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| Business Intelligence for Virginia's Entrepreneurial Economy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In This Issue... Expansions, Relocations and Launches, Who's Hot, Who's Winning Business, Deal Makers, Innovations, Partnerships & Collaborations, Research & Development, People, 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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Synerject Forms Chinese Subsidiary NEWPORT NEWS--Synerject LLC, a joint venture formed by Siemens VDO Automotive and Orbital Engine Corporation, has created a Chinese subsidiary, Synerject Motorcycle Systems Changchun Co, Ltd., to support its Asian expansion initiative. Said Synerject CEO Stephane Tagliante: "This initiative ... is primarily aimed at supporting Synerject's growing business commitments in the Chinese market, while securing a high quality manufacturing location from which to supply products to the rest of Synerject's Asian region." More. Magal Security Opens Herndon Office HERNDON--A subsidiary of Magal Security Systems, Ltd., of Yahud, Israel, has opened an office in Herndon to serve the local, state and federal Homeland Security market. Magal provides advanced sensor solutions for intrusion detection, pipeline infiltration, intelligent video surveillance, and multi-sensor command and control. More. In Brief... RESTON--Bridge Capital Holdings, of San Jose, Cal., has established an East Coast technology banking loan office in Reston. More. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Hot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Valhalla Raises $260 Million for New Fund VIENNA--Valhalla Partners, a venture funding firm, has raised $260 million for its new fund, Valhalla Partners II, L.P., bringing the total capital under management at the firm to more than $440 million. The fund will be used to expand the firm's portfolio of Internet, digital media, software, mobile and storage-based businesses. More. OcuCare Raises $1.5 Million for Eye Drop Compounds ROANOKE--OcuCure Therapeutics, Inc., an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company, has received $1.5 million in seed financing to advance its compounds, which have been formulated as a topical eye drop for both wet and dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) treatment. OcuCure's new generation compound addresses the uncontrolled blood vessel growth associated with AMD. Said CEO Sunder Malkani: "Our seed financing has enabled us to obtain evidence of efficacy for our topical eye drop in wet AMD animal models. ... We now hope to raise additional funding from institutional venture investors to complete preclinical testing and initiate human trials." More. Catcher Holdings Raises $3.3 million HAMILTON--Catcher Holdings, developer of a portable, ruggedized, wireless, handheld computer for the military, has raised $3.3 million through the exercise of warrants. Said CEO Charles Sander: "This capital improves our cash position and will enable us to more easily build and distribute our production models of the CATCHER device." More. Revenues Triple at Trust Digital MCLEAN--Trust Digital, a provider of enterprise software solutions targeted at securing smart phones and PDAs, has reported that revenues more than tripled in the 3Q over the same period last year. The company attributes the growth to a globally recognized media campaign and the spreading requirement for corporate data residing on smart phones to be protected. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Who's Winning Business | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stanley to Participate in $9 Billion Army Contract ARLINGTON--Stanley, Inc., has been awarded the Field and Installation Readiness Support Team contract by the Department of the Army, Southern Region Contracting Command - East. The company was selected as both a prime contractor in the unrestricted category, with 32 subcontractors, and as a subcontractor to Logistics Management Resources, Inc., in the restricted category. The program ceiling is estimated at $9 billion over five years. More In Brief... MCLEAN--BearingPoint, Inc., has completed implementation and deployment of the Department of Health and Human Services' $219 million Unified Financial Management System. More. FALLS CHURCH--Raytheon Company has been awarded a $113 million follow-on Air Force contract for consolidated field support for all sensors, data links and ground systems related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft program. More. MCLEAN--BearingPoint, Inc., has won contracts totaling $19.6 million to support efforts by the United States Agency for International Development to support labor mobility and tax reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina. More. ARLINGTON--CACI International Inc has been awarded a $17 million prime task order by the U.S. Army Reserve Command to provide critical infrastructure assurance services support of U.S. Army Reserve antiterrorism activities worldwide. More. FAIRFAX--ICF International has been awarded a five-year, $16.5 million contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste to provide technical, outreach, and voluntary program support regarding hazardous, industrial, municipal, and special wastes. More. HERNDON--Multimax, Inc., has won a contract potentially worth $14.3 million over three years to help consolidate IT services for U.S. Army's Team Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance headquarters at Ft. Monmouth, N.J. More. CHANTILLY--TechTeam Government Solutions, Inc., has won a five-year, $6.5 million contract to IT services to the Army Research Laboratory, including information assurance, network management, video teleconferencing, wireless technology, and desktop support services. More. RESTON-The Mexican subsidiary of NII Holdings, Inc., has signed an agreement for interoperability of short messaging service with Telcel, a subsidiary of America Movil S.A. de C.V. More. CHARLOTTESVILLE--ADI Engineering has announced that its Pronghorn Metro Main Board has been selected by RoamAD and DR Telecom as a core hardware component in multi-radio nodes that will be deployed throughout the Dominican Republic. More. HERNDON--The Telework Consortium Inc., of Herndon, has been selected by Loudoun County to provide the county government with turnkey collaborative services and telework implementation solutions. