| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
In This Issue... Expansions & Relocations, Who's Hot, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, Research & Intellectual Property, Trends, Commentary, Other, Events Click here to forward to a friend or colleague who might like this newsletter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches   | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Donnelly to Invest $85 Million in Virginia Facilities LYNCHBURG--RR Donnelley, a provider of print and related services, will invest $85 million to expand manufacturing operations at its three Virginia plants, creating a combined 139 new jobs within 30 months. The Chicago-based company will invest $38 million in Roanoke County; $29 million in Lynchburg; and $17 million in Rockingham County. Said Donnelly executive John Paloian: "Our customers value our Virginia facilities' central location, exceptional workforce, and proximity to their distribution centers." More. Clinch Mountain to Expand Hardwood Flooring Plant LEBANON--Clinch Mountain Finishing & Logistics will invest $6 million and create 220 new jobs manufacturing pre-finished hardwood flooring in its Lebanon plant. The company will expand an existing building by 48,000 square feet, using a state-of-the-art, ultra-violet finishing technology that will handle 10 times the production volume while reducing atmospheric emissions. Said President Luther Boyd: "The ability to offer a high quality of finish and a full warehousing program makes Clinch Mountain Finishing & Logistics one of the most sought-after hardwood floor finishers in the United States." More. Business Intelligence... Actionable... When You Need it... Do you know what your competitors are doing - or are you a step behind? Do you know what new technologies and business models might impact your business - or will you be caught napping? Do you know when your prospects are ripe for buying your product or service - or will someone beat you to them? VA Newswire is offering a new product - market intelligence packaged in a newsletter format and customized for you... the information you need, and no more. No white noise, no chaff. Our editors do the work for you. For more information about our business intelligence services, click here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
RealOps Raises $8 Million HERNDON--RealOps, Inc., a developer of Integrated Operations Automation solutions, has raised $8 Million in series B financing, which it will use to accelerate sales, strengthen its market presence in the emerging market of IT process automation and expand its flagship product, RealOps AMP. Said CEO Sean McDermott: "Our product acts as the bridge to automate what are typically manual, repeatable, error-prone, and time-consuming operational processes. This is the only legitimate path toward solving the challenge of doing more with less." More. Keraderm Raises $1.3 Million to Fight Toe Fungus HAMPTON--Keraderm LLC has closed its first private equity offering of $1.3 million. The company is developing a new treatment for nail infections that it anticipates will cost less than conventional treatments, cure more patients and have no serious side effects. Americans currently spend more than $1.25 billion per year to treat nail infections, but the high cost, low cure rate and potential complications discourage most from seeking treatment. The funding will permit Keraderm to perform clinical trials and refine its devices. More. RADinfo Doubles Revenues DULLES--RADinfo SYSTEMS Inc., a developer of Teleradiology solutions, doubled revenues in 2005 over 2004. Said CEO Chen-Tai Ma: "We ... maintained strong growth in client activity across small and medium-sized medical facilities. Expansion of both our dealer network and the development of specialized product lines have positioned us to respond to the rapidly evolving [picture archiving and communication systems] market." More. James River EBITDA Surges RICHMOND--James River Coal Company, a producer of coal in Kentucky and Indiana, has reported EBITDA of $21.4 million for the first quarter of 2006, up 78 percent from the same quarter of 2005. Said CEO Peter T. Socha: "Production was higher. Shipments were higher. Prices were higher. Railroad service was good. The labor situation continues to be tight, but manageable. Finally, we completed several of our major growth projects during the quarter." More. In Brief... MCLEAN--Managed Objects, a provider of IT enterprise management services, has announced 1Q 2006 results that mark the company's sixth sequential quarter of greater than 50 percent year-over-year revenue growth. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
