ABB re-invests in South Boston

In 2008, the local Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County, along with state money, funded the expansion of ABB's 90,000 square foot factory in South Boston.

Today, ABB is using this expanded area of the factory to build transformers that will support a new local business in Halifax County.

ABB has won an order from the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), and its development partner, NOVI Energy, for two small power transformers. These transformers are a critical component for a unique green application that will supply power to the local market.

NOVI Energy is the project developer for the NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass facility, a 49.9 megawatt (gross) woody biomass-fueled, electric generation project to be constructed on a 104-acre site in South Boston.

The project will obtain all its fuel needs from the local forest products industry as waste wood from regional timbering operations and manufacturing at mills. Construction is under way, and the plant is projected to be in operation by mid-2013.

The transformers will be used to step up the voltage to run the NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass power plant. These are the largest transformers ever supplied by the ABB South Boston factory to be used in the local community.

"ABB has had a long-term presence in Virginia and has greatly contributed in many ways to the South Boston community," said Fred Mistal, consultant to NOVEC Energy Production. "So it is a privilege to partner with ABB in setting up this unique, green application known as the NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass plant. ABB is a world-class provider of transformers, but they are also a local supplier wanting to re-invest in this community."

NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass has the capacity to process as much as 600,000 tons of waste wood annually into renewable electric energy. An independent fuel study was completed, with the results indicating an abundance of waste wood available within a 75-mile radius of the facility from both regional logging operations and manufacturing facilities associated with the forest products industry.

Power produced at the NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass plant will enter the regional transmission system at the local Dominion Virginia Power substation or nearby transmission to help serve the energy requirements of the customer-owners of NOVEC.

"When I learned about this project, I knew I had to support the community with a high quality ABB transformer, especially since it's going to be installed behind my house," said Brian Raney, ABB EPC market manager.

 from the Gazette-Virginian

Regional Alliance formed in Southern Virginia

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced the formation of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance last Friday at Riverstone Technology Park. The Southern Virginia Regional Alliance is a marketing venture by six localities, including Halifax County, to showcase the region's economic assets.

Bolling joined local and regional economic developers in hailing the potential of the Alliance to bring jobs and growth to Southside Virginia, with localities working together rather than in competition to bring business to the region.

"It is important that we all work together to promote economic development and job creation," said Bolling, who has been dubbed by Gov. Bob McDonnell as the administration's point man on jobs creation. He said the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance would fill a void in region-wide marketing and strategic planning that will yield benefits as businesses look to expand in the future.

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Virginia Named Top Pro-Business State for 2011 by National Study

~Pollina Corporate Real Estate Annual Study Picks Virginia as 'Model' For Pro-Business States; Commonwealth Wins by Largest Margin in History of Study ~

Study: "Virginia is the unquestionable brightest star on the American flag when it comes to being pro-business........Virginia is truly in a class by itself."

RICHMOND – Virginia has been named the most pro-business state in the country by the Pollina Corporate Real Estate study: "Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011: The Rise of the West." Virginia won the 2011 top-ranking by the largest margin in the history of the study. This marks the third straight year that Virginia has held the top spot in the Pollina rankings. In July, CNBC also named Virginia as America's "Best State for Business."

Brent Pollina, Vice President of Park Ridge, Illinois-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate (www.pollina.com) and author of the study, noted, "Virginia can certainly be emulated by other states, which should view Virginia's economic policies as a coloring book. All they need to do is stay between the lines of the coloring book, and they, too, can create a powerful pro-business environment."

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What the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States Study Says about Virginia

• "Virginia is the unquestionable brightest star on the American flag when it comes to being pro-business."
  
• "The political leaders responsible for Virginia's success should move from the capital in Richmond to the capital in Washington."
  
• "Clearly a national leader, Virginia ranked number one in our list of Pro-Business states for 2011. Virginia has held the number one position five of the last eight years (Figure 4). In the three years it did not take first place, it ranked second in 2005 and 2006 and third in 2008. Consistency counts a lot in corporate site selection decision making where companies often live with decisions for years or decades. Just look at Virginia's Report Card (See Appendix B), and you can see why any company would be proud to call Virginia their home.
• "Not only has Virginia maintained control over the top spot, but it did so with a commanding lead over the number two state with an astounding 44 point margin of victory, which is even higher than last year's record of 36 points. This is the highest margin of victory since starting this analysis eight years ago. The difference in points between the #2 ranked Utah and #10 Indiana is only 35 points. Virginia is truly in a class by itself. With their fifth championship as the #1 Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business State, Virginia is well on its way to becoming the Michael Jordan of economic development.
• "In today's business world with all its uncertainties, a state's reputation as a consistent pro–business winner is very valuable. The key to Virginia's success this year is that not only did they finish #2 under the Stage I, Labor, Taxes, and Other Factors but also they placed #1 under the Stage II, Incentives and Economic Development Agency Factors. This strong showing in taxes, education, and infrastructure combined with excellent incentive programs and an efficient and effective economic development department resulted in Virginia's extraordinary showing"
• "Virginia maintained its rank for Stage II, Incentives and Economic Development Agency Factors through the leadership of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, which is recognized as one of the finest economic development organizations in the nation. A close examination of Virginia's programs reveals a very well-balanced understanding of economic development."

