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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 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. |
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| Back To Top | Expansions, Relocations & Launches
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DuPont to Expand Tyvek Production in Chesterfield RICHMOND--DuPont will invest $25.5 million to expand production of its Tyvek HomeWrap in Chesterfield County, creating 50 new jobs. Tyvek is a protective material made from very fine, high-density polyethylene fiber with characteristics of paper, film and fabric all in one. The material, used in home building, protective apparel, envelopes and packaging, is lightweight, vapor permeable, yet water-, chemical-, puncture-, tear- and abrasion-resistant. Said Gregg Funari, operations business leader-DuPont Nonwovens: "Chesterfield County, Virginia was chosen as the site for this expansion based upon strong economic factors and a great deal of confidence that we could continue to be successful working with the people and government leaders in this community. More. AES Building Bulgarian Power Plant ARLINGTON-AES Corporation has started construction on its first power plant in Bulgaria: a $1.4 billion, 670 Megawatt lignite-fired facility - the single largest foreign investment to date in the Balkan nation and the first large-scale power plant to be built there in more than 20 years. Said CEO Paul Hanrahan: "Bulgaria is experiencing good economic growth, political stability and good opportunities in the power sector as it prepares its accession to the European Union. … Our new plant will help supply Bulgaria's growing electricity needs and maintain the country's position as an energy hub for the region." More. In Brief... RESTON--Transaction Network Services, Inc., a provider of network and data communications transaction-oriented applications, has established an office in Bermuda, providing access to its global trading network and other services. 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. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Hot...
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Innovectra Closes $4 Million Round of Funding VIENNA-Innovectra Corporation, a search software and services company, has raised $4 million through a B round of funding. The company will use the funds to expand the footprint of its ActivSearch local search engine portal and to continue the rollout of its Leadstream pay-per-performance online advertising solution. The local search market is projected to reach $4 billion by 2009. More. Blue Ridge Numerics Receives Strategic Capital Investment CHARLOTTESVILLE--Blue Ridge Numerics, Inc., developer of software that simulates fluid flows and heat transfers, has received a "significant" infusion of working capital from the Global Environment Fund. The funds will be used to expand sales and marketing efforts worldwide and to support software development. Said President Ed Williams: "Today we are better positioned to accelerate the rate of innovation." More. Revive Systems Raises $500,000 MCLEAN-Revive Systems, developer of computer network security software, has secured $500,000 in financing from Chart Venture Partners, a New York-based, early stage security fund. Revive Systems' technology reduces the risk of potential damage caused by computer worms and malicious activity by automatically creating fixes for previously unknown vulnerabilities. More. |
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| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business...
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AMSEC Snags $318 Million Contract VIRGINIA BEACH--AMSEC LLC has been awarded a contract potentially worth $318 million over five years to support the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C. Work will be conducted primarily out of AMSEC's San Diego office, but also out of Hampton Roads and other locations. Said AMSEX executive Jim Taylor: "We will install the new technology systems required to help meet the demands of the 21st century on ships, submarines and shore stations." More. Cavalier Telephone Awarded RIPTIDE Contract RICHMOND--Cavalier Telephone, a provider of telecommunications services throughout the Mid-Atlantic, has won a contract award with Regional Internet Procurement for Tidewater, or "RIPTIDE." Cavalier will provide Internet connectivity and related services to municipal governments located within the Hampton Roads region. More. Versar Wins Iraq Contract Extension SPRINGFIELD--VERSAR, Inc. has been awarded a contract extension worth $4.5 million to provide construction quality and management operations in Iraq. The Versar workforce supporting its Iraq reconstruction operations has grown to 360 personnel, with more than 300 professional engineers currently working in every province in Iraq. Versar anticipates a continued steady growth of its Professional Engineering Services throughout the region. Said CEO Ted Prociv: "With over 18 months of continued work in Iraq, we now stand out from our competition in the business line of construction management of large, complex projects in dangerous, contested, or remote environments." More. In Brief... LYNCHBURG--Prototype Advertising has landed several national accounts, including Foot Locker, Inc. in New York, Vireo Allergy Centers in Pennsylvania, OBAR in Texas, Arctic Spray in California and Al-Bar Wilmette in Illinois. More. RICHMOND-RightMinds, a marketing firm, has been hired by Bankers Insurance LLC, also of Richmond, to explore the firm's identity and positioning in the marketplace in preparation for a strategic branding initiative. More. RESTON--IPIX Corporation has sold its 360-degree cameras to the Stockholm Underground railroad system to provide security personnel with complete situational awareness of the transportation system. More. |
