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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions, Relocations and Launches, Who's Winning Business, Deals & Partnerships, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, Research & Intellectual Property, 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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Blue Ridge Aquaculture to Build Research Plant for Shrimp MARTINSVILLE--Blue Ridge Aquaculture, an indoor aquaculture producer shipping more than 70,000 pounds per week of tilapia, is investing $2.4 million in a pilot plant and research facility dedicated to shrimp. Blue Ridge will use the facility to evaluate technology, management practices and distribution channels for shrimp, the country's number one seafood product. Virginia Tech researchers will assist in the feasibilty study. More. Jungheinrich Opens Parts Distribution Warehouse RICHMOND--The Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp. has moved its spare-parts distribution department to a 17,000-square-foot warehouse in Richmond. The company will invest $1 million in an inventory of 8,000 spare parts for its line of fork lifts. Said executive Michael Hendriksz: "We're already the technological leader in Europe, but to get a foothold in the U.S. market, we need to be better than the competition. By establishing a highly efficient "over-capacity" warehouse, we can ensure that we stock 95 percent of all parts that go into the trucks we sell here." More. xpedx Launches Distribution Center in Ashland RICHMOND-xpedx, an International Paper unit and distributor of printing papers and graphics supplies, has opened a 65,000-square-foot facility in Hanover County. The company also has acquired a fleet of seven fuel-efficient trucks to operate from the facility. All 54 of xpedx's Richmond Division employees are moving to the center. More. In Brief... HERNDON--ePlus inc., a direct marketer of IT products and services, has expanded its sales and engineering team in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Siteworx on Hiring Spree RESTON--Siteworx, a website consulting company, has added 30 professionals since the beginning of the year, and anticipates hiring more as it adds to its staff. Said President Tim McLaughlin: "Our clients are looking for sites that deliver greater functionality and a competitive advantage, which requires tight integration with business operations in an appealing and technically sound manner." More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Science Systems Awarded $140 Million NASA Langley Contract HAMPTON--NASA has selected Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, Md., to provide science, technology and research support services to the agency's Langley Research Center. The cost-plus award fee contract has a maximum value of $140 million over five years. Science Systems will provide technical support in earth and planetary atmospheric science research, technology development, customer and data services, and administrative and logistical support. More CACI to Compete for $1.9 Billion in Army Business ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc. has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Air Force to support the Design and Engineering Support Program (DESP II). Under DESP II, all prime contractors will compete for task orders until 2010. More. Alion to Develop Human Research Protocols MCLEAN--Alion Science and Technology, a technology solutions company, has won a contract potentially worth $8 million over five years to support the U.S. Navy's Human Research Protection Program. Alion will provide experts in applied research ethics to help oversee approximately 2,000 research protocols for studies at some 150 locations worldwide. More. Techbooks to Convert University Texts to Digital Files FALLS CHURCH--Techbooks, a developer of integrated content transformation solutions, has extended its relationship with the BiblioVault digital repository. BiblioVault, a part of the University of Chicago Press, will rely on Techbooks' data conversion expertise to transform its library of back-listed scholarly texts into digital files. More. Genco Wins $60 Million Fort Lee Contract FORT LEE-GENCO Infrastructure Solutions, Inc., of Pittsburgh, has won a $60 million contract from the U.S. Army to provide installation support services at Fort Lee, which is expected to double in size over the next five years. GIS will perform supply operations, transportation and material maintenance while its subcontractor, Advanced Federal Services of Madison, Ala., will perform facility, housing, roads, grounds and utilities maintenance. More. In Brief... FAIRFAX--CGI-AMS Inc. has received a five-year, $65 million contract renewal for hosting and application operations for the Commonwealth of Virginia's eVA procurement portal solution. More. HERNDON--Multimax, Inc., has won a contract potentially worth $41.7 million over four years to provide comprehensive IT infrastructure services supporting the Commander Navy Installations Command. More. VIRGINIA BEACH-AMERIGROUP Corporation has been selected to provide healthcare coverage to a portion of low-income Ohio residents who are aged, blind and disabled in the State's Southwest region. More. FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., has been awarded three indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts and blanket purchase agreements in the quarter ending Sept. 30. More. ARLINGTON--Interstate Hotels & Resorts has signed a long-term contract with JSC Sadko Hotel to manage the landmark, 275-room Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya in Moscow, Russia. More. MCLEAN--Javien Digital Payment Solutions, Inc., has been selected by San Francisco-based SNOCAP to power its e-commerce solution for selling music tracks on SNOCAP's artist stores. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deal Makers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TNS Acquires Telcom Service Provider RESTON-TNS has acquired JPG Telecom SAS, an end-to-end telecommunications service provider focused on the French point-of-sale market, for $8.5 million. In connection with the transaction, TNS entered into a three-year exclusive outsource contract with JPG's largest customer. The deal adds a 15-percent share of the French market for dial-up point-of-sale transactions to TDS's existing business. In other business, the company has identified $8 to $10 million in costs - primarily in sales and administration - that it plans to eliminate by year-end 2006. More. Command Information Consolidates AnviCom HERNDON-Command Information, Inc., an IPv6 solutions provider, has merged its federal division with AnviCom, Inc., also of Herndon, a provider of IT network and security services to U.S. defense and civilian agencies. The new Command Information subsidiary, AnviCom/Command Federal, will operate as a government-defined small business. More. Mantech Acquires GRS Solutions FAIRFAX-Mantech International Corporation, a provider of technology services to the federal government, has completed the acquisition of GRS Solutions, Inc., a provider of specialized technical, operational and analytical services to the intelligence community. GRS generated annual revenues for the fiscal year ending September 30 in excess of $10 million, with "robust" operating margins. More. In Brief... RESTON-MAXIMUS, a provider of government services, has sold its Corrections Services business to Providence Service Corporation for $3.0 million in cash, plus the assumption of certain liabilities. More. FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., has agreed to acquire RABA Technologies, LLC, a privately held provider of high-end technical services to the national security and intelligence communities. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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No Snickers, Please. Mars to Roll Out Line of Healthy Snacks for Kids. MCLEAN-Mars, Incorporated, manufacturer of Snickers, M&Ms, Three Musketeers and other candy bars, has partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to offer healthier snack choices for sale in U.S. schools. Mars will launch a new line of snacks meeting the Alliance's strict guidelines for calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and nutrients for children in elementary and secondary schools. More. Call India for Eight Cents a Minute VIENNA--SunRocket, an Internet phone service provider, has shattered the price floor for calling rates to India by offering U.S. consumers eight cents per minute for all calls to India, including those placed to mobile phones - but only for those who buy a $199 annual Indian-specific calling plan. Said co-founder Joyce Dorris: "Because more SunRocket customers call India than any other international destination and per-minute calling rates to this country remain among the highest in the world, we were determined to once again offer consumers an alternative to competitors' indefensible rates and charges." More. In Brief... ARLINGTON--Plateau Systems, a human resource-management software, has debuted iContent, a solution that provides a single place to locate, store and deliver thousands of third-party packaged content offerings. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships and Collaborations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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iDirect, UTStarcom Solution Expands Cellular Coverage HERNDON--iDirect Technologies Inc., is teaming up with UTStarcom Inc., of Almeda, Calif., to backhaul CDMA traffic over shared satellite networks. Utilizing shared access over satellites allows providers to balance and redistribute network bandwidth across multiple cell sights for greater network efficiency and lower bandwidth cost. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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GMU to Upgrade Zotero Research Tool FAIRFAX-The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University has received an $894,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue developing its scholarly research tool, Zotero 1.0. The program, which runs in the Firefox web browser, will change the way research is stored, shared and organized digitally. Loosely based on an Albanian word meaning "to acquire, to master," Zotero stores references and notes in the same way that other citation managers such as EndNote do. But Zotero works in the web browser, allowing it to sense, record and share scholarly information on the web. More. New River Wins ADHD Drug Approval RADFORD-New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the use of its NRP104 drug in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children aged six to 12. The drug was developed as a once-a-day medication. Said CEO R. J. Kirk: "We view this as a significant step toward bringing NRP104 to market." More. What Do You Get When You Cross a Hokie Engineer with the Ag Extension Program? BLACKSBURG--An egg-shaped fullerene, or "buckyball egg" has been made and characterized by chemists at Virginia Techn, Emory and Henry College and UC Davis. Fullerenes, sometimes called "buckyballs," are usually spherical molecules of carbon, named after the futurist R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome. The unexpected discovery opens new possibilities for structures for fullerenes, which could have a wide range of uses. More. In Brief... RICHMOND-Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that genetic factors may be at play when it comes to the link between the personality trait of neuroticism and vulnerability for depression. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Trends | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Chmura Economics & Analytics |
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 Employment growth. The pace of employment growth in Virginia has slowed over the last year. For the year ending with August 2006, employment rose 1.5 percent in the state, compared to a 1.3 percent increase in the nation. During that period, Charlottesville (+3.4 percent), Northern Virginia (+3.0 percent), and Lynchburg (+2.2 percent) experienced the fastest growth among the state's metro areas. Danville (-3.0 percent) and Harrisonburg (-0.5 percent) were the only metro areas to shed jobs over the last year. 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. Looks Like that Image Advertising is Paying Off SEATTLE-If Americans could live in any state they'd choose, they'd pick North Carolina first and Virginia second, according to a first-of-its-kind global public opinion poll called the Anholt State Brands Index, based on the responses of 9,000 U.S. citizens. Said author Simon Anholt: "It is well known that even highly rational decisions - such as major investments and business relocations - are partly driven by so-called 'soft' factors, and measuring the brand images of states is an excellent way of getting a handle on these factors. ... Brand image is critically important to the prosperity of all communities." In a poll of 13,000 foreigners, Virginia ranked behind the mega-brands like California, Florida, Hawaii and New York, but still scored a respectable 7th place. Speaking of North Carolina and Virginia, Anholt said: "Their high domestic ranking is presumably all down to local knowledge of the real economic situation of the states, whereas the foreigners are largely guessing." More. Read the study. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ports Deploy RFID Tracking System NORFOLK-The Virginia Port Authority, which operates ports in Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth, is installing Radio Frequency Identification-based to enhance the security and efficiency of cargo container shipments. The ports will deploy SaviTrak, a solution devised by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Savi Networks, to deliver real-time information about the identity, location and status of ocean cargo containers and contents. More. XO Divvies Business Between Two Business Units RESTON-XO Communications has formed two business units, XO Business Services and XO Carrier Services, each of which will be led by its own president. Said CEO Carl Grivner: "The new ... business structure aligns our company in a way that will enhance our customer focus, decision-making and speed of execution." More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Fair and Friendly? Or rigid and regulatory? Voting for an amendment that discriminates against unmarried households is no way to improve Virginia's business climate. More. |
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Seventy-Five Years Virginia's system for building and maintaining roads has changed little in three quarters of a century. Some people think it needs more money. Others think it needs an overhaul. In 1932 the Byrd organization in Virginia created the system for building and maintaining state roads that, but for minor modifications, remains in place today. Some people say there's nothing wrong with the system that more money can't fix. But others believe that Virginia's road-building arrangements have failed to keep pace with 75 years of social and economic change, and need to be restructured from top to bottom. 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
