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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions & Relocations, 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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Brainware Sets up Dulles H.Q. DULLES--Brainware, Inc. formerly the Brainware Division of SER Solutions, Inc., has opened a new U.S. headquarters in Dulles. The company's suite of data-capture solutions streamline the manual entry of data. "There is an increasing understanding in corporations that paper documents are not going away and will continue to form part of business transactional sets," said Harvey Spencer, an analyst who follows the document capture market. "Capturing the information from these paper documents …in an efficient manner is critical in today's business environment. As a result, we have forecasted a compound annual growth of 15.4 percent through 2008." More. Competitive Intelligence... When You Need It Information is essential to a successful business. You must know your market and your competitors. A trend emerging today can turn your world upside down tomorrow. You must spot such trends and prepare for the changes they will bring. VA Newswire is offering a new product -- competitive intelligence reporting that will collect data of all types, analyze it and provide written, confidential documents customized to your needs. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Everest Secures $8 Million in Venture Funding DULLES--Everest Software, Inc., (formerly iCode, Inc.), a provider of business management software for small and medium-sized businesses, has raised $8 million in venture capital funding, which it will use to broaden product development and support sales/marketing goals. Said investor Andy Jones with Boulder Ventures: "Everest Software [brings] to market a comprehensive and affordable business management solution that has the capability to change the way growing companies operate their businesses." More. Convera Grosses $38 Million in Stock Sale VIENNA--Convera Corporation, a developer of Web-search technologies, has accepted subscriptions for the sale of 5.1 million newly issues shares of common stock in a private placement to institutional investors. The shares, selling at a price of $7.50, will gross $38.275 million. More. In Brief... DULLES--SER Solutions, Inc., a provider of enterprise contact center solutions, has achieved record growth over the past 12-month period, with revenue up 23 percent year due to increased sales of its CPS E2 enterprise solution and strategic partnerships throughout Europe and Asia Pacific. More. Sharpen Your Focus! It doesn't take a Mensa IQ or a Harvard MBA to succeed in business. Your greatest competitive edge is the ability to sustain your mental focus for hours at a time. If you're not completing projects in a timely manner… if you're zoning out in complicated negotiations… if you're running out of mental energy by the end of the day… you may be falling short of your potential. If you're coping with mental fog - or if you want to see just how sharp and fast your mind can be, -- you need to need to attend kSero Centers for the Mind's executive seminar on mental fitness. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Not... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mills Lays Off 77, Pursues "Strategic Alternatives" ARLINGTON-- Mills Corporation, a developer of retail destinations, has eliminated 77 jobs in a move to focus on core operations, streamline management and reduce costs. The company expects to take a $1.2 million charge. Meanwhile, the board of directors has announced a decision to "explore strategic alternatives," including the sale of all or part of the company, to enhance shareholder value. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In Brief... RESTON--STG has won a five-year, $25 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More. FAIRFAX--Anteon International Corporation has been awarded a contract potentially worth $15.8 million to provide management and engineering services to the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research for the Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. More. FALLS CHURCH--Horne Engineering Services has been given an extension, potentially worth $10 million, of its sub-contract with Bechtel National, Inc., to support the reconstruction of Iraq's power infrastructure. More. FAIRFAX--ICF Consulting has been awarded a five-year, $10 million mission support contract related to stratospheric protection of ozone by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More. FAIRFAX--ManTech International Corporation has received a $7.5 million contract from the United States Army Product Director Intelligence Fusion projects office. More. RESTON--STG, Inc. has been awarded a five-year, $5 million contract to provide IT and telecommunications services to the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. More. MCLEAN--Corcentric has won a contract to digitize the payables and receivables processes of Trailmobile Parts & Service Corp., a supplier of aftermarket trailer parts and services. More. MCLEAN--Angel.com has been selected by Family Dollar Stores to create and manage a new interactive information and registration system for new hires. More. VIENNA--Medical Staffing Solutions, Inc., has been awarded a nurse staffing contract to service the Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deals & Partnerships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General Dynamics to Canadian Ammo Manufacturer FALLS CHURCH-General Dynamics has agreed to purchase SNC