Open Roads to Help State Police Clear Virginia Roads RICHMOND-Open Roads Consulting Inc., has been selected by the Virginia Department of Transportation to help the Virginia State Police respond more quickly to traffic accidents. Open Roads' computer-aided dispatch technology distributes information to all the regional Smart Traffic Centers, the 511 Virginia Clearinghouse, the Transportation Emergency Operations Center, and local 911 dispatch centers. Said David Sutton, VDOT project manager: "One of the critical needs of traffic operations is to discover incidents quickly. The operators receiving real-time CAD data have significantly improved their ability to detect and respond to incidents. This enables the incident to be cleared sooner, traveler information is provided quicker, and traffic gets moving again faster." More. Avineon to Upgrade Pepco's Outage-Management System ALEXANDRIA--Avineon, Inc., a provider of IT and geospatial services, has won a contact from Potomac Electric Power Company to assist with the integration of a graphic work design system with a geographic information system. The goal is to increase efficiency of Pepco's outage management system, design process and asset management, allowing the power company to better serve its 745,000 customers in Maryland and Washington, D.C. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., a provider of IT services to government clients, has won a contract potentially worth $125 million over five years to support the U.S. Agency for International Development's office of economic growth, agriculture and trade. More. ARLINGTON--System Planning Corporation has been awarded a contract potentially worth $11.5 million over three years to support the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness. More. GORDONSVILLE-PBM Products, a manufacturer and distributor of baby formula, has signed up SAM'S CLUB for its Member's Mark Soy Infant Formula, a fortified, privately branded formula that comes in larger cans than competing products and sells for half the price. More. VIENNA-ZyLAB has incorporated its ZyIMAGE search system into the National Agricultural Library, a digital depository of United States Department of Agriculture publications. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deal Makers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
TNS Board Rejects Management Buy Out RESTON-A special committee of the TNS, Inc., board of directors has rejected a management-led proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of the company for $22 per share. The committee determined that the price undervalued TNS, a processor of credit cards and other transactions. The committee also announced that it is investigating a range of strategic alternatives for the purpose of enhancing stockholder value. More. Mars Laps Up Doane Pet Care MCLEAN--Mars, Incorporated, maker of candy bars and pet food, has agreed to acquire Doane Pet Care Enterprises, of Nashville, Tenn., from Teachers' Private Capital, the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Said Bob Gamgort, Mars North American president: "The acquisition of Doane ... is an important part of our strategy to strengthen and grow our pet care business in North America. The addition of Doane's U.S. operations will provide production capacity to accelerate our innovation pipeline and operating flexibility to better respond to our customers' needs." More. Mobile Media Acquired by Wireless Services VIENNA-Mobile Media North America, a distributor of branded, made-for-mobile entertainment, has been acquired by Wireless Services Corporation, of Belleview, Wash. Mobile Media will be merged into Wireless Services' SinglePoint division. Said Rich Begert, CEO of Wireless Services: "Overnight, SinglePoint becomes one of the leading connectivity suppliers in the mobile content market. We are now positioned to help any media organization, advertising agency or company market its brand to reach more than 200 million mobile consumers in North America." More. WiLink to Purchased by Brit Investors RICHMOND--WILink plc, a provider of webcasting services for investor relations, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm SV Investment Partners for a total enterprise value of 26.6 million English pounds. Surrey, England-based WILink, which maintains significant operations in Richmond, has grown its Vcall webcasting brand aggressively with three acquisitions since 2001. More. In Brief... ARLINGTON--The AES Corporation has agreed to purchase 54 megawatts of wind generation assets from Enron Wind Systems in Tehachapi, Calif., bringing the total wind generation assets it operates to 654 megawatts. More. VIRGINIA BEACH-Arbor Trace Apartments, a 148-unit apartment community in Virginia Beach, has been acquired by Triple Net Properties, LLC, of Santa Ana, Calif. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
AOL Launches Network of Business Blogs DULLES--AOL and Weblogs, Inc., have launched a new network, bloggingstocks.com, which will host blogs dedicated to providing daily commentary, analysis and news coverage of some of the most widely followed public companies. Each featured company will have its own dedicated blog and a team of professional bloggers, including financial professionals, analysts, current and former journalists and dedicated investing enthusiasts. The network will be integrated into AOL Money & Finance, the second most trafficked financial portal. Said AOL executive Marty Moe: "These blogs will focus obsessively on what average investors care about most, giving readers an interactive platform to get behind the headlines and exchange insights on some of the most widely held and talked about companies." Companies will include Time Warner, Google, Yahoo, Apple, e-Bay, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and General Electric. More. Access America Introduces Medical Evacuation Insurance RICHMOND-Access America, a provider of travel insurance and assistance, has introduced Annual Med