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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 & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, R&D / Intellectual Property, Trends, Commentary, Events Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Entrepreneurial Dominion  | |||||||||||||||||
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Bucking the Trend BUTTERCUP FARM--While the rest of the music industry fights free Internet downloads and peer-to-peer sharing, Buck Howdy, a Shenandoah Valley farmer, musician and entrepreneur is encouraging his fans to download his music for free -- then to "Pass the Buck" to their friends. Howdy, who will perform at the White House Easter Egg Roll in April, is giving away 10 songs from his new kids music CD GIDDYUP! He's gambling that once folks hear the 10 songs, they'll rush out and buy the store version with all 14 songs. Howdy is the creator and host of Cow Pie Radio on XM satellite radio and dozens of local stations across the country. He also is signed to Sony Pictures Television Entertainment, producers of kid TV programs, to develop a Buck Howdy television series. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches | |||||||||||||||||
 Email Marketing Experts Partners:  The Boomer Project 
Virginia FREE 
National Association of Women Business Owners |
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MorganFranklin Moves H.Q. to Tysons TYSONS CORNER--MorganFranklin Corp., a professional services firm, has relocated its headquarters from Herndon to 28,000-square-feet of office space in Tysons Corner. The company now employs 150 and has plans to add 100 over the next year. Said CEO Bob Morgan: "Having already outgrown the current location we moved into in the fall of 2004, it became apparent that far more space was going to be needed to accommodate our rapid growth. In addition, the Herndon location was simply too far outside the Beltway to offer convenience for the majority of our employees and clients." More. American Systems Launches Consulting Group CHANTILLY--American Systems, a systems integrator, has formed an Enterprise Consulting Group to offer high-end, repeatable consulting solutions that enable customers, primarily in the commercial market, to control and manage information and protect valuable corporate assets. Said CEO Bill Hoover: "Initially, the ECG will focus sales and delivery efforts on existing customer relationships along the East Coast and in Puerto Rico, primarily in the financial and healthcare sectors." More. Polycom Opens Training Center in Herndon HERNDON--Polycom, Inc., a California developer of collaborative communications solutions, has opened a customer training center in Herndon. Said Polycom executive Geno Alissi: "We've made this investment in the Washington, D.C. area for the government sector to ensure they have the best training and education programs available locally." More. In Brief... RICHMOND--Harris Williams & Co., an investment banking firm serving middle-market companies, has opened a Philadelphia office, supplementing its locations in Richmond, Boston and San Francisco. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||
Searchable Business Database 
Virginia Technology Alliance |
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NTELOS Announces IPO WAYNESBORO--NTELOS Holdings Corp., an integrated communications company serving markets in seven states, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering. The company contemplates selling 14,375,000 shares of common stock for between $15 and $17 per share, raising an roughly $230 million. More. OcuCure Eyeballs Venture Funding ROANOKE--OcuCure Therapeutics has secured an investment by the Carilion Biomedical Institute in support of OcuCure's work on proprietary drugs and technologies to prevent vision loss, particularly age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD afflicts nearly 15 million people in the United States, and almost one in three over the age of 75. OcuCure's drug, which will be tested in animal studies, treats the growth of abnormal retinal blood vessels that cause the malady. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||
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Alion to Support Advanced Materials Center MCLEAN--Alion Science and Technology has been awarded a contract potentially worth $99 million to operate the Advanced Materials, Manufacturing and Testing Information Analysis Center. The Center provides the defense sector with technical support in materials selection and behavior; manufacturing technology, including robotics; and materials, manufacturing, and system inspection and testing. More. SI International to Process Immigrant Visas RESTON--SI International, Inc., an IT and network solutions company, has won a contract potentially worth $84 million over five years to perform more than 20 million immigrant visa transactions each year. Tasks involve handling approximately 10 million pieces of mail received and over 700,000 telephone inquiries each year under the permanent immigrant visa program and processing millions of electronic submissions for the eDiversity Lottery program. More. dbsXmedia to Supply Satellite Capacity to Christian Broadcaster VIENNA-dbsXmedia, a subsidiary of Ariel Way, Inc., will supply capacity and satellite signal turns for broadcasts by Global Christian Communications Inc. The GCCI network provides Christian programming to member groups and churches across the globe. dbsXmedia will provide GCCI with network capacity for over 300 hours of broadcasting per year using dbsXmedia and third-party satellite capacity from Loral Skynet. More. AeroAstro Technology Penetrates Asian Markets ASHBURN--AeroAstro, a microsatellite technology pioneer, has installed a new AeroAstro SENS Applique at a ground station in Yeo Ju, Korea. The unit, one of several purchased by Globalstar LLC, provides coverage throughout Korea, much of Southeast Asia, parts of China, and the Western Pacific. The SENS Applique, an add-on to existing Globalstar ground stations, receives and decodes remote sensing data from field transmitters via the Globalstar LEO satellite network. