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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, R&D / Intellectual Property, Trends, 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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"Global energy consumption is expected to more than double by 2025," said William Luraschi, who will lead the new group. "We believe that traditional ways of producing energy alone will not meet this demand, due to rising production and transportation costs, energy security issues and the growing recognition of environmental impacts. That leaves an enormous opportunity for alternative sources of energy to fulfill a large part of this growing demand." More.
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Partners:
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Said Roger Novak, with Novak Biddle: "Revive Systems is unique in that it took an unconventional approach to network security; rather than build another network fence or firewall, it created a sophisticated system that heals itself from malicious attacks." More.
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Ford to Close Norfolk Pickup Truck Assembly Plant NORFOLK--Ford Motor Company has announced its intention to close its Norfolk and Twin Cities pickup truck assembly plants in 2008 as part of its plans to restore North American automotive operations to profitability. Ford will be able to maintain its production capacity of full-size pickup trucks with fewer plants, thanks to flexible manufacturing. The Norfolk plant, which opened in 1925, employs 2,275 hourly and 158 salaried workers. More. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said the state would make every effort to persuade Ford to reconsider or delay the decision. More. GTSI Reports $5.6 Million Loss on Botched ERP Rollout CHANTILLY--GTSI Corp., a government IT services company, has reported a loss of $5.6 million on a 14.8 percent decrease in sales for the 4Q of 2005, attributable to weaknesses in the introduction of a new enterprise resource planning system. Said CEO Jim Leto: "We can not blame the ERP problems on some outside party. The system didn't initially meet many of the critical needs of the business. ... To overcome this problem, we added resources to augment our staff to oversee the business process, which resulted in additional expense and exposure of other problems in the supply chain." The "most troubling times" with the ERP are behind the company now, he asserted. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Said MST President Frank Matarazzo: "We are using GigaBeam's WiFiber to connect multiple buildings in New York City to deliver the 'quadruple-play' of network services at ultra high speeds in a cost effective manner. With WiFiber, MST will now be able to offer its services to tenants and residents of these buildings from a single point-of-presence and thus bypass the local access issues and eliminate many of the costs of terrestrial fiber installs." More. Sarbanes-Oxley's Silver Lining: EDS Awarded Medicare/Medicaid Modernization Contract In Brief... SPRINGFIELD--VERSAR, Inc. has been awarded a contract potentially worth $40.6 million over three years to hire and provide support services for approximately 240 Iraqi engineering and construction personnel delivering services to the Army's reconstruction effort in Iraq. More. CHARLOTTESVILLE--GE Fanuc Automation, Inc., has sold its Proficy Plant Applications Manufacturing Execution System to Evergreen Solar, a developer and manufacturer of solar power products, for a production facility under construction in Thalheim, Germany. More. RESTON--STG, Inc., has won a contract worth $2.5 million over five years to provide continuous software support for NAVSEA Command's financial execution systems. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deal Makers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Switch Beverage Acquired by Texas Investors RICHMOND-The assets of Switch Beverage, a developer of carbonated fruit juices, has been acquired by a Fort Worth, Tex., investment management firm, Luther King Capital Management, organized in late 2005 to acquire specialty niche beverage and food companies. Switch Beverage, founded in 2001, produces, markets and distributes 11 flavors under "The Switch" brand. The slightly carbonated, 100-percent juice beverage contains no preservatives or additives. Said Richard Beswick, national sales manager: "We have generated broad appeal from consumers seeking a healthy alternative to traditional sweetened carbonated soft drinks." More. In related developments.... Texas-based Luther King Capital Management has named Brian Boyd as CEO and James Owens as COO of the Switch Beverage Company. Said Todd Truitt with Luther King: "Mr. Boyd and Mr. Owens have a strong track record working as a team, building value in portfolio companies ranging from early stage ventures to mature.... They have proven their entrepreneurial skills and the long-term vision [that] will enable The Switch Beverage Company to realize its potential as a cornerstone for a family of successful businesses in the beverage industry." More. For the harrowing inside story... of how the founder of The Switch Beverage Company built the company and then lost it to the Texas investors, read the account published as the March 2006 cover story of Inc. magazine. More. Franklin Park to Invest in India