Business Today
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce member enterprise news log
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
December 8, 2006
Video Gaming Technologies (VGT) based in Smyrna, Tennessee announced their intentions to develop a production facility at the Tall Oaks Technology Center in Ruckersville, Virginia. The new facility will house the engineering division of VGT specializing in software development and hardware prototyping projects. The project is estimated to create in excess of 200 jobs. The Tall Oaks Technology Center is the former Techni-Color production facility.
“We are pleased that VGT has selected Greene County for their expansion," said Greene County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Steve Catalano. "The Board of Supervisors, the GCEDA, and County staff strive to create a business friendly environment for our community. VGT’s investment continues to show the economic potential for Greene County and demonstrates that the County is open for business and serious about economic development.”
GCEDA Chairman, G. Willis Logan, added, “Technology driven jobs will provide our community with an expanded job market and new corporate citizenship.”
Greene County continues a year of momentum with the development of Enterprise Point, a new world class business park located on Route 33, and the Gateway Center, its newest retail expansion.
“This new investment will enable the County to continue to grow and prosper," said County Administrator, Barry Clark. "We welcome investment that brings jobs and allows us to continue to offer better services to our community.”
“The Engineering division of VGT is happy to be moving into a great facility at Tall Oaks Technology Center and is pleased to be a part of the economic development of Greene County, Virginia,” VGT officials stated.
Marquis “Who’s Who in America” have announced that Morris G. Sahr, a certified financial planner and a registered financial consultant with Deposit Management Services Inc. of Charlottesville, will be entered in their forthcoming edition for 2006-07.
Sahr was the founding president of the Washington, DC, chapter of the International Association for Financial Planners. He was a former chapter chairman of the American Red Cross, past president of the Fairfax Rotary Club, and chairman of the Fairfax Planning Commission. He was a director of the Fairfax Development Authority, and for ten years an adjudicator for the American Arbitration Association. Sahr is a member of the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants and the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of the University of Oregon.
His company, DMS, was founded in 1978 and specializes in guaranteed retirement income planning. Sahr is the company’s president.
Since 1899, when A.N. Marquis printed the first edition of “Who’s Who in America,” Marquis “Who’s Who” has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor – including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, “Who’s Who in America” remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world.
(RICHMOND, VA, December 8, 2006) Williams Mullen announced today that 68 of the firm’s attorneys have been named to Virginia Business magazine’s list of the top lawyers in Virginia, also known as “The Legal Elite.” The honor recognizes the best lawyers in the Commonwealth in specific practice areas.
Among those honored were, from the Charlotttesville office:
David L. Dallas, Jr. Business Law
Bryan D. Wright Intellectual Property
Williams Mullen provides comprehensive legal services to regional, national and international clients. With 250 attorneys and offices in Virginia, Washington, D.C. and London, we deliver innovative solutions to support our clients' diverse business activities. Close working relationships with clients have been the foundation of Williams Mullen’s progressive approach to law practice since the firm was founded nearly 100 years ago.?
(Charlottesville, VA) Piedmont Virginia Community College has received a $1,479,497 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand its Construction Academy and meet the increasing demand for construction workers in PVCC’s service region.
The three-year grant will enable PVCC to locate and equip a facility tailored to construction trades, provide pre-apprenticeship training, offer four new certificate programs, hold recruitment events, staff a liaison position to counsel and advise academy students, and sponsor other programs and activities.
“We are elated,” commented PVCC President Frank Friedman. “New initiatives made possible by this grant will result in trained, skilled construction workers to meet identified labor shortages and construction industry needs in our service area. It means greater career opportunities for workers in the construction trades. We plan to create a state-of-the art construction education academy.”
In PVCC’s service area, which comprises Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Green, Louisa, Nelson and northern Buckingham, demand for employees in all construction occupations is projected to increase 40 percent from 2005-2015, according to CCbenefits, Inc., which compiles information and projections on industries and occupations in a college’s region.
To solicit input from area construction industry leaders and representatives, PVCC held a forum on June 13 during which participants articulated challenges and needs, among them, lack of skilled craftsmen and qualified field superintendents.
Construction Academy activities funded over the three-year grant period will address those needs and are expected to result in 255 new helpers entering the workforce and 565 incumbent workers training to advance their careers.
PVCC successfully competed against 429 grant entries and was one of four Virginia community colleges to receive an award through the President’s Community Based Job Training Grants issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. The primary purpose of the grants is to enhance community colleges’ capacity to train and equip qualified, skilled workers, thus helping local businesses and industries to succeed and contribute to a region’s economic vitality.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Gail Whiting became regional advertising director Monday, Dec. 4, for the Central Virginia cluster of Media General newspapers, based in Charlottesville.
Whiting, a veteran advertising executive, comes to Media General from her position as advertising director for two Ottaway daily newspapers located in Medford and Ashland, Ore., with a combined circulation of 36,000, plus a weekly 30,000-circulation shopper.