Technologies, a Quebec manufacturer of ammunition and related products to armed forces and law enforcement agencies for $275 million. The company, a major supplier of the Canadian military, generated $293 million in revenue in 2005. More. Gores Group Grabs SER Solutions DULLES--The Gores Group, LLC, a Los Angeles-based investment firm, has acquired SER Solutions, Inc., a provider of software solutions to contact center operators, telecom operators, financial institutions and major enterprises. Said Mark Stone, president of operations at Gores: "SER has a great team in place, a deep customer base, an industry leading product portfolio and presents significant growth opportunities" More. Weider Buys Portfolio of History Magazines LEESBURG--Weider History Group announced has purchased Primedia's military history and American social history magazines and related web sites, including American History, Military History, World War II, Wild West, Civil War Times, America's Civil War, MHQ, British Heritage, Vietnam and Aviation History, plus Historynet.com. Said CEO Eric Weider: "Our company is committed to enhance and grow these fine titles, which are already leaders in the history magazine category. Research proves there is a renewed interest in our history and heritage." More. Hilb Acquires Delaware's Largest Insurance Agency RICHMOND--Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company, the world's tenth largest insurance and risk management intermediary, has agreed to purchase Zutz Associates, Inc., Delaware's largest independently-owned insurance agency. Zutz generated gross revenues of $11.3 million in 2005 and a premium value of more than $100 million. More. In Brief... ARLINGTON--BridgeStreet Worldwide, a provider of corporate housing, has purchased Chicago-based Twelve Oaks Corporate Housing, including leases to leases related to Twelve Oaks' 300 units in the Chicago region. More. VIENNA--Commerce Funding Corporation, a privately held factoring company, has agreed to be acquired Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System Planning to Deploy Cargo-Security Solution ARLINGTON-As the nation focuses on the security of U.S. ports, System Planning Corporation is deploying its GlobalTrak system of "smart devices" to secure cargo in shipping containers throughout the world-wide intermodal supply chain. After successful Phase II global tests, GlobalTrak is moving into the final testing phase before becoming an off-the-shelf commercial solution. The GlobalTrak system of "smart sensors" identifies potential security threats incidents such as the unauthorized opening of container doors and presence of harmful chemicals. Said President Howard Kympton: "With America's just-in-time supply chain practices, a path of security is necessary from origin to destination." More. Want to Improve Your Golf Game? Try Foot Pads. ROANOKE-Foot Levelers, a developer of chiropractic foot products, has introduced ParFlex Plus Stabilizers, custom-fitted shoe pads designed to meet the unique demands of golf. Research published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics says that the improved body alignment helps the wearer hit golf balls nine to 15 yards farther. More. Heart-Healthy Kitchen Appliances? RICHMOND--Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., has rolled out a heart-healthy promotional campaign for a line of small kitchen appliances in support of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement. The company is offering three lines of products - from toasters to coffee makers, blenders to can openers -- in bold red colors, providing heart healthy recipes and cooking tips, and contributing up to $350,000 to the Heart Association. More. At Last, a Photo Machine for Scrapbookers! VIENNA--Lucidiom Inc., creator of the original Automated Photo Machine, will showcase its new Luci scrapbook kiosk program at the Photo Marketing Association Show. Luci is the first photo kiosk with features tailored just for scrapbookers, such as 12x12 photo printing, unique mats and template layouts. Said Lucidiom executive Kesley Anderson: "Luci … is an entire program designed to bring the digital photo business and the paper scrapbook business together." More. Lockheed Martin Framework to Address National Security SUFFOLK--Lockheed Martin is introducing the OMEGA framework that aims to reduce cost and risk in the areas of national security, homeland defense and military operations around the world. The framework combines systems analysis tools and processes used by engineers trained to react to a vast array of challenges in today's changing security environments. Many OMEGA workshops will be conducted at Lockheed Martin's Center for Innovation, a modeling & simulation center in Suffolk. More. Essential Methods Releases Monkey Explorer ALEXANDRIA--Essential Methods Software has released a new search tool, Monkey Explorer 1.0, which allows scheduled keyword searches of specific Web pages. Suggested uses for the tool, which is integrated with Microsoft Explorer, include general keyword web searches with automatic notification, monitoring of online auctions, location of jobs that match your criteria and monitoring of website downtime. The software retails for $29.95. More. In Brief... VIENNA--PrismTech, a provider of productivity tools and middleware, has released Spectra Operating Environment, billed as a high-performance, low-overhead platform for software-defined radio applications. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Washingtonpost.com Launches Del.icio.us Tags ALEXANDRIA--washingtonpost.com has partnered with New York based Del.icio.us to offer tagging capabilities on all articles on its website. Del.icio.us allowed Web surfers to "tag" or save favorite stories and headlines into a central database for reading at a later date, to share with others, or for general reference. Said washingtonpost.com CEO Caroline Little: "By having a way of storing articles of interest, the feature really becomes a personal library of information and resources. And the ability to see what others are tagging adds a very appealing quality of serendipity to the web experience." More. CBI Partners with Genomics Center RICHMOND--Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. has signed a strategic alliance agreement with The Center for Functional Genomics, affiliated with the State University of New York, in Albany, to co-market their respective services to the life sciences sector. Said CBI Chairman Richard J. Freer: "This agreement affords CBI clients access to an extended set of very high-end services that can be combined with our existing technology base to provide the most comprehensive array of cutting-edge capabilities in the industry." More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CEL-SCI Patents Peptide Vaccine Technology VIENNA--CEL-SCI CORPORATION has been issued a U.S. patent covering its L.E.A.P.S. peptide vaccine technology. Developed in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University, the compound potentially could lead to the development of a treatment for autoimmune myocarditis, a life threatening heart disease characterized by an enlarged and weakened heart. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Executive Takes Reins of TARP Worldwide ARLINGTON--TARP Worldwide, a provider of customer experience research and services, has appointed a former AOL executive, CEO, Dennis E. Gonier, to take over as CEO. Former president and co-founder John Goodman will serve as Vice chairman. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Lynchburg employment. The chart displays employment growth for Lynchburg MSA alongside growth in Virginia. Until recently, employment growth in Lynchburg had lagged behind the state since the last recession. For the year ending with the second quarter of 2005, employment increased by 2.6 percent in Lynchburg compared to a 2.3 percent gain in the state. Among the state metro areas, only Northern Virginia experienced faster employment growth than Lynchburg during that period. 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. U.S. Wireless Market Growing 11 Percent Annually ARLINGTON--Revenue in the U.S. wireless market totaled $174.7 billion in 2005, up 10.7 percent from 2004, with an acceleration in handset revenue and a ramp-up in new wireless subscribers as key drivers of growth, according to the newly released Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast. Telecommunications revenues are expected to grow at an 11 percent compound annual growth rate, reaching $265.2 billion in 2009. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Harpoons Phishers DULLES-In its ongoing battle against e-mail phishing scams, e-mail hoaxes and identity theft on the Internet, AOL has filed three civil lawsuits against major phishing gangs today. The lawsuits are the first by a major Internet Services Provider to cite Virginia's first-in-the-nation anti-phishing statute, adopted in July 2005. The lawsuits allege that these phishing gangs - some believed to operate from abroad - victimized AOL and CompuServe members through emails that lured them to mock-ups of legitimate corporate websites, for the purpose of fooling them into giving up their personal identifying information. More. AIMS WorldWide Nominates "World's Dumbest Ad" FAIRFAX--AIMS Worldwide has fingered an institutional ad for drinking wine as an example of spectacularly wasteful mass-market advertising in the recently launched "World's Dumbest Ad" section of its website. The ad ran in a national magazine for a price tag of about $200,000 but supported no identifiable brand or call to action. More. See the ad and critique here. City of Richmond Procures Business Process Software DALLAS-The City of Richmond has purchased Tyler Technologies' MUNIS software applications, a package of revenue and productivity solutions designed to improve municipal operations. Said city CFO Harry E. Black: "The MUNIS product will encompass all business processes associated with assessment, billing and collection of taxes, fines, and fees levied by the City of Richmond, providing a total integrated tax solution. With its robust reporting capabilities, employees will have quick access to data for executive and citizen distribution." More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Legislation by Extortion The state Senate is enacting spending programs predicated on taxes that haven't been passed yet. Will Chichester & Co. get their way again by threatening another government shut-down? More. |
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The Special Session Is Now The outline of a compromise on transportation funding is coming dimly into view: Some new funds now, a full-fledged plan later (maybe). "We'll have some transportation budget provisions by the March 11 adjournment," a veteran transportation lobbyist noted last week as Delegates and state Senators adopted separate versions of the two-year budget that starts July 1, 2006, "We just won't have a real transportation plan. So what else is new?" More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 jabacon@baconsrebellion.com. Click here for a free subscription. Click here to unsubscribe. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