Evac, which provides worldwide emergency medical transportation benefits for travelers more than 100 or more miles away from home. Injuries account for a substantial proportion of tourist evacuations from developing countries. However, most U.S. healthcare policies provide little or no coverage for medical evacuation. Said Beth Godlin, executive vice president: "We often see cases where there is no local facility to meet patients' needs, so they are evacuated to a facility where they can get proper care. Without coverage, travelers would have to pay for the cost of a transport with their own funds, which can be financially devastating." More. G&D Introduces Mini Smart Card DULLES--Giesecke & Devrient, a developer of solutions for financial transactions and secure identification, has introduced a mini-sized contactless card as part of the Visa Smart Breakthrough Program. The smart cards, embedded with a wireless communications capability, "provide the convenience, speed and reliability of a traditional-sized payment card in an alternate form factor," said G&E executive Kim Madore. "G&D is committed to investing and developing contactless solutions that are scalable, secure and cost efficient." More. Flowers, Courtesy of Vogue - and UPS RICHMOND-Vogue Flowers & Gifts is cutting out the middleman in the delivery of flowers across the country. Rolling out its new "Shipped Direct" service in time for Mother's Day, the company prepares the flower arrangement, packages it so it stays moist, puts it securely into a special box, and sends it to the recipient via UPS overnight shipping. Said CEO Steve Papoulakos: "In launching this service, we ... are going head-to-head with the largest floral delivery services in the country. We have the advantage of a great system that allows us to control the quality of the flowers and the delivery process every step of the way, and do it less expensively than our competitors." More. Renaissance Lighting Launches New LED Line HERNDON-Renaissance Lighting, a designer of LED-based light fixtures for commercial markets, has introduced the ED Series, billed as "the world's first solid state downlight" and the first entry in the new "evo" family of products. The evo line, backed by 18 patents, compensates for the drawbacks of LED lights, including pixilation and degradation of color, temperature and light output over time. LEDs, which offer significant advantages over incandescent lighting, are expected to comprise more than $4 billion of the $15 billion global general lighting market by 2010. Renaissance plans to roll out more lights in the "evo" series, including linear luminaires, architectural flood lights, recessed wall washers, track lighting and more. More. Approva Launches Open Controls Framework RESTON--Approva Corporation, a developer of enterprise controls management software, has introduced the Open Controls Framework, the industry's first standards-based approach for companies and their auditors to simplify how they design and analyze controls, report exceptions, and audit key application and operational controls. Said CEO Prashanth Boccasam: "The Open Controls Framework ... helps companies reduce risk and lower the cost of compliance by decreasing the time and expenses associated with implementing, monitoring and auditing their enterprise controls." More. In Brief... STERLING--Synchris, Inc., has unveiled today a significant new upgrade to its Privia software for enterprise, on-demand subscribers and new customers engaged in government contracts, bid proposals, and task order management. More. HERNDON-Axios Systems, a developer of help-desk and IT-service management solutions, has launched its next-generation "assist 7", with international language support, advanced workflow functionality and improved integration capability. More. RICHMOND--SearchBlox Software, Inc. has released the SearchBlox CFML Custom Tag which simplifies the integration of the company's content search software with ColdFusion. More. RESTON--Intellitactics has unveiled its Security Manager Summer 2006, software that helps identify insider threats and resolve security incidents, and accelerates the creation of reports for decision support and compliance audits. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
LandAmerica Launches Outsourcing Partnership RICHMOND-LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., a provider of real estate transaction services, has partnered with Indecomm Global Services to form a joint venture, Lydian Solutions and Services. The new firm, to be located in Louisville, Ky., is an Intelligent Document Hub (IDH) that initially will serve LandAmerica's document-processing needs and then serve other clients. The IDH uses an onshore-offshore processing model to convert complex business documents into a digital format. Indecomm is an Iselin, N.J.-based company with strong (Asian) Indian connections. Said LandAmerica CEO Theodore L. Chandler, Jr.: "The formation of Lydian enables our company to apply standardization and the benefits of an offshore operation to non-client facing services, while strongly differentiating LandAmerica through a customer-focused solution to processing complex documents." More. In Brief... RESTON--ACF Solutions, a business systems consulting firm, has announced a marketing partnership with salesforce.com, a market leader in on-demand customer relationship management. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
