, and presentation, is closing satellite offices in Hampton and Richmond. Said CEO Bruce Kaufman: "With our success nationally in verticals such as higher education, medical school clinical skills labs, national security, training and entertainment, we have decided to focus company resources on specific customers instead of in specific geographic markets." More. Vulture Watch: The Mills Corp ARLINGTON--Lasky & Rifkind, Ltd., a New York law firm, has filed a class action lawsuit against The Mills Corp., a shopping-center developer, alleging that management had issued false and misleading statements about its financial condition. On Jan. 6, the company restated earnings from 2000 through 2005, taking a charge of $71 million. More. Since then, two other law firms have piled on. In Brief... HARRISONBURG-FNB Southeast, a subsidiary of Greensboro, N.C.-based FNB Financial Services Corporation, has recorded credit losses of $8.2 million after identifying "a significant number of loans" in its Harrisonburg, Va., region that had questionable appraisals or were incorrectly graded for credit risk. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||
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KBR on Call for Immigration Emergencies ARLINGTON-KBR, a global engineering/construction firm, has been awarded a contract potentially worth $385 million over five years to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the event of an immigration emergency. The contract provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE detention and removal facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S. The contract also may provide migrant detention support to other federal agencies. More. Northrop Grumman Wins San Diego IT Contract MCLEAN-Northrop Grumman Corporation has won a seven-year, $650 million contract to manage information technology and telecommunications services for San Diego County, the nation's fourth largest county. Services include a data center, help desk, desktop, network, applications and cross-functional services. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--ManTech International Corporation has won a sub-contract with an estimated value of $200 million to provide the U.S. Air Force with worldwide contingency services. More. ARLINGTON-General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has won a $56 million modification to an existing contact to provide fire control production, operational support, field engineering services, repair and return effort, training, and development for the TRIDENT II Fire Control system. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships | |||||||||||||||||
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United Coal Purchases Rapoca Group BRISTOL-The United Coal Company has acquired the Rapoca Group LLC, which includes 30 million tons of high-quality coal reserves, 17 mines and two major coal preparation plants in Southwest Virginia. United had sold the two coal-cleaning facilities to Massey Energy in 1997. Massey subsequently divested the Virginia operations to Rapoca. Clyde Stacy, owner of Rapoca, in turn re-sold the operations to United, taking a minority stake in the company. After building one of the largest independent coal-mining operations in Appalachia, United owner Jim McGlothlin bailed out of the coal business in the 1990s when the industry was plagued with overcapacity. After investing successfully in oil, gas and other industries, he's rebuilding his coal empire. The company expects to produce more than 6 million tons in 2006 from 27 mines and seven coal preparation plants. More. Alpha Natural Resources to Mine/Build Coalfields Expressway ABINGDON--Alpha Natural Resources has agreed to join the Virginia Department of Transportation and others in advancing the proposed 51-mile Coalfields Expressway project, connecting southwestern Virginia counties to the West Virginia Expressway. Alpha and Pioneer Group, Inc., will offset as much as half the cost of the $2.3 billion construction project by mining coal along the route. Alpha's acquisition of the Nicewonder Coal Group in October included the acquisition of a road construction and coal recovery business that is working on an 11-mile segment of the 90-mile King Coal Highway in southern West Virginia. Over the life of the project, Alpha expects to recover approximately 3 million tons while creating a rough-grade road base for the four-lane highway. The King Coal project will provide a template for Virginia's Coalfield Expressway. More. Genworth Acquires Medical Insurance Provider RICHMOND--Genworth Financial has agreed to pay $145 million for Continental Life Insurance Company, a Brentwood, Tenn., provider of Medicare supplement insurance. Genworth will combine its existing Medicare supplement business with Continental Life and the consolidated operations will report to Genworth's long-term care insurance business. Said Genworth executive George Zippel: "Continental Life enhances our presence in the Medicare supplement insurance space, more than doubling our existing book of business." More. XcelPlus Licenses Bird Flu Treatment in Canada SALUDA--XcelPlus International Inc., has sold exclusive licensing rights for the distribution of its Eliminator 200 product in Canada to Prism Equity Holdings, a Nevada corporation with offices in Canada. XcelPlus bills Eliminator 200, which is applied to the surfaces of poultry pens, as a treatment to contain outbreaks of bird flu. Meanwhile, the company announced that the product is being tested in an Australian lab. Eliminator 200 supposedly works by cleaving the amino and sulfur linkages in the protein chains that comprise the bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc., killing the organism with an oxidizing agent. More. Arlington Approves 23-Story Condo ARLINGTON-The Arlington County Board of Supervisors has approved a site plan to build a 23-story high-rise residential building on the Arlington Gateway site in Ballston. As part of the project, the developer will construct a substantial part of the new western entrance to the Ballston Metro station. The all-glass, mixed-use building, known as Fairmont, will have 237 units and ground-floor retail. Said Board Chair Chris Zimmerman: "Opening a western entrance to the Ballston Metro station is a long-standing goal for Arlington. The new entrance will improve accessibility to the Metro for many residents, workers, and visitors." More. Comstock Hits Load with Parker Chandler RESTON--Comstock Homebuilding Companies, Inc., has purchased Parker Chandler Homes, Inc., a fast-growing homebuilder in the Atlanta region. With 1,600 lots in its land inventory, Parker Chandler is projected to generate approximately $75 million in total revenue in 2006. More. In Brief... RICHMOND--First Potomac Realty Trust, a Bethesda, Md.