SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

The Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), its Southern Virginia Product Advancement Center (SVPAC), and TMI AutoTech participated in the Governor's Virtual Town Hall on Technology-Based Innovation and Entrepreneurship on September 10, 2014. The virtual town hall meeting hosted by Governor McAuliffe, Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson, and Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones, connected nine different locations across Virginia. The IDA, SVPAC and TMI participated using the Cisco 3000 Telepresence room at the IDA's Southern Virginia Technology Park.

The event brought together participants from University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, James Madison University, William and Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Southern Virginia Product Advancement Center to discuss strategies the Commonwealth could employ to strengthen Virginia's ability to attract and produce entrepreneurs and make Virginia a more intensive innovation location. Halifax IDA was selected because of its recent initiatives to spur economic growth through innovation, and research and development assets and programs, like SVPAC.

The Governor presided over the first hour of the event, providing opening remarks and then participating in a round table discussion among the educators, entrepreneurs, and venture capital investors. Each locality was asked to comment on ways to increase and support entrepreneurship in the various regions of the state.

"The IDA has already invested in this through SVPAC and C-CARE," said Matt Leonard, IDA Executive Director who participated in the discussions.

"SVPAC offers business incubation, virtual modeling and simulation, and telepresence capabilities," added Dr. Doug Corrigan, SVPAC's Executive Director who coordinated Halifax's participation through contacts at Secretary Jackson's office. "When Secretary Jackson visited us in August, she was pleased with our efforts to position Halifax and the Southern Virginia Region to receive and support innovative people and companies. Her office asked us to take part in the event."

TMI will use many of these research and development assets to design, develop, and manufacture a new automobile in Halifax County. "Having all of these facilities available to us makes a great positive difference to our growth plans," says Mark Swain, one of TMI's Owners, who also participated in the call. "'I'd like to see even more support from the state for current companies innovating and developing job creating opportunities."

Secretaries Jones and Jackson alternately presided over the last hour, gathering input on next steps the group can take, and programs Virginia can initiate. Follow up meetings, over telepresence or otherwise are being planned. Halifax will continue to take part in the Governor's Innovation efforts.