IDA Launches Green View Advanced Manufacturing Center

greenview_launchFor approximately two decades it has sat as a silent reminder of better times from the past. Today the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County (IDA) takes steps to make it a beacon for the future.

The former Daystrom Furniture Plant on Greens Folly Road began operation in the 1960’s and in its heyday employed over 1,000 workers cranking out chrome plated furniture for the world. At a small “launching” ceremony a group of officials from around the county gathered to christen the relic as the Green View Advanced Manufacturing Center.

“It is our hope that today we begin a new chapter for Halifax County, looking forward to bringing manufacturing jobs back to this area that has such a strong tradition of manufacturing. It is exciting to think of this building coming back to life and seeing people going to work here every day,” said IDA Executive Director Mike Sexton.

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Local Development Firm Takes Radio Stations Mobile

LISTENERS WORLDWIDE DISCOVER LOCAL RADIO STATIONS
SoVaMusic Mobile App Lets Them Listen While On The Go

sovamusic_iconIn the first 48 hours of its release on the Apple iTunes store, 419 people throughout the world downloaded SoVaMusic, a mobile app that streams four local radio stations. Those downloaders in Brazil, the UK, Mexico, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Canada, Korea, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and China can now listen to our local stations whether sitting at their desks or walking the dog.

Halifax-based Glerin Business Resources developed the SoVaMusic app that streams the Lakes Media Network stations serving the region: 953-HLF in South Boston, 1045 The Dan in Danville, Rewind 1019 in South Hill, and US983 in Oxford, North Carolina. The app is universal, which means that it can run on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. An Android version is currently under development.

Lakes Media Network station websites have been offering live streaming for over a year, but the new mobile app means that listeners on the go can quickly choose between all four of the stations without having to navigate to another site or app. Thomas Birch, President of Lakes Media Network said, “Glerin Business Resources has been an integral part of Lakes Media development of multi-platform outlets for our programming. We consider Glerin a partner in our success in making Lakes Media Network radio stations the leaders in Southside Virginia and Northern North Carolina.”

sovamusic_menu“Anything that makes it easier for customers to access your product is going to increase their use of it,” said Lisa Kipps-Brown, President of Glerin. “Being able to quickly choose between genres of music is very appealing to listeners and can lead to increased listenership for all of the stations. The apps available for other stations offer only one station each” she said, continuing that “there are other apps like Pandora that let users choose genres, but what makes SoVaMusic different is the local flavor of the content. It's fun for listeners abroad who dream of America, and it's useful for locals.”

Many area natives who now live elsewhere have already downloaded the SoVaMusic app to use as a way to help keep up with their hometowns. The first day it was available a native who now lives in Texas was listening to it from a cruise ship leaving Galveston, while one in Roanoke reported enjoying Peter Frampton courtesy of the app. As long as a user has an internet connection and an iPhone, iPad or iPod, they can listen at any time and any place – for free.

The app also includes SoVaLife's Twitter feed to help promote events in the community, and expanded features are under development for a unique app that will be even more useful to locals and visitors.

Glerin Business Resources is a web and emerging media design and development company based in Halifax, Virginia. Developing for the web since 1996, Glerin's goal is to help companies leverage the internet to merge their print and digital marketing.

 

Proposed Green Power Plant Draws Strong Support

from Richmond-Times Dispatch A proposed biomass-burning power plant drew strong backing from officials and residents from economically distressed Southside Virginia speaking before the Virginia State Corporation Commission today.  "This will be a great opportunity" for Halifax County, said Del. James E. Edmunds II, R-South Boston.

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative wants to build a 49.95-megawatt “green” power plant at South Boston.

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Riverstone Energy Center Names Director

The Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County is pleased to announce that Dr. Douglas P. Corrigan has been named the Executive Director of the Riverstone Energy Center.

Corrigan has been praised by the search committee for his entrepreneurial spirit coupled with his experience in business development, technology commercialization and his extensive work in research and development across high-tech sectors.

“Doug has been in the trenches. He started his own biotechnology company and has experience in SBIR project management. He also brings to the table in-depth understanding of intellectual property protection, patents, trade-secrets, confidentially agreements and material transfer agreements,” said Ted Bennett, selection committee chair. “His combination of private sector business experience and his understanding of the academic and research fields made him the ideal candidate for the director’s position.”

“I am excited about this new chapter in my professional career and I am looking forward to working with the IDA and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center and other partners as we develop this unique model,” Corrigan said. “My family and I have been very impressed with everyone that we’ve met and everything that we’ve seen in Halifax County. We are looking forward to becoming a part of this dynamic community with its eye on the future.”

“Doug brings with him an outstand list of credentials and experience. His work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center coupled with his work with SBIR and his publications helped him rise to the top of an outstanding list of candidates for the position,” said IDA Executive Director Mike Sexton. “Doug and Amy will be energetic additions to our community.”