-based REIT, has acquired a six-building portfolio of Class A flex/warehouse properties totaling 632,790 square feet in the Richmond market from Liberty Property Trust for $40 million in cash. More. FALLS CHURCH-Verizon has won a cable franchise for Falls Church City, setting the stage for genuine cable competition for the city's 10,900 potential viewers. More. DUBLIN-First Bancorp, of Troy, N.C., has agreed to purchase the First Citizens branch located in Dublin, which holds $20 million in deposits. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||
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Multicity Adds Blogs to Communications Suite MCLEAN-Multicity, a developer of online communications solutions, has introduced Suite 3.5 of its communications/publish solution with blogging functionality. The service combines blogs, chat-rooms, message boards, Web polls and more to manage an online communities. These tools allow users to gather market intelligence, extend the reach of their content and control their message. An advanced feature is real-time language translation. More. Ai Metrix: Coming to an Alternate Reality Near You... RESTON--Ai Metrix will provide its next-generation network management platform, NeuralStar, for use in live, virtual and constructive training environments. NeuralStar will support the Joint National Training Capability in combining computer simulation with live combat troops, ground artillery, tanks and aircraft located at US bases, garrisons and combat commands. More. Wireless Matrix to Help with Rail Car Tracking RESTON--Wireless Matrix Corporation has joined with two other technology companies to provide a mobile computing solution to RailCrewXpress. The solution allows RailCrewXpress to record the location and transportation activity of the company's vehicles in real-time though GPS tracking. Wireless Matrix will supply up to 1,200 Mobile Base Station 2 units and communication services for the solution; the first 500 represent more than $1.5 million in revenue. More. MicroStrategy Upgrades Business Intelligence Software MCLEAN-MicroStrategy Incorporated, a provider of business intelligence software, has released MicroStrategy 8, which can report on, analyze, and monitor data contained in all major relational databases as well as multidimensional sources from SAP, Microsoft, and Hyperion. Said COO Sanju Bansal: "The upcoming MicroStrategy 8 release will make it even easier for customers to standardize on the MicroStrategy platform." More. Apptix Launches Wireless Access to Microsoft Outlook HERNDON--Apptix, a provider of collaboration solutions for business, has launched GoodLink wireless messaging service to enable Microsoft Exchange-based wireless access to email, contacts and other key business information. The technology will enable Apptix to securely access Microsoft Outlook in real-time with a wide range of handheld devices. More. Cadmus Goes Wireless with RapidRights RICHMOND--Cadmus Communications Corporation has released a new version of RapidRights, its digital rights management solution, that can support the Windows mobile operating system. Said Cadmus executive Hai Tran: "In an increasingly mobile environment, it remains important for publishers and content owners to retain control and security around the distribution of their content." More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||
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AOL, IBM to Connect IM Communities DULLES-America Online has joined IBM to pool their dynamic instant messaging communities. Under the agreement, IBM Lotus users will be able to connect and communicate in real time with users of the AOL, AIM, ICQ and Apple iChat instant messaging services. AOL's instant messaging services now will reach more than 75 percent of all enterprise instant messaging users. More. RICHMOND--Gyrus, a developer of learning management technology and services, has signed a partnership agreement with BdM Development, a European distributor, to sell, implement and support its "Training Wizard MX2" learning management system. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||
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Hokies Develop Technique to Spin Nano-scale Fiber BLACKSBURG--Scientists at Virginia Tech have developed a single-step process for creating nonwoven fibrous mats from a small organic molecule, creating a nano-scale material that can be used as scaffolding for tissue growth and drug delivery. It is the first demonstration that electrostatic spinning, or electrospinning, a polymer processing technique, can be used with a small molecule to produce a fiber. More. Wahoo Prof Second Most Quoted in a Decade CHARLOTTESVILLE--The research of University of Virginia professor Wladek Minor is getting noticed in a major way. A paper, "Processing of X-ray Differentiation Data Collected in Oscillation Mode," published in 1997 with a University of Texas colleague, is now the second-most cited scientific paper in the world in the last 10 years, according to The Scientist magazine. Minor's discovery is a building block of science and may one day help doctors treat cancer patients or people with viruses. More. Mason Profs to Develop Hurricane Prediction Model FAIRFAX-A research team at George Mason University has received a $380,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to predict the frequency of Atlantic Basin hurricanes. The study will use the 150-year hurricane record to provide satellite data assimilation guidance for numerical weather prediction models to enhance the initial conditions and subsequent accuracy of the simulations. More. Intrinsic Licenses Semiconductor Polishing Process DULLES--INTRINSIC Semiconductor, a manufacturer of wide band-gap materials and devices, has licensed a process for advanced chemical mechanical polishing created at Penn State. Semiconductor polishing is required to create surface conditions suitable for subsequent process steps. The new polishing process has been shown to create atomically flat surfaces for epitaxial device layers with superior performance compared to conventional processes. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||