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Deal Makers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL Acquires Search Technology Firm DULLES--AOL LLC has acquired a financial news and information search technology company, The Relegence Corporation, of New York. Relegence monitors 20,000 global sources of live-content streams and delivers to a user's desktop only information relevant to his or her individual search criteria. More. Applied Marine Purchased by SAIC VIRGINIA BEACH-Applied Marine Technology, Inc., has agreed to be sold to Science Applications International Corporation. AMTI, which employs 500 people across the country, provides a broad range of services, products and expertise to special operations practitioners in the defense, law enforcement and intelligence communities. Said AMTI President Jim Papineau: "SAIC brings new markets, customers, products and service offerings that, when combined with AMTI's expertise in special operations, homeland security, and in combating the global war on terrorism, will position the team to provide even higher-quality solutions on a larger scale." More. Intrinergy to Build Gasification Units in Alabama RICHMOND--Intrinergy, a provider of alternative fuels to industrial customers, will provide clean, renewable synthesis gas to U.S. Pipe for use at its Bessemer and North Birmingham plants. Under a long-term energy supply agreement, Intrinergy will build, own and operate a state-of-the-art gasification unit at each of the two U.S. Pipe sites to convert into a gas products such as wood waste and shredded plastic automotive parts that would otherwise be buried in landfills. More. Carmel Partners Buys NoVa Apartment Properties for $106.5 Million SAN FRANCISCO--Carmel Partners, Inc., a private real estate investment firm, has acquired four properties in the Washington, D.C. region: The Summit Apartments in Alexandria; and the Chesterfield Apartments, Windsor Towers and Stratford Towers in Arlington for a total of $106.5 million. The company plans to spend $24.9 million on renovations. More. In Brief... MCLEAN--Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., will be paid more than $40 million in buyout and transition fees by Five Star Quality Care, Inc., in the exercise of its contractual rights to cancel seven management contracts with the former Marriott Senior Living Services. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Innovations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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GILA Film Introduces Custom Car Window Film MARTINSVILLE--GILA Film Products, a subsidiary of CPFilms, has introduced Custom Cut window film, a do-it-yourself window tinting product. Custom Cut offers window film pre-cut to fit more than 2,000 vehicle models from approximately 30 different manufacturers - eliminating the challenge of measuring, cutting, and trimming the film. Consumers can purchase window film in four different light transmissions. More. SecureWave Releases Free Device Scanner HERNDON--SecureWave, a provider of endpoint security, has released Device Scanner, a free tool that shows IT administrators the history of all portable storage devices that have ever connected to scanned corporate endpoints. The scanner enables customers and prospects to quickly and easily assess device usage and potential data leakage and malware entry points within the company. More. Comprehensive Health Unveils HybridHealth VIENNA--Comprehensive Health Services has unveiled HybridHealth, an extension of its onsite health care programs for client employees, retirees, and their dependents. Expanded services include a broader range of treatment and prevention programs focused on acute and chronic health conditions. More. In Brief... DULLES--Everest Software, Inc., a provider of business management software for small and medium-sized businesses, has introduced a professional and an enterprise package of its flagship product, Everest Advanced. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Partnerships and Collaborations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AOL, Autobytel to Partner on Automotive Channel DULLES--AOL has inked an agreement that makes Autobytel Inc., of Irvine, Cal., the exclusive fulfillment franchise for the thousands of consumers who look to AOL Autos every month for new vehicle price quotes from their local dealers. As part of the agreement, Autobytel will integrate its lead-distribution technology with AOL's automotive channel to provide consumers with a seamless, AOL-branded price quote process. More. BridgeStreet Partners with ALE Solutions ARLINGTON--BridgeStreet Worldwide, an international provider of corporate housing, has formed an alliance making it the sole corporate housing provider for ALE Solutions. Focused exclusively on the insurance industry, ALE Solutions provides temporary housing nationwide for catastrophe teams and displaced policyholders who have lost their homes as a result of fire, natural disasters or other catastrophes. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | R&D / Intellectual Property | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wahoos Join Google Books Project CHARLOTTESVILLE--The University of Virginia Library, started by Thomas Jefferson, has joined the Google Books Library Project. Google will digitize hundreds of thousands of books from the Library, including selected portions of the Library's American history, literature, and humanities works collections, and make them searchable online through Google Book Search. More. In Brief... ASHBURN--Innocoll, Inc., has filed an Investigational New Drug application for its CollaRx GENTAMICIN as a topical antibiotic treatment for diabetic foot ulcers. More. RICHMOND--Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have developed a compound, 5-HMF, that may one day be effective in treating sickle cell disease, a debilitating genetic blood disorder that affects approximately 80,000 Americans. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | People | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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RICHMOND-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is participating in a seven-day trade mission to Europe, with scheduled visits to Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany. More. NORFOLK-The Virginia Port Authority has selected Jerry A. Bridges as the next executive director, to succeed the VPA's long-time leader, J. Robert Bray, who will retire next year. Bridges currently serves as executive director of the Port of Oakland. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Other News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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'Geeks On Call' Refocuses National Brand NORFOLK-Geeks On Call is refocusing its national brand to emphasize the 1 (800) 95 GEEK phone number for consumers to access its mobile, on-site computer-support services. Geeks on Call was a pioneer in the computer-service segment aimed at homeowners and small businesses. Its success spawned countless imitators, many of whom inserted the word "geek" into the company names - resulting in consumer confusion in the marketplace. Said Jim Jensen, director of marketing, the refocus was necessary because "customers have been bombarded with geek-related messages to the point that they don't know whom to call anymore." More. Roanoke's Dumas Hotel Reopens as Cultural Center ROANOKE--Roanoke's historic Dumas Hotel has reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic & Cultural Development, a renovation made possible by Hampton Roads Ventures, LLC, a Virginia community development investment firm, and Total Action Against Poverty, a Roanoke Valley anti-poverty organization. New Markets Tax Credits assisted in the funding of the $4.4 million project to reopen the center with a 200-seat auditorium and multipurpose rooms for cultural enrichment activities. Hamilton Beach Alleges Infringement of BrewStation Patent RICHMOND--Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc., manufacturer of the BrewStation family of coffeemakers, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Back to Basics Products, of Bluffdale, Utah. The lawsuit alleges that the Back to Basics Coffee Solution infringes a Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex patent. More. MeadWestvaco Converts to Cash Balance Pension RICHMOND-MeadWestvaco Corp., a paper packaging company, is converting its traditional final-average pay pension plan for salaried and nonunion hourly employees to a cash balance plan, the first major company to do so since Congress passed legislation in August protecting new cash balance plans from age discrimination suits. Beginning Jan. 1, new employees at MeadWestvaco Corp. will earn benefits under the cash balance plan, and on Jan. 1, 2008, employees under age 40 will move to the new plan. More. In Brief... NORFOLK-Old Dominion University has contracted with NORESCO, of Westborough, Mass., to implement a 15-year, $2.7 million project for energy infrastructure improvements guaranteed to yield $3.2 million in energy savings. More. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back To Top | Commentary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Time for a "Citizens Initiative" Virginia's budget has doubled in size over 10 years and growth continues unabated. We need constitutional and procedural safeguards to keep the spending in check. More. |
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Bread and Circuses The philosophy of "Buy More Stuff" does not make Americans particularly happy, and it definitely is not sustainable. But politicians of both parties still peddle the fantasy. Mercifully, the high season of partisan electioneering is coming to an end. Politics is always in season in Virginia but this election rut has been especially gruesome. There is one positive result: The 2006 Fall election cycle has made it crystal clear that the Commonwealth is (and the US of A are) desperately in need of a new way to measure citizen well-being. For most citizens it is impossible to tell the difference between the "tax and spend" tactics of one major party and the "spend and spend" tactics of the other. It is impossible to know which is worse: Tax cuts for the rich or Cadillacs for welfare queens - or whatever those "liberals" are up to now. 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