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| Back To Top | Deal Makers
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Mountain Union Sold to Crown Castle for $309 Million ALEXANDRIA-Mountain Union Telecom has agreed to a purchase for $309 million by Houston-based Crown Castle International. Assets of the privately owned Mountain Union include 468 working cell towers plus 79 in various stages of development. The firm's sites are expected to generate $26 million in annualized rental revenue and $18.2 million in gross margin. Said Mountain Union CO David W. Weisman: "Since its inception in 1999, Mountain Union has focused on the acquisition and development of towers in well populated and difficult-to-zone areas where there is robust wireless carrier demand and activity." More. Online Resources Shells Out $180 Million for Princeton eCom CHANTILLY--Online Resources Corporation, a provider of Internet financial services, will acquire Princeton eCom Corporation, of Princeton, N.J., for $180 million cash with an earn-out of up to $10 million. The combined business will serve 2,200 financial institutions and 1,600 billers - more clients than any other bill payment processor - and process more than 200 million electronic payments transactions representing $75 billion in bill payments over the next year. Said CEO Matthe P. Lawlor: "Princeton eCom provides us with a single transforming opportunity that leapfrogs years of business development to achieve our strategic goals." More. Smithfield Negotiating Purchase of European Meats Business SMITHFIELD--Smithfield Foods, Inc., has entered into an exclusive negotiation period regarding the purchase of the European meats business of Sara Lee Corporation. Headquartered in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, Sara Lee's European meats business generated $1.1 billion in sales in fiscal 2005. Smithfield has made European acquisitions in recent years with revenues totaling about $1 billion. Said COO C. Larry Pope: "The Sara Lee business has strong brands and broad distribution, which we believe would be an important addition to our European strategy." More. PRIMUS to Sell India Subsidiary MCLEAN--PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated, has agreed to sell its 85-percent ownership of an India subsidiary to Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, an international telecommunications company and member of the TATA Group. The purchase price is $16.7 million before adjustments. More. In Brief... MCLEAN--MorganFranklin Corporation has acquired Infinite Global Infrastructures, LLC, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in the design, integration and implementation of robust, high-performance communications systems. More. |
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| Back To Top | Innovations
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Smith-Midland to Market Beach Prisms MIDLAND-After 18 years of product testing at more than 20 sites on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, Smith-Midland Corporation is offering Beach Prisms for sale and installation. Beach Prisms are permeable, precast concrete products that reduce the amount of energy in incoming waves before they reach the shoreline. Smith-Midland sell Beach Prisms to river- and bay-front property owners who want an alternative to traditional armor stone, or groins and jetties. Said marketing executive Ashley Smith: "Our experience has proven that Beach Prisms either slow the rate of shore erosion, stop erosion or reverse erosion by replenishing sand in front of and behind the Prisms." More. MetaCarta Unveils Geographic Intelligence Solution VIENNA--MetaCarta, Inc. has released GTS Analyst, a geographic intelligence solution for the public sector. The product contains Geographic Data Modules, which are knowledge bases used to identify and disambiguate geographic references, assign latitude/longitude coordinates and generate rank. The results of a query are displayed on a map with icons representing the locations found in the natural language text of the documents and as a text results list. More. Mapcom Introduces M4 Dispatch Manager RICHMOND--Mapcom Systems is releasing M4 Dispatch Manager, a software module to help telecommunications companies map and manage their customer workforce in conjunction with their use of M4 Solutions Geographical Operations System software. The paperless workflow saves time and money and increases customer satisfaction through faster, more accurate trouble and service order management. More. ValueOptions Opens Meth Treatment Center in Arizona NORFOLK-ValueOptions has opened a model treatment center for the treatment of