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Kerger to Run PBS ALEXANDRIA-PBS has appointed Paula A. Kerger as president and CEO, overseeing operations of the nation's largest public broadcasting service, comprised of 348 member stations. Kerger has served as a top executive at New York's Educational Broadcasting Corporation. More. In Brief... ARLINGTON--The AES Corporation has hired Victoria Harker as CFO; she comes from MCI, where she had served as senior vice president and treasurer. More. kSero Corporation Promotes Davenport, Wallace GLEN ALLEN--Sero Corporation, Inc., owner of kSero Centers for the Mind, has promoted Suzanne Davenport to Vice President, taking on financial and development responsibilities as an officer of the company. Said CEO Dr. Susan Hardwicke: "Suzanne Davenport has been key to the expansion of kSero Centers for the Mind, and she will have increased responsibilities as we expand our services, products, and locations." The company also has appointed neurofeedback specialist William A. Wallace to Assistant Director. kSero Corporation, Inc. strengthens mental and physical brain performance through diagnostic assessments and systematic methods. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Virginia auto sales. After peaking in August, auto sales in Virginia have fallen over recent months. For the year ending with December 2005, auto sales in Virginia dropped by 0.5 percent. The 6-month moving average for auto sales in the state stood at 39,173 in December, falling from a high of 42,660 in August. 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. Virginia HMOs Outperform National Peers RICHMOND--Virginia Health Information, an independent non-profit health information company, has published its second annual HMO Report Card. VHI scores HMO performance on member satisfaction, preventing disease, access to care, effectiveness of care, and financial performance. Said Executive Director Michael Lundberg: "From 2004 to 2005, HMO performance improved on more than 70 percent of the measures. Virginia HMOs also performed better than U.S. averages about two-thirds of the time. It is obvious Virginia HMOs are serious about performing well." More. State/Local IT Outsourcing to Reach $18 Billion by 2010 RESTON--State and local government outsourcing expenditures on information technology are expected to grow from $10 billion in fiscal year 2005 to nearly $18 billion by fiscal year 2010, according to a report released by INPUT, a provider of business intelligence on government business. Outdated system infrastructures and an aging workforce will remain major factors forcing the market's pronounced 75 percent growth over the next five years. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||
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The Little Green School Building CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Charlottesville Waldorf School is raising $6.2 million to help build the first the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) elementary school in the country. The school's "green" design will featuring a rammed earth wall, a living roof, geothermal heating and cooling, water reclamation and passive solar technologies. Said Sarah Tremaine, chair of the Charlottesville Waldorf Foundation: "We are creating a school that will be a model of affordability in green design. … At the same time, the project allows us to teach by example and to promote a new, sensible movement among other schools, corporations and individuals." More. Seawright Springs Premium Now Bottling Water STAUNTON--Seawright Holdings, Inc., has begin bottling Seawright Springs Premium Natural Spring Water with water from Augusta County. The spring, located on 145 acres of protected woodland, produces more than 300 million gallons of mineral-rich spring water per year. The water will be bottled in Baltimore. Said Joel Sens, CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based company: "Seawright Springs has been legendary for centuries in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, and we are proud to be making the water's unique mineral-rich health properties available to consumers in their local market." More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||
 He's Baaack! By protecting Russ Potts's power in the state Senate, his fellow RINO senators showed they're closer to their Democratic Party colleagues than the Republican rank and file. More. |
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Three Big Ideas What's not to like? These three transportation solutions are inexpensive, could be implemented quickly and could make a big dent on traffic congestion. When the history of the 2006 General Assembly session is written, it might be titled "The Year of Big Ideas in Transportation." Whether the Big Ideas translate into Big Improvements is an open question. Already there are signs of policy gridlock, such as the looming fights over land use reforms and tax increases. But improving transportation does not require sweeping legislative changes. There are significant improvements that can be made relatively quickly, requiring little more than political will and a commitment of relatively modest financial resources. Here are three ideas. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Events | |||||||||||||||||
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