Study: Virginia #1 Pro-Business state, brightest star on American flag

Pollina Top 10 Pro-Business Study Depicts Surge of Influence in Western States with Decrease in South and Free Fall in North

CHICAGO—(August 15, 2011)—"The West is America's new heartland, and it is increasingly a dominant region of population growth and political influence," says economist and corporate relocation expert Dr. Ronald R. Pollina in the just-released Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011: The Rise of the West.

In the annual study of job retention and creation by the 50 states and the federal government, Dr. Pollina, author of the recent book entitled Selling Out a Superpower, emphasizes that the "West is not only a leader in population growth but has also become the pro-business leader, thus showing the greatest potential for job growth."

But Virginia—the brightest star on the American Flag—is the ultimate model for the rest of the country. Brent Pollina, Vice President of Park Ridge, Illinois-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate (www.pollina.com) and author of the study, names Virginia as "America's most pro-business state" for the third consecutive year, winning yet again by the largest margin in the study's history.

"Virginia can certainly be emulated by other states, which should view Virginia's economic policies as a coloring book," says Brent Pollina. "All they need to do is stay between the lines of the coloring book, and they, too, can create a powerful pro-business environment."

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SVHEC Business of Art & Design brings new offerings to the Innovation Center

The Business of Art & Design program at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) is gearing up for a full fall semester with new course offerings in Digital Art & Design (DA&D) and Product Design & Development (PD&D). New DA&D courses include Communication Design I, Computer Graphics I, Motion Graphics I, and Visual Arts Foundation. For the first time, all Business of Art & Design courses will be held in the SVHEC’s new 46,000 sq.ft Innovation Center.

Communication Design I studies the principles of visual communication as applied to advertising in newspapers, magazines, direct mail, etc. Computer Graphics instructs students in the creation of images and graphics for our increasingly screen-rich world; Motion Graphics introduces the fundamental concepts of video and typographic effects including film titles and animations. Visual Arts Foundation covers color theory and design concepts and principles. This introductory course provides a solid foundation for any student interested in art and design careers.

“Visual Arts Foundations, along with the Intro to Multimedia course offered this fall –surveying digital photography, video, and audio– help establish a baseline in visual literacy and digital communication that can take people far. Opportunities abound for those who can combine an artistic eye with technology skills,” said Ben Capozzi, Coordinator for the Business of Art & Design program.

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Lucky Drum: PD&D Grad Wins Big in Las Vegas

He had never won first place in anything in his life—until now.

Recent Wood Science-Product Design & Development graduate Ben Scarborough took home first place honors in the national Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) 2011 Fresh Wood Student Competition. Scarborough’s entry, three CNC-milled snare drums (known as Dead Ben Drums) withstood stiff competition from students at Brigham Young University and Art Center College of Design to win the production category’s blue ribbon.

“This demonstrates that the SVHEC and the Business of Art & Design program are right on target with giving students opportunities to do amazing things, and the things they do are recognized by real employers,” said Business of Art & Design Coordinator Ben Capozzi. “This is a testament to the strength of Clint Johnson’s instruction and the innate talents of students in the Southside region.”

The uniquely designed snare drums were entered in the production category because of the advanced manufacturing techniques used to produce them. Scarborough spent months planning his designs in the TopSolid Computer Aided Design (CAD) software before ever touching a piece of wood. He then used a 3-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) router to produce the wooden portions of the drums. For Scarborough, who only entered the competition after being coaxed by his Product Design & Development instructor Clint Johnson, this win was the ultimate surprise. “I’m shocked. I wasn’t even going to enter the competition, but Clint pushed until I did. To compete against the likes of BYU, and to win first place speaks volumes about the quality of Danville Community College’s Wood Science degree, and the Product Design & Development specialization on the SVHEC campus,” Scarborough stated.

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Governor McDonnell Announces ABB Inc. Investment in Halifax County

Company to invest $4.6 million; project supports retention of 140 jobs and creates 15 new jobs

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that ABB Inc., a provider of power and automation products, systems, solutions and services, will expand its operation in Halifax County. The facility manufactures liquid-cooled transformers for large utility, industrial and government users. The company plans to invest $4.6 million in two phases over the next three years for the expansion and retooling of a new and more efficient process for manufacturing its Distribution Transformers (DTR).  The first phase of the investment totaling $3.0 million will begin immediately.  The retention and expansion of DTR products will create 15 new jobs and preserves 140 jobs.

Speaking about today's announcement, Governor McDonnell said, "ABB Inc. is an important employer in Halifax County and in Virginia. The company employs more than 400 in Halifax, and approximately 1,000 people in its other locations in Chesterfield and Bland Counties. ABB's retention and expansion of its Distribution Transformers manufacturing division is significant for the region. The employees at the plant are valuable assets, and this project will positively impact these positions, as well as add new jobs that pay above the region's average prevailing wage. I thank the company for continuing to grow in Halifax County, and anticipate its new technology will increase profitability, competitiveness, and market share."

"ABB Inc. has been a strong corporate partner to Halifax County since it started as Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1968, and has experienced impressive growth since that time," said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. "We are thrilled the Commonwealth of Virginia offered the pro-business environment and assistance needed to win this expansion project, and thank all of the important players involved."

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