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Dominion Hunkers Down for Hurricane 
RICHMOND-Warning customers to expect significant disruptions to their electric service, Dominion Virginia Power is preparing for
Hurricane Isabel. The company has inventoried storm supplies and arranged with vendors for poles, cross-arms, power lines and
other material. With standing commitments from contractors and neighboring utilities to provide crews and equipment, the company
expects to have a service-restoration workforce of 7,000.
Despite the precautions, the company stated, customers should anticipate the possibility of going without electricity "for several days" in the aftermath of wind-blown trees and broken poles downing power lines. The main force of the hurricane should be felt in Virginia on Thursday. More US Airways Expands Flexible Travel Policy ARLINGTON--US Airways has extended a flexible travel policy to U.S. destinations in the projected path of Hurricane Isabel. Customers with itineraries for travel to and from cities in the storm path can make changes to their itineraries and US Airways will waive the standard change fee and advance reservation and ticketing requirements. More Stihl Routes Chain Saws to Mid-Atlantic VIRGINIA BEACH--Stihl Inc., a worldwide manufacturer chain saws, is redirecting inventories of chain saws and protective apparel to assist servicing dealers and emergency response operations in advance of Hurricane Isabel. The hurricane is predicted to make landfall along the mid-Atlantic Coast - not far from Stihl's own U.S. manufacturing facility. The company has redistributed more than 20,000 chain saws to mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. More Verizon Safeguards Telephone Centers NEW YORK--Verizon officials are preparing for Hurricane Isabel as it bears down on the East Coast. Technicians are double-checking the backup power systems that continue providing phone service to customers whenever commercial power is lost, sandbagging low-lying equipment locations, and preparing to send extra crews into storm-damaged areas. More |
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| Mergers & Acquisitions
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SAIC Acquires Jullien CHANTILLY-Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a San Diego-based research and engineering firm with a major presence in the Washington region, has acquired Jullien Enterprises, a Washington, D.C.- based electronic security systems integrator. The transaction, expected to close in October, will combine Jullien's physical security expertise and homeland security focus with SAIC's worldwide practice providing information and technology solutions to government and large enterprise clients. More Columbia Acquires Millwood Specialty Flooring DANVILLE--Columbia Flooring has acquired Millwood Specialty Flooring Inc., a manufacturer of unfinished 3/4" solid hardwood flooring, located in Ellijay, Georgia. Columbia plans to increase the size of Millwood's current lumberyard and lumber-drying facilities. Said Columbia President David Wootton: "This acquisition will enable us to expand the geography from where we acquire our raw materials, and allow us to increase the volume of unfinished strip available for finishing at our other facilities." More Cysive Amends Management Buyout Terms RESTON--Cysive, Inc., a provider of interactive server technology, has amended its management buyout agreement with Snowbird Holdings, Inc., owned by Nelson A. Carbonell, Jr. The new agreement bumps up payment to Cysive's stockholders from $3.22 per share to $3.23 per share and changes various terms and conditions of the agreement. More Smithfield to Review Cargill's Offer for Farmland Foods SMITHFIELD--Smithfield Foods, Inc., which recently entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Farmland Foods, has been notified of a bid by Cargill Inc., for the Midwestern pork producer and processor. Smithfield said that it would "consider all of its alternatives and take whatever action it believes is in the best interests of Smithfield shareholders and all of the Farmland constituencies." More |
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| Back To Top | Finance
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Adenosine Therapeutics Finds Venture Funding CHARLOTTESVILLE--Adenosine Therapeutics, LLC, has completed a round of venture financing with the Emerging Technology Partners of Rockville, Md. In the transaction, the company also acquired adenosine screening technology from Aptus Pharmaceuticals. The financing is structured as a first closing on a larger round of investment. With other resources, the financing will provide two years of capital to the company. Adenosine Therapeutics develops novel pharmaceutical products that target adenosine receptor subtypes. Potential applications include treatment of sepsis, heart attack, spinal chord injury, organ transplantation and a host of varied medical conditions. More AMERIGROUP Files for Public Offering VIRGINIA BEACH-AMERIGROUP Corporation, a multi-state managed care company, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell approximately $100 million of common stock. The Company intends to use the net proceeds for working capital and other general corporate purposes, which may include acquisitions. More ORBIMAGE Clears Bankruptcy Hurdle DULLES--Orbital Imaging Corporation has settled a dispute over marketing rights with MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, Ltd. (MDA), which had delayed its exit from bankruptcy. In exchange for payments totaling $12 million from the Canadian firm over the next 2 years, ORBIMAGE agreed to return its limited licenses in Radarsat-2 back to MDA. Said ORBIMAGE CFO Armand D. Mancini: "This transaction enhances our balance sheet and long-term viability so we can quickly exit from Chapter 11." More |
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| Back To Top | Markets
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Nextel Launches New Branding Campaign 
RESTON-National wireless provider Nextel Communications Inc. has launched a new branding campaign incorporating never-before-used
media such as building wraps and interactive phone booths. The campaign also will use Out-of-Home, wild postings and street-level
advertising in New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco/San Jose, Washington D.C., as well as direct mail & interactive marketing. The
campaign targets the "wireless leader and get-it-done customers," or in the words of the company's promotional literature,
"Unabashed Doers. People who start, finish and move."