methamphetamine addiction in Maricopa County, Ariz., in partnership with the Arizona Department of Behavioral Health Services. The facility combines the key phases of treatment and directly links to the County's Drug Court, a program in which drug offenders are released to a provider for placement in a treatment center. Said ValueOptions executive Brenda Benage: "Methamphetamine is a social crisis in this country. In 2004, one in four people receiving substance abuse treatment in Arizona were using methamphetamines. The Center provides the treatment resources needed to combat this crisis head-on." More. Bostwick Rolls out Prostate Cancer Test RICHMOND--Bostwick Laboratories, Inc., a laboratory focusing on prostate biopsies, has announced the availability of PCA3Plus, a urine-based genetic test for prostate cancer risk, exclusively through Bostwick. The test detects PCA3, a specific gene that is highly expressed in prostate cancer. No other human tissues express PCA3. More. PRIMUS Launches Platform for Prepaid Telecom Services MCLEAN--PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, Incorporated, one of the world's ten largest carriers of international voice traffic, has launched "Global Managed Prepaid Platform Services," targeting carriers and distributors of prepaid card services around the world. Said executive Stephen McIntyre: "Our new service [provides] any telecom operator or prepaid card distributor a 'one-stop shopping' packaged solution that allows accelerated entry into the prepaid card market without any up-front capital expenditures and without the need to set up a large operational organization." More. Video Convergence Rolls out Mini Video Encoder SPRINGFIELD--Video Convergence has unveiled its iVDO Mini Video Encoder, a hardened by light-weight device that meets Intelligent Transportation Systems and other surveillance market demands. Said Ata Tursucu, director of product development: "With the evolving needs of intelligent transportation systems, more equipment is needed to fully utilize the technologies available. The iVDO Mini was designed to help minimize the space necessary for installation while providing a top-quality product with full functionality." More. Consul Introduces Log Management Suite HERNDON-Consul, a developer of security audit and compliance solutions, has unveiled Consul InSight Suite 7.0, focusing on privileged administrators, outsourcers and other power users. Almost 90 percent of internal security incidents are attributed to power users, who can accidentally or deliberately damage IT systems or release confidential data assets. Until now, Copnsul asserts, there have been no effective solutions for unobtrusively monitoring and managing these power users to ensure they are complying with company and regulatory policies. More. |
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| Back To Top | Partnerships & Collaborations
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SouthPeak Partners with Artificial Studios MIDLOTHIAN-SouthPeak Interactive, an independent video game publisher, has partnered with Artificial Studios, a game and middleware studio, to publish Artificial Studios' upcoming action shooter, Monster Madness, for PC and next-generation platforms. "We are thrilled about our new relationship with Artificial Studios -- we think they are one of the hottest up-and-coming development studios around," said Katie Morgan, executive vice president. SouthPeak has been publishing and distributing entertainment software since 1996. More. Real Time Data Rolls Out Biometric Kiosks NORFOLK-Real Time Data Management Services, developer of the Real Time Kiosk System, has teamed with U.S. Biometrics, of Napierville, Ill., to apply U.S. Biometric's biometric technology to Real Time Data's banking kiosks. Said Real Time Data CEO Ernest H. Sammons: "We were looking for a partner that could provide us with the combination of forensic quality biometrics and market proven software, to help propel our self-service kiosk product as a market leader. U.S. Biometrics is helping us reach that goal." More. VitalSpring, SAP to Promote Health Care Applications MCLEAN--VitalSpring Technologies, a developer of health benefits performance software, has forged an agreement with SAP AG to offer its Health Benefits Management for ERP application to SAP customers and prospects. The VitalSpring application unites benefits, claims and external data to better manage overall health benefits costs. Said SAP executive Mark Lange: "Together, SAP and VitalSpring are delivering the first integrated analytical platform specifically designed to provide employers improved visibility into healthcare processes, enabling them to better control the spiraling cost of coverage." More. In Brief... RICHMOND--Astyra Corporation has entered into a relationship with Computer Aid, Inc. of Harrisburg, Pa., to provide expert technical staffing under Virginia's Supplier Managed Staff Augmentation contract. More. |
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| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property