“Currently, Virginia is the second largest importer of electricity in the nation, behind California. By working with businesses and entrepreneurs, we can look for solutions to our energy dependency and create new jobs in Halifax County,” Sexton said. “We have already announced the NOVI biomass power plant and the Dominion solar research project, that combined will provide nearly $200 million in new investment in the county and 50 new direct jobs. The NOVI project will also produce 100 jobs in the forestry industry to supply the power plant, thus expanding jobs in the agri-business sector, another focus of the IDA. These investments touch every man, woman and child in Halifax County by adding significant taxes to the County coffers at a time of financial strain and provide jobs across a wide variety of skill sets”

Located in South Boston, the Riverstone Energy Center (REC) and the Research and Development Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Efficiency provide innovative solution to businesses and entrepreneurs seeking resource to pursue consistent research, or who struggle to implement the innovations research has discovered. The REC is a 7,000 square foot facility that houses the Mechdyne Flex Virtual Reality System. “The Cave”, as the system has been coined, is a powerful 3D virtual reality environment that provides unparalleled modeling and simulation capabilities. Coupled with the Cisco 3000 Telepresence videoconference equipment that provides the ability to create the world you want and to share it without being limited by geographic boundaries. A meeting with customers or clients around the world becomes as real and as vibrant as a meeting around the table. Additionally, REC has a multimedia center capable of producing sophisticated audio, visual and print materials that will clients to tell their story to the government and industry.

The R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency is located in the Innovation Center – a 46,000 square foot, newly renovated, former tobacco warehouse located on the campus of, and operated by, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. The facility houses state-of-the art machining Center equipped with today’s most advanced and progressive manufacturing technology that produces products in both the 3-axis and 5-axis realm. Because advanced manufacturing techniques are the key to compete globally, a “Smart Factory” approach to demonstrate how emerging trends in industry and advanced technology can be adopted and mastered.

The Riverstone Energy Center will work with the Research and Development Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Efficiency collaboratively to proved a complete, unparalleled, competitively priced package of services for product and process development needs.

Corrigan is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and a graduate of Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University where he earned his Doctorate degree.

Doug and his wife Amy have four children and are expecting another child in the fall.

 

Riverstone Technology Park New HQ for New Jersey Operation

An international training and research center selected Riverstone Technology Centre as its new home. AWFI, LLC is relocated their corporate headquarters and training center from New Jersey to Halifax County.

According to Mike Sexton, Industrial Development Authority (IDA) of Halifax County Executive Director, “This project is a unique partnership between the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC), University of Virginia, Riverstone Energy Center, the IDA, the private sector and others and represents a significant advancement in training and establishing the region as a hub for new and emerging finishing technology.”

AWFI will run and operate the National Center for Coatings Application, Research, and Education (C-CARE) working with the Riverstone Energy Center. The purpose of C-CARE facility is to create a unique research, development and training environment for various industries that use woods, plastics and metals in their operations. In addition, a work-force training program is being developed in partnership with the SVHEC to provide coating and finishing certification programs for incumbent workers and new recruits. The goal is to establish a “one-stop-shop” that identifies and helps commercialize solutions in the surface engineering field as well as provide a high-quality workforce in related areas. “Surface engineering” is concerned with how wood, metal, composite and other surfaces can be coated, treated or otherwise finished to proved specific performance, appearance and/or sustainability characteristics. Sexton explained that C-CARE and AWFI will leverage the modeling and simulation equipment in the Riverstone Energy Center and the investment being made at Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) to use a dedicated lab for research, development and workforce development.

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Riverstone Coatings project receives $1,052,000 in Tobacco Commission funding

from the News & Record - The National Center for Coatings Application, Research, and Education (C-CARE), on Tuesday, received $1,052,000 from the Southside Economic Development Committee of the Virginia Tobacco Commission at the Commission meeting in Richmond.

C-CARE will be a state-of-the-art center in Riverstone Technology Park to identify and help commercialize solutions in the surface engineering field as well as provide a high-quality workforce in related areas. “Surface engineering” is concerned with how wood, metal, composite and other surfaces can be coated, treated or otherwise finished to provide specific performance, appearance and/or sustainability characteristics.

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IDA Upbeat on Economic Projects

from The Gazette Virginian - The year 2010 will go down in the record books with nearly $200 million in new investments announced here, and one group in Halifax County is looking forward to the New Year and reflecting on the outgoing one.

Staff of the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and specifically IDA Executive Director Mike Sexton are upbeat when reflecting on 2010 and even more upbeat on 2011.

In a year end review release, Sexton outlined some of the IDA’s accomplishments that have come to fruition over the past year.

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Alternative Energy Plant Set to Power Jobs in Halifax County

A proposed power plant slated for Halifax County, VA took another step forward when Virginia State Corporation Commission gave the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) and its development partner, NOVI Energy, interim authority to begin preliminary construction work on a 49.95 megawatt “green” biomass power plant. The plant will serve NOVEC’s customer-owners.

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