MoreBlue Ridge InternetWorks Deploys IP Telephony for Musictoday.com CHARLOTTESVILLE--Blue Ridge InternetWorks has deployed an IP telephony system for Musictoday.com, a Charlottesville Internet retailer and fulfillment company providing online merchandising, ticketing and fan club solutions to clients in the music and entertainment industry including Dave Matthews Band, the Rolling Stones and Dixie Chicks. IP telephony technology reduces infrastructure costs and simplifies a company's operation by converging voice and data networks, making the phone part of an organization's data network. More Japanese Company Provides French Food to U.S. Airline ARLINGTON-In an ongoing effort to improve the quality of in-flight food, US Airways has partnered with Vie de France, a bakery and food-service company based in Northern Virginia, to provide a selection of onboard meals. The new In-flight Cafe menu will offer "authentic European bakery goods and Pastries" from Vie de France. Vie de France has been owned by Yamazaki Bakery Co., of Tokyo, since 1991. More Evolvian Launches SpamEnder CHANTILLY--Evolvian, a developer of consumer and small-business software, has unveiled its spam-fighting software, SpamEnder, with lavish guarantees of "100 percent Spam protection." The software's unique feature, the company claims, is its ability to anticipate spammer behavior. Spammers typically provide fake addresses and do not monitor incoming e-mails. When SpamEnder sends a "confirmation request," the spammer will not respond, the e-mail will not be confirmed, and the spam will not enter the recipient's inbox. More Overnite Introduces New Online Application RICHMOND--Overnite Transportation Company, a leading long-haul trucking company, has introduced a secure, online service allowing customers to forward their electronic bills of lading to anyone, anywhere, anytime. "E-mail A Friend" provides Overnite's customers the ability to remotely manage inbound shipments, improve communication with paying agents, as well as schedule and manage returns and regular shipments. More In Brief... ROANOKE--Meridium, a developer of asset performance-management solutions, has attained certification to facilitate The Manufacturing Game workshops for improving manufacturing quality and efficiency. More Small Business Owners -- Build Your Business Profits Passion, focus and hard work are all critical to small-business success. But they don't guarantee that you'll be still be in business a year from now. Small business entrepreneurs have to master the business basics - everything from balancing the books to raising capital, from building relationships to staying out of trouble with the IRS. And, of course, building sales and profits! This fall, the Greater Richmond Small Business Development Center is hosting programs at three locations around the Richmond area covering the essentials of finance, marketing, planning and human resources. Twelve useful sessions packed into two, four-hour programs. No business school theory here, just practical, hands-on information you can use to run your business today. More Spam Filters Gain Popularity, Cause Problems RICHMOND--This summer has spawned a surge in SPAM filters blocking emails. This is a normal reaction to the recent deluge of computer viruses. Some companies have reacted by installing a SPAM filter on their company email server/s. While these do work well, they very often block non-SPAM emails. Everybody is frustrated, from individuals not receiving emails to marketers who can contact their customers who have opted in to their newsletters. Technicians who maintain the servers are caught in a delicate balance between keeping the bad email out and letting the good email through. More |
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| Back To Top | Expansions & Relocations
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Barber & Ross Expands in, Relocates to Frederick County RICHMOND--Barber & Ross Company, a manufacturer of windows, doors and custom millwork products, will expand and relocate its Leesburg headquarters and manufacturing operation to a larger facility in Frederick County. The company's decision creates 100 new jobs, which will be relocated to the new, 250,000-square-foot office and manufacturing facility on 25 acres in Frederick County. The company also will invest $13 million in real estate and equipment. More Trex Flexes Muscle in Frederick County RICHMOND--Trex Company, Inc., the nation's largest manufacturer of alternative decking products, has expanded its headquarters operations in Frederick County. Through a $10.9 million investment, the company has added a plastics recycling production line and created 36 new jobs. To support the expansion, a 2,000-foot rail extension, funded in part by the state, will bring in plastic raw material and facilitate direct shipments of Trex product to distributors. More I'll Drink to That! Chesapeake Modernizes Scottish Plant RICHMOND-Chesapeake Corporation, an international supplier of value-added specialty paperboard and plastic packaging, has completed a $16 million modernization project at its specialty paperboard packaging plant in East Kilbride, Scotland. The plant produces a wide range of packaging products, primarily for the Scotch whisky and fine spirits industry, using the latest lithographic and flexographic printing technology. In Brief... MANASSAS--Insystech, Inc., an IT solutions provider, has selected Prince William County as the location for its new location, investing $335,000 and creating 11 new jobs in 3,000 square feet of office space. More |
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| Back To Top | Contracts, Deals & Partnerships