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--ManTech International Corporation has received a contract potentially worth $3.8 million over five years to provide technical and analytical support to felony criminal investigations pertaining to intrusions into Army networks and to perform vulnerability assessments for the Army information assurance program. More. FALLS CHURCH--Raytheon Company has been awarded a follow-on contract to produce ground segments for Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk program, which will support the U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aerial system. More. RESTON--SI International, Inc., has won a contract potentially worth $4 million over two years from the Air Force Space Command to provide systems engineering and technical analysis supporting the development of operating concepts for future Ballistic Missile Defense systems. More. CHARLOTTESVILLE-ScholarOne has signed a five-year enterprise contact with Blackwell Publishing, the world's leading society publisher, to use ScholarOne's Manuscript Central as its preferred online peer review system. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships | |||||||||||||||||
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Winklers Unload Real Estate Portfolio for $2.3 Billion ALEXANDRIA-The Mark Winkler Company has agreed to sell 32 suburban office and light industrial buildings, along with operating assets, to Indianapolis, Ind.-based Duke Realty Corporation. The portfolio encompasses more than 2.9 million square feet, located primarily in the Alexandria/Interstate 395 corridor, Chantilly and the U.S. 28 North corridor, as well as 350 acres of land in Virginia and Baltimore that can support future development of 6.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial property. More. The Washington Post reports that the closely held Winkler family real estate company reaped $2.3 billion in the transaction. More. AES to Build Panama Power Plant ARLINGTON-Energy producer AES Corporation will construct a $320 million hydroelectric power plant in Panama. When completed, the 150-megawatt facility will more than double AES' previous generating capacity, making it the largest electric producer in the country. More. Cavalier, Elantic Merge Routes, Create 11,000-mile Fiber Network RICHMOND--Cavalier Telephone, a full-service local telephone company, has completed the acquisition of Elantic Telecom, merging two large fiber-optic systems serving the Eastern U.S. The Elantic Network, equipped with the latest Internet Protocol and SONET technology, operates an 8,200-mile system. Cavalier's system, concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic operates a 3,000-mile network. For the past 18 months, Cavalier has been providing management, engineering and operating support to Elantic through a management services agreement. More. You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours BRISTOL-John and Joe Gregory, founders of King Pharmaceuticals, have invested in the United Coal Company - the first outsiders ever to take an ownership stake in the closely held company. In a sense, United founder Jim McGlothlin is returning the favor: Nearly a decade ago, he had invested successfully in King Pharmaceuticals, a Bristol, Tenn., company that started as a contract pharmaceutical manufacturer and now conducts its own R&D and owns its own brands. McGlothlin launched United Coal in 1970, sold it in 1997, and then restarted it in 2004. Since then, the company has developed proven recoverable coal reserves in excess of 165 million tons and is on track to produce more than 6 million clean tons of coal annually. More. Listen Up, People - Keppler Acquires Speakers Bureau ARLINGTON--Keppler Speakers, a bureau known for its roster of celebrity and inspirational speakers, has acquired the Clifford Agency, a bureau with a line-up of high-content business speakers. Keppler speakers range from novelist David Baldacci to General Hugh Shelton, from South African statesman F.W. de Klerk to entertainer Ellen Degeneres. More. Goin' to the Chapel… and We're Gonna Get Acquired… MCLEAN--John Chapel, COO of OPTIMUS Corporation, has acquired sole ownership of OPTIMUS as well as Performance Management Consulting, Inc. He will operate the two companies as separate, wholly-owned subsidiaries of newly formed AVIEL Systems Inc. Said Chapel: "By consolidating ownership and financial management under AVIEL Systems, Inc., we can deliver an expanded range of services to current and prospective customers with increased efficiency, further building on our reputation as a responsive and trusted partner to the homeland security and national defense agencies." More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--SiloSmashers, a technology consulting firm, has acquired the Martis Group, of Dallas-Fort Worth, in a deal that will expand SiloSmashers' program management offerings and increase its commercial client base. More. ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc. has delayed closing on its acquisition of Information Systems Support, Inc., after ISS lost a re-competition on a major contract, triggering a revised valuation of ISS. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||
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New Gear for the Discriminating Police Officer NORFOLK--BlackHawk Products Group, a manufacturer of tactical gear for the military, has introduced a new line of law enforcement gear that combines the crisp look of molded nylon with the abrasion resistance of Cordura nylon. Equipment includes a duty holster, a duty belt that helps prevent neuro-muscular injuries, magazine pouch, handcuff pouch, flashlight pouch, a latex glove pouch, a radio case, two chemical agent holders, a silent key holder, and both expandable and straight baton carriers. More. eStara Introduces Click-to-Chat RESTON--eStara, a provider of multi-channel communications solutions for retailers, has launched a real-time text chat solution. The product enables eStara customers to offer Click-to-Chat service, either as a stand-along product or along with eStara's flagship Click-to-Call solution. Click-to-Chart allows online shoppers to communicate directly with a human customer service representative at the click of a button. Enriching e-commerce with these solutions reduces shopping cart abandonment, increases transaction conversion rates and boosts revenue. More. NASA Sensors Improve Flight-Path Weather Data HAMPTON--Weather