Riverstone Energy Center – Bringing Hi-Tech Projects, Jobs, and Technology to Our Region

The Riverstone Energy Center is a clean-energy incubator and commercialization center located in South Boston, Halifax County, Virginia that was established to help transform our region into the 21st century. The Energy Center was created by the vision of the Virginia Tobacco Commission and the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County, and is located in Building 1 of the Riverstone Technology Park.

The mission of the Energy Center is to catalyze long-term and sustainable economic revitalization in the region of Halifax County and Southside Virginia by initiating, supporting, and growing high-tech “renewable energy” projects and ventures. The Energy Center has active projects within four key areas: biomass to energy; energy coatings; energy storage and generation; and energy efficiency. By providing a unique combination of both human capital and technological resources, the Energy Center is positioned as a resource to generate leads and attract a diverse array of industry to our region. The Energy Center aligns with an extensive network of educational and commercial partners to accomplish its mission.

At the beginning of 2011, the Energy center was absent a staff, and by the end of the year, the Energy Center was staffed with an Executive Director (Dr. Douglas Corrigan), a Director of Modeling Simulation and Media (Ben Thompson), and a Director of Business Development and Marketing (Kristy Johnson). Staff wasted no time to begin planning, developing marketing materials, initiate new projects, and leverage partnerships throughout the region.

As a prime example of the fruits of the Energy Center’s efforts, The Center for Coatings Application, Research, and Education (C-CARE) was funded, constructed, staffed, and launched. The goal of C-CARE is to create an industry-recognized national standard and world-class facility for workforce training, education, and research for industrial coating processes and technologies. This project was made financially possible through the efforts and support of the Halifax Industrial Development Authority, Halifax County, the Virginia Tobacco Commission, and private capital investment from large multinational corporations, such as Superfici, GRACO, and Kremlin-Rexson. During this year, AWFI relocated their business operations from New Jersey to begin operating C-CARE and have created approximately 5 Jobs. AWFI has a performance target of creating at least an additional 15 jobs by the year 2014.

C-CARE is a project that aims to attract new industries to this area by providing much-needed innovative work-force training programs and state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies unique in all of North America. This model is already reaping dividends as large companies and projects are coming to our region for the first time to take advantage of this one-of-a kind facility. “C-CARE is poised to raise the exposure and overall attractiveness of our region for new industrial activity”, commented Dr. Douglas Corrigan, Executive Director of the Riverstone Energy Center.

C-CARE is a partnership between the Halifax IDA, the Riverstone Energy Center, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC), the R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Efficiency (R&D CAMEE), and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (C-CAM). C-CARE Phase II is expected to be complete in June 2012. A comprehensive and jam-packed 1-week long Open House will take place at the Energy Center to meet with key-decision makers and personnel of companies with vested interests in coating technologies. For more information on C-CARE, visit (www.RiverstoneEnergyCenter.com/c-care) and (www.awfi.org).

Riverstone Energy Center staff has made great strides this year, creating a new website and developing new applications for the Energy Center’s Virtual Reality Design Theater to support local businesses. Staff has developed new contacts, formed new partnerships, and raised the visibility of our region via participation in conferences including the Governors Conference on Energy, MOD-SIM EXPO, Military Alternative Energy Conference, VA-AREA Annual Conference, the DUKE Solar Conference, NCSU Conference on Energy, and the NASA Energy Technology Partnership Forum. The Energy Center has also been host to many local organizations including LEAD Virginia, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Wood Links, Digispired Program, and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (C-CAM). In 2012, the Energy Center is planning another aggressive marketing strategy. The Energy Center will be hosting 22 open house events, seminars, a STEM academy science fair, and other public relation events throughout 2012. For more information on our active projects and upcoming events, please visit (www.RiverstoneEnergyCenter.com).