Riverstone Energy Center Has Productive 2011

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.

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Noted Industrial Designer Charles “Chuck” Harrison to Present at SVHED

From The Gazette-Virginian

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) will host noted industrial designer Charles “Chuck” Harrison for a free, public presentation at 10 a.m. Friday. Harrison is best known for his distinguished career as an industrial designer for Sears and for the contributions he has made to a host of household products. The first African-American executive for Sears, Roebuck & Company, Harrison began his career as a freelancer, moved on to staff designer and later headed the Sears design department.

His work has influenced many of the products we use on a daily basis including blenders, can openers, AM-FM radios and calculators.

In 2008, Harrison received the National Design Lifetime Achievement Award, a prestigious honor recognizing excellence, innovation and enhancement of the quality of life.

During his visit to South Boston he will speak about design and the excitement of design careers for young people.

“We are very fortunate to have Mr. Harrison come to our area,” said Amy Cole, SVHEC director of student services and partner relations. “He is an inspirational speaker and really speaks to the mission and vision we have for our Business of Art and Design program,” she said.

The public is invited to hear Harrison speak at 10 a.m. Friday at The Prizery located at 700 Bruce St., in South Boston. There is no cost to attend.

For more information visit www.svhed.org, email information@svhed.org , call 434-572-5566 or toll free 1-800-283-0098 ext 5566.

Registration open for free social media workshop

6pm Tuesday, December 6 will mark the kickoff date for a free series of workshops to be delivered by Glerin Business Resources. The first workshop will be an overview of the major social media outlets, explaining what each is, how they differ from each other, what they're used for, and how they can be used together in a coordinated way.

Topics covered will include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and more, plus using blogging and newsletters in coordination with social media.

The Halifax County IDA is sponsoring the series as it's latest Existing Business initiative. Halifax County Tourism and the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsors. The series is being developed to help businesses and organizations use social media more effectively to prepare themselves for the future of marketing.

The workshops will be held in the conference room at Riverstone Centre in Riverstone Technology Park.

In January the series will continue with monthly workshops focusing on a different social media outlet each month.

Visit http://www.glerin.com/register.html to register or email info@glerin.com with inquiries. Registration is free, but we ask that you register to help us plan content for this workshop and ensure that we have enough seating available for all attendees.

Glerin Business Resources is a web, mobile and graphics design company headquartered in Halifax, VA.

GM and partners to begin work in January at National Tire Research Center; seeking improvements in fuel economy

GM engineers and scientists will begin work in January with research partners to accelerate the development of tire technology at the new National Tire Research Center in Halifax County, Va. (Earlier post.)

The facility, to which GM contributed $5 million, uses advanced tire performance machinery that will enable automakers and tire manufacturers to replicate real-world emergency events and improve vehicle highway safety.

By some estimates, tire design can help improve fuel efficiency by up to 7%. A tire's rolling resistance is determined by variations in tread pattern, construction, material quality and processing techniques.

The center's $11.2-million tire performance test equipment, known as Flat-Trac LTRe, is unique in its use of electric motor technology and can run a tire up to 200 mph. It provides data on handling, ride, torque, and braking capabilities on various surfaces, including wet road conditions. GM was instrumental in developing the machine's test specifications.

The Flat-Trac LTRe is capable of replicating all driving maneuvers of a passenger car or light truck on the road. GM and other automotive engineers will be able to use the data collected by the equipment to predict vehicle performance and modify tire characteristics to improve performance for low rolling resistance, better road-holding capability and other criteria.

The center's facilities also include the Southern Virginia Vehicle Motion (SoVa Motion) Laboratory, strategically located in the heart of the Virginia Motorsports Alley at the Virginia International Raceway. SoVa Motion offers shock and suspension testing, virtual prototyping of vehicle components, and a range of on-vehicle sensing such as wheel force transducers. SovaMotion will take advantage of the Tire Center's test data to conduct drive and handling simulations that could help reduce time and cost of vehicle program development.

from 4-traders

GM And Partners Burn Rubber To Improve Fuel Economy

General Motors' drive to improve vehicle fuel economy is expected to gain traction in January when GM engineers and scientists begin work with research partners to accelerate the development of tire technology at the new National Tire Research Center in Halifax County, Va.