Hydro MCLEAN--Franklin Park India, LLC, has agreed to purchase 50 percent of India Hydropower Development Company (IHDC), an owner-operator of hydroelectric plants in India. Said CEO Thomas A. Tribone: "We are pleased to contribute to the expansion of India's electricity infrastructure as the Indian economy is achieving its growth potential. We believe India's growth is sustainable and we hope to be able to support that growth with an additional infrastructure investment in the future." More. VCampus to Acquire Prosoft RESTON--VCampus Corporation has agreed to acquire Prosoft Learning Corporation, of Phoenix, Ariz., enabling VCampus to add Prosoft certification programs managed for the Telecommunications Industry Association, to its portfolio of e-learning services. VCampus will pay approximately $2.3 million in the transaction, which will more than double its certification-related revenues. Prosoft has been evaluating its strategic alternatives since defaulting on its debt in November 2005. More. Alexandria Medical Office Sold for $26.9 Million ALEXANDRIA--Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, of Rockville, Md., has acquired the Alexandria Professional Center, a twelve-story, 113,048-square-foot medical office building situated near Interstate 395 for $26.9 million. The REIT expects to produce a first -year unleveraged yield of 8.2 percent on a GAAP basis. More. In Brief... EDINBURG-Shenandoah Telecommunications Company has announced that it is considering the sale of its wireless subsidiary, Shenandoah Personal Communications Company, a Sprint PCS Affiliate of Sprint Nextel Corporation. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stanford Hotels Unveils "GuestLink" at Dulles Hilton DULLES--Stanford Hotels Corp., of San Francisco, has launched GuestLink, a first-of-its-kind service that lets guests easily connect electronic devices to a 42-inch HDTV flat screen in their rooms, at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel. The company is touting the functionality as the most "revolutionary" in-room development to occur in five decades, since the introduction of televisions and air conditioning. Typically, hotel guests are hard-pressed to find hard wiring that lets them access all of the games, music, business tools and entertainment content they need. Said Greg Langweg, general manager of the Dulles Hilton: "Guests can now plug their iPod, laptop computer, DVD, camcorder, digital camera or Xbox directly into our exclusive GuestLink panel and spend hours viewing images on the super-sized screen or listening to audio on surround-sound speakers." More. ThoughtWorthy Media Premieres Product Placement Search Engine FAIRFAX--ThoughtWorthy Media Inc. has launched an online vertical search engine for televised product placement, music, spot advertising, and other TV merchandising relationships. Visitors can identify the music, clothes, cosmetics, cars, electronics, and jewelry that either appeared in or were inspired by the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows, music videos, movies, and commercials. If a viewer can see it or hear it on TV, ThoughtWorthy Media's new search engine enables that viewer to identify, learn more, buy, and even criticize it online. More. Pretty in Pink VIRGINIA BEACH--Handbag designer Beth Ann Scott has introduced a new line of custom-designed, handmade handbags, makeup bags and change purses at her online boutique, Designs by Beth at www.designsbybethann.com. Scott combines bright fabrics with polka dot ribbons, sewn-on feminine flowers and rich wooden handles for a fun yet sophisticated look. Each limited-edition handbag offers accessories to mix and match. Customers also can design their own handbags online. More. Cuisine Solutions Vies for Refrigerator Space ALEXANDRIA--Cuisine Solutions, Inc., will introduce a new line of gourmet frozen food products with the goal of penetrating the retail marketplace. The smaller packaged entrees include delicacies such New Zealand Rack of Lamb seasoned with Garlic, Parsley and Thyme. The company uses a "sous-vide" vacuum-sealed, slow-cook and flash-freezing technology to deliver restaurant-quality frozen food, selling mainly to airlines, convention centers and similar markets. Said CEO Stanislas Vilgrain: "Our new packaging will allow us to get a foot-hold in more retail freezers where space is a premium and our larger boxes were not feasible." More. Clarabridge Upgrades Business Intelligence Search Software FALLS CHURCH--Clarabridge, a developer of text mining software, has rolled out the next generation of Clarabridge BI Search, which allows users to rapidly find useful information generated by all major business intelligence solutions from a single, unified search box. Said President Justin Langseth: "Organizations want to reduce the mystique and complexity of BI, making it accessible to business users in general, not just experienced users. Looking at all your information through one easy-to-use tool without having to constantly upgrade will produce ten times the return on BI investments for one tenth the cost." More. DHSoft Launches "Customer Chemistry" Business Unit HERNDON--DHSoft, a provider of critical IT services and solutions, has formed a new Customer Chemistry business unit, which will provide a full suite of predictive analytics solutions. The initiative is an outgrowth of the company's ground-breaking work in the field of