The Virginia Newswire

October 18, 2006

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

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Expansions, Relocations & Launches

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Investment banking

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IKEA to Create 740 Jobs in Danville

DANVILLE--Swedwood, the industrial group within Ängelholm, Sweden-based IKEA, will build a manufacturing facility in Danville, creating up to 740 jobs. The 810,000-square-foot facility will produce IKEA wood furnishings such as bookshelves, coffee and side tables, wardrobe frames and modular entertainment systems. Said IKEA executive Bengt Danielsson: "The close proximity to many IKEA stores and distribution centers, coupled with good regional infrastructure and available land, make Danville ideal for this North American production facility." More. And more.

Water World to Manufacture Swimming Pools in Buckingham

DILWYN--Water World Fiberglass Pools, N.E. Inc., will invest $3 million to open a facility in the Buckingham County Industrial Park, creating 100 new jobs. Up to 50 additional employees will be hired for seasonal demands. The company will manufacture one-piece fiberglass swimming pools, diving pools and swim spas. Customers can order factory direct. More.

Miller Office Relocates to Larger Facility in Lorton

LORTON--Miller's Office Products, an office products company with more than 100 employees and $30 million in revenues, is relocating to a 65,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility in Lorton. The facility will bring employees from multiple buildings under one roof and support expansion into new product categories. More.

LeClair Ryan Opens NYC Office

RICHMOND--LeClair Ryan, a law firm with more than 140 attorneys in Virginia and Washington, D.C., has opened a New York office. Said Chairman Gary D. LeClair: "New York is a natural market for us. Our existing client base in New York has been drawing our lawyers to the city for years." More.

RediClinic to Expand into Richmond-Area Wal-Marts

RICHMOND--RediClinic LLC, of Houston, Tex., will lease space in nine Wal-Mart Supercenters in the Richmond area in early 2007, providing access to non-emergency medical services at affordable prices. RediClinics are staffed by certified nurse practitioners who work with local physicians to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications for common medical conditions, such as strep throat and upper respiratory infections. They also administer a wide range of preventive services, including health screenings, medical tests, vaccinations and basic physical exams. More.

In Brief...

TYSONS CORNER--Camero Inc., of Herzliya, Israel, has opened an office in Tysons Corner to support its Xaver 800 'Through-Wall Vision' system, which generates three-dimensional images of stationary and moving objects concealed behind walls. More.

Who's Hot

Diffusion Raises $1.5 Million

CHARLOTTESVILLE--Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a drug discovery and development company, has raised $1.5 million in private financing to support its move into Phase I clinical trials for its lead compound. Trans sodium crocetinate, which is being investigated for use as a treatment for life-threatening conditions characterized by oxygen deprivation at the cellular level, is ready for human testing. More .

In Brief...

ALEXANDRIA—Verical Incorporated, an e-commerce assurance company that provides authentication tools and clearinghouse services to prevent fraud in secondary marketplaces, has received $100,000 in funding from The Center for Innovative Technology’s Growth Accelerated Program. More.

Who's Winning Business...

Caliber Snags $31 Million Child Services Contract

FAIRFAX--Caliber, an ICF International company, has been awarded a five-year, $31 million contract from the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children's Bureau. The company will develop and expand clearinghouse services, including management, technical, logistical, and administrative services in the areas of child abuse and neglect, child welfare, and adoption. More

In Brief...

RESTON--NCI, Inc., has been awarded a task order potentially worth $25.3 million over five years to provide the Air National Guard's Information Analysis Network with technology transformation and information technology services. More.

FAIRFAX--SRA International, Inc., has been awarded a contract potentially worth $12.3 million over six years to develop an online, real-time, transaction-based system to process premium payments for pension plans insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. More.

CHANTILLY--GTSI Corp. has won three blanket purchase agreements worth a potential total of $12.7 million, from the Department of Defense Dependents Schools - Europe. More.

HERNDON--Multimax, Inc., has won an $11.9 million contract to provide the professional services and equipment required for the technology refresh of the U.S. Navy's Overseas Navy Enterprise Network. More.

FAIRFAX--ICF International has won a re-competition award valued at $10 million over five years to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide technical support for the regulation of motor vehicles, engines, fuel, and fuel additives. More.

FAIRFAX--ICF International has received a five-year, $8.4 million contract with Office of Pesticide Programs, Antimicrobials Division, to help register antimicrobial pesticides. More.

FAIRFAX--ICF International has been awarded a five-year, $7 million contract by the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards to provide health and environmental risk assessment support. More.

Deal Makers

Silver Companies Unveil WorldStreet

FREDERICKSBURG--Silver Companies, a national real estate development and investment firm, has unveiled WorldStreet, a multi-billion dollar retail-resort development located along Interstate 95. In a major indoor shopping venue, WorldStreet will sell retail store, wholesale showroom and commercial space to domestic and international retailers, suppliers, importers, exporters and produce manufacturers. Said David Mignatti, President, WorldStreet Development, a subsidiary of Silver Companies: "This first-of-its-kind project in America will enable the owners to gain a competitive advantage in the global supply chain while being located in the epicenter of the United States commercial corridor."