forecasters are making better local predictions for pilots thanks to an airborne sensor tested at NASA's Langley Research Center. Langley led the team that designed, built and equipped dozens of Mesaba Airlines aircraft with the Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Report instrument. The instrument allows aircraft to automatically sense and report atmospheric conditions, measuring temperature, humidity, pressure, winds, icing and turbulence. More. VIDAR Upgrades Film Digitizer Software HERNDON--VIDAR Systems Corporation, a developer of medical film digitizer technology, has released Clinical Express 3.0 software for mammography. Employed with VIDAR's film digitizer, the software allows film-based studies to be digitized and then reviewed alongside new studies on digital mammography workstations. More. In Brief... MANASSAS--Lockheed Martin has added an innovative capability for the U.S. military's Defense Message System that makes secure messaging more manageable and cost effective. More. MANASSAS--NCS Technologies, a provider of servers, internet appliances, notebooks, desktops and industrial computers, has released its next generation 64-bit Intel and AMD server appliance products. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||
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Jamestown, NASA Langley to Link Exploration HAMPTON--NASA's Langley Research Center is partnering with Jamestown 2007, planners of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, to link historical exploration leading to founding of Jamestown with NASA's vision for space exploration. Millions of visitors are expected to participate in educational, public outreach and cultural events planned from spring 2006 through fall 2007. Said Langley's director Lesa Roe: "The drive to explore the unknown has been one of the constants in the history of the nation." More. LifeNet Expands Alliance with St. Judes VIRGINIA BEACH-LifeNet, a full-service Organ Procurement Organization, is expanding its alliance with St. Jude Medical, of St. Paul, Minn., to include vascular allografts for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Said LifeNet CEO Richard L. Hurwitz: "Through our alliance with St. Jude Medical, LifeNet has grown to become the nation's largest supplier of cardiac allografts. This new representation extension will further LifeNet's leadership position in the cardiovascular allograft market." More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||
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In Brief... RADFORD-New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced that the U.S. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review New River's new drug application for NRP104, a compound for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children aged 6 to 12. More. HERNDON--Clareos, a developer of enterprise platforms for on-demand analysis of multi-terabyte datasets, has acquired a patent covering techniques that generate up to 50 times faster performance compared to traditional relational database technologies. More. kSero Releases Findings on After-school Programs and Cognitive Skills GLEN ALLEN--kSero Corporation, Inc., has announced findings from a U.S. Department of Education grant on after-school programs and cognitive skill development. "The Innovative Cognitive Learning Project's findings underscore the missed opportunity for developing critical cognitive skills needed for language, math, science, and social studies," according to Dr. Susan Hardwicke, president of kSERO Corporation and author of the study. More. | |||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Employment growth in Virginia has fallen below the national pace over recent months. For the year ending with December 2005, employment increased by 1.1 percent in the state compared to 1.5 percent growth in the nation. During that period, Winchester (+4.7 percent), Northern Virginia (+3.0 percent), and Richmond (+2.7 percent) showed the strongest employment growth among the state's metropolitan areas. Only Danville (-4.5 percent) contracted over this period. 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. Business Forecast for 2006 Still Looks Strong RICHMOND-Despite higher interest rates and oil prices, Richmond-area CEOs foresee stronger revenues, more hiring and more capital spending this year-a continuation of the last year's rosy business climate. In the survey taken by the 100 members of the Virginia Council of CEOs, respondents predicted an increase of almost $1 million in average revenue. More. Be Nice to a Woman, You May End Up Working for Her FAIRFAX COUNTY-The number of woman-owned firms in Fairfax County increased 18.5 percent between 1997 and 2002, according to figures just released by the U.S. Census Bureau. But the number of people employed by the woman-owned firms rose 29.3 percent over the same period and payroll surged 54.3 percent. Despite those remarkable gains, about 86 percent of all woman-owned businesses in the county are sole proprietorships. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||
 Kaine's Plan Doesn't Cut It Tim Kaine's transportation plan will cost more money - and it won't work. More. |
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The Waste in Maintenance If the General Assembly doesn't tackle the $200 million-a-year waste in road maintenance, lawmakers can't even pretend to be serious about curtailing state spending. Early in a contract with the Virginia Department of Transportation, inspectors at VMS Inc. spotted a rough patch on Interstate 95 north of Richmond, near the Parham Road interchange. The company, which has a 10-year contract to maintain 1,250 lane-miles of Virginia's Interstate system, paved it over. Two years later, the same stretch of road started falling apart again. When VMS engineers took a closer look, they discovered that there was a creek running under the road. The moisture was affecting the entire roadbed and accelerating the rate of deterioration of the pavement on the surface. Even though VMS was not contractually obligated to make capital improvements, it paid the expense of installing under-drains out of its own pocket. More. | ||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Events | |||||||||||||||||
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