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Boeing Tests Blended Wing Body at NASA HAMPTON-The Phantom Works organization of Boeing has commenced wind tunnel testing in NASA Langley on the design of a futuristic aircraft called the blended wing body, or BWB. Designated the "X-48B," the aircraft is being developed as a flexible, long-range, high-capacity military aircraft. Said Dan Vicroy, NASA senior research engineer: "One big difference between this airplane and the traditional tube and wing aircraft is that -- instead of a conventional tail -- the blended wing body relies solely on multiple control surfaces on the wing for stability and control." More. WaveLight Wins FDA Approval for Eye Laser STERLING--WaveLight, Inc., has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat mixed astigmatism with the Allegretto Wave excimer laser system. Three-month follow-up data reported for 142 eyes demonstrated that 68 percent of eyes achieved 20/20 vision and 95.8 percent achieved 20/40 vision postoperatively. More. Wahoo Research Finds Help for Cocaine Addiction CHARLOTTESVILLE - Researchers from the University of Virginia Health System have found that ondansetron, a serotonin antagonist drug, reduced cocaine's reinforcing effects in people who volunteered to be part of the study. These findings are the first to show the value of the drug in battling cocaine and its addictive qualities. Despite almost two decades of scientific effort, no medication has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cocaine dependence. "These preliminary findings suggest that ondansetron, in combination with behavioral therapy, may offer a new alternative for treating cocaine addiction," says Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. More. UVa Connected to Lambda Rail CHARLOTTESVILLE-The University of Virginia is now fully connected to the National LambdaRail, a nationwide high-performance computing network designed specifically to support research. From their desktops, researchers can access some of the most important research sites and databases in the world, including national labs such as Oak Ridge, supercomputing centers in California and Illinois, particle accelerators, major observatories and environmental monitoring sites. More. |
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| Back To Top | Trends
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Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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Charlottesville entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial activities are an important measure of health for a state, local, or regional economy. The chart above displays the number of firms with 10 or fewer employees that entered or exited the Charlottesville economy from 1991 through 2004. The number of new firms has been higher than exiting firms each year since 1991. In 2004, 746 new small firms opened in Charlottesville while 573 exited. For the latest analytics on labor market and workforce trends across Virginia, click here or call 804-649-1107. |
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| Back To Top | Other News
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AEP Dedicates SW Virginia Transmission Line WYTHEVILLE--American Electric Power has dedicated its $306 million Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry 765-kilovolt transmission project, the largest electric transmission infrastructure project underway in the United States. The line will help meet growing energy demand in the region, and will enhance the reliability of the transmission grid. The 90-mile line uses a number of innovative technologies, including the first 765-kV six-bundle conductor configuration in North America, which reduces the audible noise level to half that of earlier lines. More. Appalachian Power Files for 25 Percent Rate Increase ROANOKE--Appalachian Power has filed a request today with the Virginia State Corporation Commission seeking approval for an increase of $198.5 million in customer rates. If approved, the new rates will increase revenues in Virginia approximately 25 percent. The last time the company was granted a base rate increase by the Commission was in 1993. More. |
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| Back To Top | Commentary
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Let's Make a Budget Deal The General Assembly can make big improvements to the transportation budget even without a special session and new taxes. Here are some ideas to get budget negotiators started. More. |
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Take a Piece of Transportation Since being named to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, this e-zine columnist is trying to stay on time and on budget. When friends stopped me on the sidewalk, also known as a pedestrian-friendly environment, this week to ask what it's like to be a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, I've been telling them 10 days into the job, "More in my life than traffic is now congested." To those offering their congratulations via email, which incidentally helps produce new telework opportunities, I've answered, "It's like inheriting the wind." And to those already sharing ideas on highway project and snow removal priorities, "Thanks, let me get back to you." More. |
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| 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. |
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