The quarter-mile-long, 750,000-square-foot destination marketplace will draw from a trade area of six million people and 81.3 million vehicles passing yearly on the Interstate. The project will feature wholesale distribution facilities, warehouses for fast inventory replenishments, integrated business support services, logistic service providers and state-of-the-art telecommunications. The development also will offer an exclusive “multi-channel” marketing and selling platform, consisting of bricks and mortar selling, E-Commerce and T-Commerce, which includes WorldStreet TV. More.

Dominion Enterprises Purchases Cross-Sell Inc.

NORFOLK--Dominion Enterprises, a media and information services company, has acquired Cross-Sell, Inc., of Lexington, Ky., a provider of sales data on new and used cars, with 6,000 customers nationwide. Cross-Sell compiles title and registration information from state departments of motor vehicles, covering approximately 70 percent of all vehicles sold in the United States. Said Sean Conley, general manager of Cross-Sell: "Cross-Sell helps auto dealers determine sales trends by vehicle make and model. It's a powerful information tool that enables dealers to make critical changes in inventory to meet sales demand for a particular vehicle." More.

Intrinergy Acquires Belgian Co-Gen Operation

RICHMOND--Intrinergy, a specialist in renewable forms of energy, has completed the acquisition of its joint-venture partner's interest in Valorbois, a renewable energy project in Belgium. The facility will gasify wood to generate up to four megawatts of green electricity and 12 MW of thermal energy. The power will be sold to a major utility, and the generated heat will be used by a wood pellet manufacturer co-located with the facility. Said Henry Pease, managing director of Intrinergy Europe: "We see increasing levels of project development activity across all types of renewables, and we intend to link Intrinergy's capital, engineering and operating capabilities with the local knowledge and talent of our development partners." More.

Carlyle Overlook Closes $58 Million in Financing

ALEXANDRIA--ARK Realty Capital, of Bethesda, Md., has closed on $58 million in non-recourse construction financing for Carlyle Overlook, a 250,000-square-foot, Class A office building under development in Alexandria by MRP Realty. Located adjacent to the Eisenhower Avenue Metrorail station and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office campus, the building will lease half of its space to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. More.

PBM Purchases Rights to Profylac Baby Formula

GORDONSVILLE--PBM Products, LLC, has purchased the exclusive worldwide rights to Profylac, a hypoallergenic infant formula that is formulated for infants allergic to cow's milk. A deal finalized with Danish companies Arla Foods Ingredients and ALK-Abello will extend PBM's geographic distribution to Europe. More.

Calvert Health Buys Three Virginia Home Health Agencies

BALTIMORE-Calvert Health Partners has acquired three private home health agencies covering 30 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, with plans to operate the integrated entities under the tag, "Connecting Home and Health." The agencies include Advantage Care of Shenandoah, serving western Virginia/Shenandoah Valley area; Home Care Connection of Richmond; and Tama Health, which serves the Norfolk and Virginia Beach market. More.

TEOCO Buys Vibrant Solutions Assets

FAIRFAX--TEOCO, a developer of cost and revenue management solutions, has acquired Vibrant Solutions' Carrier Cost Management and Business Intelligence business. TEOCO has over 25 carriers for its products and Vibrant Solutions has fifteen; ten in the U.S. and five in Europe. Together their products audit invoices for over 70 percent of the US communications industry spend. More.

Innovations

F2C2 - a Strategy Game for Real Soldiers

MCLEAN--Science Applications International Corporation has created a videogame, Future Force Company Commander (F2C2), designed for the personal computer. The real-time tactical strategy game was produced to help demonstrate the networked battle command that the Future Combat Systems program is developing for the U.S. Army. Players assume the command of a Mounted Company Team in the year 2015, learning to "see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively." More. To download game for free, click here.

Great Wolf Unveils MagiQuest Live-Action Adventure Game

WILLIAMSBURG--Great Wolf Lodge is rolling out a new resort destination, MagiQuest: an immersive role-playing game set in a world of Renaissance-style fantasy propelled by modern-day technology. MagiQuest works like a video game in the sense that it challenges players or "Magi" to complete quests, accumulate powers, and proceed to higher levels of the game. Unlike a video game it is not confined to a computer screen - players cross into a three-dimensional, interactive world and become the main characters in a live action adventure game. More.

AOL Puts Its Stamp on the Stump

DULLES--AOL has expanded its blogging network by launching The Stump, a collection of AOL News election blogs focusing on key political races and issues of the 2006 mid-term elections. Political strategists, educational leaders and local radio personalities will blog about the news and provide their own political perspective on several mid-term elections. Said Lewis D'Vorkin, editor-in-chief of AOL News: "The Internet is changing the way Americans gather news and information, and The Stump provides an interactive forum for citizen journalists and voters to engage and supplement traditional news reporting." More.

CarMax Launches Personalized Car-Search Tools

RICHMOND--CarMax, Inc., the nation's largest used-car retailer, has launched a personalized shopping tool to make searching for vehicles easier on carmax.com. By registering for MyCarMax, customers can save their vehicle search criteria, as well as information on their favorite vehicles. More.