The world-class facility, to which GM contributed $5 million, uses state-of-the-art tire performance machinery that will enable automakers and tire manufacturers to replicate real-world emergency events and improve vehicle highway safety.

By some estimates, tire design can help improve fuel efficiency by up to 7 percent. A tire's rolling resistance is determined by variations in tread pattern, construction, material quality and processing techniques. Ultimately, the lower the rolling resistance, the less fuel is needed to move the vehicle forward.

Low rolling resistance tires are expected to help customers save money at the gas pump, as will more efficient conventional engines and electric powertrains.

"The work we'll undertake at the National Tire Research Center will have a big impact on how quickly next-generation tire technologies will be developed and the accuracy of their design and engineering," said Ken Morris, GM's executive director of Global Vehicle Performance and Safety, and proving grounds and test labs. Morris attended the center's ribbon-cutting ceremony in October.

The center's $11.2 million tire performance test equipment, known as Flat-Trac LTRe, is unique in its use of electric motor technology and can run a tire up to 200 mph. It provides data on handling, ride, torque, and braking capabilities on various surfaces, including wet road conditions. GM was instrumental in developing the machine's test specifications.

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PD&D Students Make Case For US Manufacturing

Does manufacturing still have a place in the US economy? A group of high school and community college students in South Boston, VA say yes--and they’ve partnered with an international furniture maker to make the case.

High school dual enrollment WoodLINKS students, and adult Product Design & Development students at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) recently worked with High Point, NC’s renowned Lloyd Buxton to prove that American manufacturing can work. To test the theory, students were given one week to replicate a Lloyd Buxton showroom piece currently being produced in the Philippines. The key question: could the American made occasional table be produced as cost-effectively and efficiently as the one made overseas?

Collaborating with the SVHEC’s R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency (R&D CAMEE), a 3-D drawing of the table was created using the TopSolid computer-aided-design (CAD) software. Working with 103-year-old wood reclaimed from Danville’s Dan River Mill, the individual table parts were fabricated on a 3-axis computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) router. Halifax County High School WoodLINKS students then manually distressed the piece and prepared the surface for finishing. Using these and other advanced manufacturing techniques, students were able to meet the deadline, and, they believe, demonstrate American labor can successfully compete with overseas manufacturing.

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IDA to sponsor free social media workshop series

As it's latest Existing Business initiative, the Halifax County IDA will be sponsoring a series of free workshops open to all businesses and organizations.  South Boston - Halifax County Tourism and the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsoring the series.  The workshops are being developed to help businesses and organizations use social media more effectively and prepare themselves for the future of marketing.

The workshops, developed and presented by Glerin Business Resources, will kick off at 6pm Tuesday, December 6, in the conference room at Riverstone Centre.  This first workshop will be an overview of the major social media outlets, explaining what each is, how they differ from each other, what they're used for, and how they can be used together in a coordinated way.

In January the series will continue with monthly workshops focusing on a different social media outlet each month.  Stay tuned for more information, or email info@glerin.com with inquiries.

Topics covered will include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube and more, plus using blogging and newsletters in coordination with social media.

Information regarding registration will be available soon.  We hope you'll join us for these fun and informative workshops!

Glerin Business Resources is a web, mobile and graphic design company headquartered in Halifax, Virginia.

Quality Applicants Turn Out For Call Center Job Fair

from the Gazette-Virginian

Halifax County Industrial Development Authority officials appear to be pleased with the quality and number of applicants attending the job fair under way at Riverstone Technology Park.

On Tuesday, Authority Project Manager Jeff Reed said applicants have been “steadily” coming through the door to apply for the possible 150 call center jobs.

One of North America’s leaders in providing customer contact and back-office processing solutions is considering South Boston as a new site to locate a call center, and the job fair seeking applicants to work at the center is continuing today.

People have been lined up waiting at the door from 9 a.m. and steadily coming all day up until the doors close, he said on Tuesday.

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