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PrecisionIR Piles up the Partnerships RICHMOND--WILink, a provider of global investor relations and investment information services, has negotiated "new and enhanced relationships" with six financial and media partners to provide their users with free, direct access to publicly traded companies' annual reports or mutual funds' prospectuses. These services are part of WILink's PrecisionIR line of investor relations-services that help companies and mutual funds communicate with the investor community. The partners include CNN/Money, the Bank of New York, OpenCompany, BusinessWeek, Stockhouse and Reuters. More In Brief... RESTON--The ceiling on SI International Inc.'s contract with the National Visa Center has been raised by $28 million to $88 million. More FAIRFAX-Anteon International, an information technology contractor to the federal government has won a five-year, $24.5 million award to support the U.S. Air Force's Electromagnetic Technology Division located at Hanscom Air Force Base. More RESTON--High Performance Technologies, Inc. has been awarded a $12 million contract to manage the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture portfolio. More ARLINGTON-Plateau Systems, a provider of enterprise learning-management systems, has implemented its Plateau 4 LMS solution at General Electric, providing a single platform to schedule, manage and deliver learning and knowledge-transfer and related activities. More ARLINGTON--Henninger Productions, a video production and programming company, has partnered with Herndon-based CRW Medical Productions to produce health-related documentaries for television networks worldwide; the first projects include episodes of "Surviving & Winning," a 26-part series for public television. |
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| Back To Top | R & D
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VCU Researchers Create Mutant, Cancer-Killing Bacteria RICHMOND-- A U.S. and Japanese team of researchers led by Virginia Commonwealth University has produced a mutant bacteria found naturally in soil and plants that makes a powerful natural product potentially of use in anti-tumor drugs. The work represents the first cloning and analysis of a biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for production of the potent antibiotic phoslactomycin by a Streptomyces bacteria. Said lead researcher Kevin A. Reynolds: "Instead of having chemists make drugs through synthetic methods, we can change the genome to make a new version of a drug using naturally occurring processes." More GMU Finds Link Between Smallpox Vaccination and HIV Resistance MANASSAS--Researchers at George Mason University's National Center for Biodefense have demonstrated that that smallpox vaccination may confer a measurable degree of immunity to HIV infection. The evidence for protection against HIV, based on lab studies of blood cells of recently vaccinated individuals, could provide the basis for an HIV vaccine. More 4Wave Awarded $2 Million Grant STERLING--4Wave, Inc., a thin film deposition development company, has been awarded a $1.97 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to develop an optical filter chip for use in 10-Gigabit Ethernet transceivers. Compared to today's products, 4Wave's four-channel CWDM mux/demux optical filter will be 250 times smaller, far more reliable, and up to 80 percent less expensive to manufacture. More Arkios Assists with Parkinson's Gene Therapy Clinical Trial VIRGINIA BEACH-Neurologix, a New Jersey-based developer of gene-based therapies for brain disease, has selected Arkios BioDevelopment International, LLC, of Virginia Beach, to help manage a Parkinson's Gene Therapy trial. Last month, researchers slipped billions of copies of a gene into the brain of a Parkinson's disease patient, marking the first attempt to test gene therapy in a person with that disease. Arkios will provide monitoring, project management, and data management assistance under the agreement. More DuPont to Participate in Film Capacitor Consortium HOPEWELL-DuPont Teijin Films U.S., Limited Partnership, a Virginia-based, Chinese-American partnership, will participate in a three-year, $5.2 million consortium led by Ohio Aerospace Institute to develop a "revolutionary" new film capacitor. The federally funded program strives to create an order-of-magnitude increase in energy density at half the current price of existing film capacitors. DuPont Teijin has a presence in Circleville, Ohio. More New Trouble for Bay Water Quality GLOUCESTER POINT--Now that rains have broken the mid-Atlantic's three-year drought, research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is quantifying the predicted drop in Chesapeake Bay water quality. Their data show that a large stretch of deep water in the upper Bay contains almost no oxygen or fish. More |
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| Back To Top | Trends
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 Retail sales in Virginia grew at a 3.5 percent year-over-year pace as of June 2003 indicating considerable strength in the consumption side of the state's economy. Prior to the recent upturn in sales, the consumer held up relatively well during the past recession, which ended in November 2001, as retail sales fared better than during the 1990-1991 recession. For details and forecasts of retail sales across Virginia, as well as a list of Chmura Economics & Analytics (CEA) products, goods, and services, click here or call 804-649-1107. |
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| Back To Top | Jobs
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| Back To Top | Commentary
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Koelemay's Kosmos: The Budget Shortfall that Must Not be Calculated More  Free Newsletter |
Columnist: Steve Haner Our Cup Runneth Over The state's revenue glass is more than half full and soon may be overflowing. The reported $55 million surplus understates the real picture. So, why are politicians ignoring the good news? Reporters covering Gov. Mark R. Warner's August 25 report on state finances couldn't tell if the glass was half empty or half full. The governor didn't clear things up. More |
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| Back To Top | Events
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