Cyveillance Introduces Malware Protection

ARLINGTON--Cyveillance, a developer of online risk monitoring and management solutions, has released Cyveillance Malware Protection. The product delivers comprehensive, real-time intelligence about websites that distribute files containing malware, spyware or adware, providing ISPs and security companies with a rapid time-to-market security solution for users' computers. More.

S&P Releases Fourth eDirectory

CHARLOTTESVILLE--Standard & Poor's Money Market Directories, a provider of pension fund-related information, has released its fourth electronic directory -- the MMD eDirectory. The eDirectory profiles 61,000 corporate, union, government and endowment plan sponsor organizations with a total of $7.9 trillion in tax-exempt assets for investment. More.

LandAmerica Introduces eZNetClose

RICHMOND--LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., a provider of real estate transaction services, has introduced eZNetClose, an internet-based remote closing solution for mortgage lenders and borrowers. eZNetClose is the first solution in the mortgage industry to offer the convenience of remote electronic signings supported by closing agents specially trained to support online transactions. More.

In Brief...

HERNDON--RCN Corporation, a provider of triple play cable, high-speed internet and phone services, has launched an interactive digital program guide in its Boston, New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Chicago cable TV markets. More.

ARLINGTON--Plateau Systems has released Plateau Blended Learning, a training delivery model that replicates a classroom experience using interactive virtual learning technology. More.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Jobalot Signs Two New Affiliates

NORFOLK—Jobalot.com, a niche vertical jobs search engine, has signed up two new affiliates: Job Central, an alliance for the DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and Hot Gigs, an online staffing company. The deals raise the number of Jobalot affiliates to 19. More.

R&D / Intellectual Property

Eclipse 500 Approved for Operation

HAMPTON--The Eclipse 500, the first of a new class of passenger jets to win approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, will take to the skies thanks in part to research done by NASA and its industry and university partners. The first "very light jet" certified for flight, the Eclipse 5000 can fly at jet speeds yet take off and land from very small airports. Said NASA executive Bruce J. Holmes: "Several new jets and on-demand transportation services are emerging in the marketplace. Many of the new air transportation companies that plan to operate large fleets of these new planes as air taxis have based their business planning in part on the results of NASA's research." More.

Innocoll Gets Nod for Advanced Wound Dressing

ASHBURN--Innocoll, Inc., has received regulatory approval for CollaGUARD, an advanced wound-care product based on Innocoll's proprietary membrane technology. CollaGUARD, used to treat wounds and skin ulcers, lesions and burns, contains a bioactive material that stimulates the natural wound-healing process while also providing the barrier protection and transparency of film dressings. The worldwide market for advanced wound care dressings is worth well in excess of $1 billion. More.

VCU Profs Investigate Molecular Causes of Asthma

RICHMOND--Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified how a bioactive molecule involved with allergy, inflammation and cancer is transported out of mast cells. The work by the VCU investigators opens up a new approach to treating asthma, which affects about 15 million Americans and is increasing in incidence and mortality, especially among African-Americans. More.

People

RESTON--STG, Inc., has appointed John Barrass as COO, with responsibility for company performance in business development, operations and infrastructure, and the development and implementation of short- and long-range plans. More.

Trends

Chmura Economics & Analytics

Chmura Chart :: Virginia employment growth

Urban vs. Rural Employment Growth. Over the last year, job gains in Virginia can be attributed to growth in metropolitan areas. The state has added 53,600 jobs since last August. During this period, employment in Virginia’s metropolitan areas increased by 66,300, while the state’s rural areas shed 12,700 jobs. Most of the metropolitan growth occurred in Northern Virginia, where the employment level rose by 38,000 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.

Other News

Virginia to Distribute Ethanol-Based Fuel

RICHMOND-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has announced an initiative that will enable 1,300 state-owned vehicles to use an environmentally sensitive alternative to gasoline, improving air quality and reducing the state's petroleum consumption. The Virginia E85 Fueling Infrastructure Project initially establishes three sites for government-owned vehicles to a blended fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. More.

Commentary

Vote Yes to Marriage!
Here are ten reasons to protect the institution of marriage in the Virginia Constitution. More.

Follow the Money

Rail-to-Dulles is the most expensive public works project in Virginia history. To understand the maneuvering over what gets built and who pays for it, start by untangling the web of special interests.

The corridor between Tysons Corner and Washington Dulles International Airport is home to one of the most dynamic high-tech business communities in the world. But economic growth has far outpaced the ability of state and local governments to keep up. Roads are so congested that Northern Virginia could teach L.A. a few lessons about gridlock. More.

Events

:. Oct. 18

:. McLean

John Cronin
Topic: Patent Strategies - how to avoid adding to the pool of valueless patents
Speakers: John Cronin, ipCapital Group; Mark Cata, Proskauer Rose; Armin Kuhn, Viering Jentschura and Partners; David Tarnoff, Global IP Counselors
Event: Breakfast with Experts