Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) hosted a mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting for the National Center for Coatings Application Research and Education (C-CARE) December 6, 2013 at Riverstone Centre. 14 different coatings industry businesses, professional associations, and workforce training and education organizations attended the meeting. C-CARE is part of Halifax's economic development tool-kit which aims to provide assets and programs to support and attract industries that require advanced manufacturing technology and skill sets. The IDA has issued the C-CARE Request for Proposal (RFP) to attract an operator, or team of operators, for C-CARE who can meet critical economic development goals. "C-CARE is a world-class facility in Halifax, Virginia," said Matt Leonard, the IDA's Executive Director. "We need world-class operators to make the most of it. This RFP process is our way of finding them."

The mission of C-CARE is to assist manufacturers with their process engineering, research and development, and work-force training needs in the application of coatings to their final products. The C-CARE lab in Riverstone Technology Park has been recognized by industry as a one-of-a-kind facility and rounds out Halifax's capability in aiding manufacturer's in all cycles of product development, including modeling and simulation, design, engineering, and prototyping. "We were well pleased with the turnout of various industries and stakeholders along the coatings and advanced manufacturing spectrum," commented Dr. Doug Corrigan, Executive Director of the IDA's Riverstone Energy Center. "The quality and reputation of these organizations underscores our ongoing vision of creating a world-class and one-of-a-kind program for an unmet need in the industry."

Attendees were given an overview of the RFP and then toured Riverstone Energy Center, C-CARE, and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center's Innovation Center. Responses to the C-CARE RFP are due February 21, 2014.