predictive analytics, which has fueled the company's 100-percent annual growth over the past three years. Said CEO Dave Marrow: "Customer Chemistry applies predictive analytics to not only help companies predict a customer's next move, but to understand and address the reasons behind it. The result is a greatly enhanced ability to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of retention, cross-sell/up-sell and new customer acquisition campaigns." More. Omnilert Releases Version 2.0 LEESBURG--Omnilert LLC has released Omnilert version 2.0, a communication system that allows any organization to instantly communicate with large groups of people through mobile phones, e-mail, Web pages and other devices. The cross-carrier mobile content service is built around a technology that sends out 18,000 messages per minute. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hokie Alum Donates $5 Million to Ag Research BLACKSBURG-William and Elizabeth Latham, of Haymarket, have donated $5 million to Virginia Tech, to endow a fund to support academic research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The gift will go towards laboratory equipment, undergraduate research stipends, graduate student fellowships, and other forms of support. A 1955 graduate of Virginia Tech, Bill Latham returned home to Haymarket to operate Waterloo Farm, a 700- acre dairy and general farm More. In Brief... LORTON--Nano Interface Technology, Inc., a developer of products based on ultra-pure nano-biomaterials for medical devices, has signed research agreements with the Naval Research Laboratory to investigate special coatings for orthopedic implants and with Virginia Commonwealth University to address innovative dental applications. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Employment in Virginia increased 2.0 percent for the twelve months ending with February 2006. Over this period, seven of Virginia's 11 metro areas ranked among the top half of the nation's 367 metropolitan areas in terms of employment growth. The pace of employment growth in both Charlottesville ( 5.6 percent) and Winchester ( 5.4 percent) ranked in the top 20 among the nation's metro areas. Over the same period, employment growth in Danville (-3.0 percent) ranked above only four other metro areas, two of which were devastated by hurricanes last summer. 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. Black Business Surges 52.6 Percent in Fairfax FAIRFAX--The U.S. Census Bureau has reported today that 5,091 African American-owned businesses operated in Fairfax County in 2002, a 52.6 percent increase since 1997 when the last count was taken. The Fairfax County increase is larger than the 45 percent national increase noted by the Census Bureau. Fairfax County also accounts for about 12.4 percent of all black-owned businesses in the Commonwealth - and is home to six of the 100 largest African-American firms in the United States. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BlackHawk to Deploy Microsoft Dyanmics AX NORFOLK-BlackHawk Products Group, a supplier of tactical equipment to the U.S. military and law enforcement markets, has selected Microsoft Dynamics AX as the foundation for its e-commerce, supply-chain and financial management technology solutions. The company, which grew 30 percent in 2005 and expects to maintain significant growth over the coming years, will roll out the technology to 200 desktops over multiple locations. Said CEO Mike Noell: "The combination of scalability, the ability to streamline our processes and a familiar interface our people already know how to navigate made Microsoft the clear choice." More. Men, Save those Toenail Clippings! RICHMOND-Bostwick Laboratories, a lab specializing in diagnosing prostate biopsies, is offering the first reliable test, SeleniumHealth, that allows men to predict their risk of prostate cancer. The test detects the level of selenium from a patient's toenail clippings; based on the findings, the patient can adjust his intake of the trace mineral. Said CEO David G. Bostwick: "This new test enables men to take an active role in reducing their personal cancer risk by paying attention to how much selenium they consume." More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Howell Gets Feisty One reason the House of Delegates is holding firm in the budget debate this year is that House Speaker Bill Howell is more assertive, even combative, than ever before. More. |
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Kaine Reneges Again Tim Kaine has broken three important promises in a mere three months: First transportation taxes, then land use reform, and now the marriage amendment. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has broken yet another campaign pledge. Just days ago, he announced that he opposes the proposed constitutional amendment establishing the union between one man and one woman as the only legitimate form of marriage in Virginia. Previously, he had reneged on his promise not to raise taxes for transportation without a constitutional amendment in place that would assure that funds dedicated to transportation would not be diverted to other programs. He back-pedaled on his promise to support legislation to give localities authority to deny rezoning requests if adequate infrastructure were not already in place to support new development. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Reception XI