Allied Defense Demonstrates HD Link for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles VIENNA--The Allied Defense Group has launched the first successful in-flight demonstration of a High-Definition video wireless link on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The demonstration of the camera and link, mounted on a UAV about the size of a barbecue grill, paves the way for real-time, high-definition aerial filming for the movie and TV-broadcast industry, as well as new applications in military surveillance and covert operations. Said Allied excutive Sam Nasiri: "This is significant achievement at a point where the whole world of video is in transition from 'Standard Definition' to 'High Definition.' Now we can not only read a license plate on a car traveling at 65 mph, we can see it from 2,000 feet in the air with greater brightness, clarity, and color definition - all unmanned." More. See video clips of the UAV in action, and its film footage. More. Hokies to Study Infectious Disease BLACKSBURG--The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute has forged a three-year agreement with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) to accelerate the development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics, targeting dengue fever, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, influenza, malaria and pneumonia. Initial projects include the modeling and simulation of infectious disease outbreaks, research on vectors that transmit agents of disease, countermeasure responses to infectious disease outbreaks and several initiatives designed to transfer drugs, vaccines and diagnostics from the bench to the clinic. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
|
 Virginia employment. Employment growth in Virginia has continually exceeded the national pace over recent years. For the year ending with March 2006, employment increased by 2.2 percent in Virginia compared to a 1.6 percent gain the nation. Over the last twelve months, Charlottesville (+5.5 percent), Winchester (+4.8 percent), and Blacksburg (+4.5 percent) recorded the fastest employment growth among the state metro areas. The only year-over-year employment loss occurred in Danville, which contracted by 1.8 percent. 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. Virginia Is for Preservationists The National Park Service has ranked Virginia second among the 50 states in the use of federal tax incentives to rehabilitate historic buildings. The Service's annual report lists Virginia with 140 approved approved proposals and 74 completed projects, second only to Missouri in both categories. The City of Richmond is second only to St. Louis of all cities in the nation for the number of rehabilitation tax projects using federal tax credits during the past five years. The total private investment in Virginia leveraged through rehabilitation projects completed and certified by the Park Service during fiscal year 2005 exceeded $128 million, making Virginia seventh in the nation for money spent. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
Got Milk? Now Virginia Milk Producers Know When They Do RESTON-The Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, in conjunction with Dairy.com, has implemented an Internet-based milk scheduling system that brings the dairy supply chain into the electronic age. The system provides milk processors with the ability to plan milk orders based on consumption, receive real-time tanker truckload schedules, and share and compare milk quality data, all through a standard Internet browser. Milk schedules and updates are published in real-time views for customers, plants, haulers and agency partners to utilize. More. In Brief... RESTON--QuadraMed Corporation, a provider of IT services to the healthcare sector, has agreed to pay $2 million to MedCath Incorporated, of Charlotte, N.C., in a settlement of pending lawsuit between the two. More. MANASSAS-Colgan Air, Inc., a regional air carrier, has implemented Ultramain logistics and maintenance management software at its Manassas headquarters and three maintenance bases in Albany, N.Y. Houston, Tex, and Hyannis, Mass. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 "I Don't Give a Rip" Editorial pundits are blaming Bill Howell for Virginia's budget impasse. But John Chichester is the one who's repeatedly used the threat of a government shut down to get his way. More. |
|
Suburbia Absurdia Suburbs are full of sidewalks that go nowhere and nobody uses. What are people thinking? Why do we persist in building this schlock? Meet Buddy Besette. Buddy is handicapped and confined to his wheelchair when he ventures outside his house. But he's an independent-minded soul, and he can squeeze 20 miles out of his battery. It gets boring at home, he says, so he takes periodic trips to the mall. The people at Ukrops grocery store and other shops are always nice to him -- they give him free things to take home. To brave the 'burbs in a wheelchair, Buddy must be the most intrepid man in Henrico County. He doesn't ride on sidewalks to get where he wants to go. The network of sidewalks in western Henrico County is so patchy and incomplete that he takes to the street. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