Prior to her three years in that role, Whiting was advertising manager for the 39,000-circulation San Luis Obispo, Calif., Tribune. Her experience also includes positions as majors and national accounts manager and classified sales manager for Gannett Newspapers in Reno, Nev.
Whiting will direct all advertising sales for Media General newspapers in Central Virginia. These include two dailies, The Daily Progress and the Waynesboro News Virginian, plus three weeklies in the counties of Orange, Madison and Greene.
Whiting is a graduate of Ricks College, Rexburg, ID.
She and her husband will be moving to the Charlottesville area shortly.
Richmond-based Media General is an independent, publicly owned communications company situated primarily in the Southeast with interests in newspapers, television, interactive media, and diversified information services.
(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Nov. 28, 2006) The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will present the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO) its prestigious partnership award in recognition of the airport’s outstanding contribution to homeland security. CHO is one of a small group of airports to have received the award since the inception of the TSA in 2002.
The airport authority staff will be recognized for their outstanding service during the past four years, including their key role in the redesign of the airport’s baggage and screening checkpoints. These improvements have increased security and reduced wait times, dramatically improving passenger service, airport officials said.
“We are very pleased to accept this award,” said William Pahuta, Director of Airport Operations. “The goal of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport is to facilitate the security check-in process and to make it appear seamless to our customers while adhering to the necessary risk-based approach to security. We have enjoyed a very cooperative relationship with our TSA partners in our aspiration of achieving this goal.”
The presentation of the award occurred on November 30, 2006, in the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport rotunda.
Hantzmon Wiebel is proud to announce that 18 members of the Professional Staff were recognized by Virginia Business Magazine as “Super CPAs” in the November 2006 issue.
All are members of both the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) and VSCPA (Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants): Peyton Humphrey, Bob Foster, Larry Martin, Phil Shiflett, Rich Busofsky, Keith Haney, Al Layne, Jennifer Lehman, Frank Berry, Meg Haymans, Mark McCauley, Donna Mahan, Lara Casteel, Tom Cobb, Kristin Lindgren, Kendra Stribling, Bob Gaskins, and Kenny Deane.
(BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Nov. 3, 2006) Hilton Garden Inn® is proud to announce that the 124-room Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville, in Charlottesville, Va., opened on October 24, 2006, representing another addition to its growing roster of more than 289 Hilton Garden Inn hotels across North America and Europe.
The newly constructed Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville is operated by Charlottesville Suites, LLC, under a license agreement with Hilton Inns, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation.
“Hilton Garden Inn hotels are the ideal choice for value-conscious business and vacation travelers who want the convenience and feel of home from the moment they walk in the door,” said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president – brand management, Hilton Garden Inn. “From our light bright and airy welcome to the guestroom offerings like the Garden Sleep System bed and Mirra chair by Herman Miller to the 24-hour complimentary business center, Hilton Garden Inn hotels are purpose-built properties with thoughtful amenities for all travelers.”
A four-story structure, the Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville features: a signature glass pavilion housing the reception desk, a 24-hour Pavilion Pantry® with a selection of refrigerated, frozen and microwaveable packaged items and sundries, the Great American Grill® restaurant offers freshly prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service during dinner hours, a comfortable lounge area with a 42” high definition flat screen LCD television and fireplace, the Peter Jefferson room with 1,410 square feet of flexible function space and a 300 square foot Thomas Jefferson Executive boardroom, an on-site guest laundry facility, and complimentary wired and wireless high speed Internet access throughout the hotel.
Guest room accommodations and features include: the Garden Sleep SystemTM bed, 32” high definition flat screen LCD television, alarm clock that allow guests to play their portable CD or MP3 player, a “hospitality center” with a microwave oven, refrigerator and coffee maker, a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, an easy chair and ottoman. In-room entertainment and information services include video-on-demand movies, video games and interactive Hilton guest services.
Business-oriented features of the guest rooms include: a spacious and clutter-free work desk, Herman Miller Mirra® chair, complimentary high-speed wired and wireless Internet access and remote printing to the hotel’s 24-hour business center, adjustable lighting, electrical outlets at desk height, two telephones with voicemail and one equipped with a speaker and data port.
Members of the Hilton HHonors® guest reward program can earn Points & Miles® for every qualifying stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville. HHonors is the only hotel program that allows any of its members to Double Dip® by simultaneously accumulating both hotel points and airline miles with each qualifying stay. Hilton HHonors provides more rewarding choices than ever before with more than 70 major airline, car rental and other travel-related companies.
“The Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville is the ideal choice for any traveler as our hotel is conveniently located near numerous attractions and corporations,” said Diane Keally, hotel general manager. “This is what makes the Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville the perfect choice when visiting our historical city.”
The Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville is located at 1793 Richmond Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22911 and can be reached by voice 434-979-4442, fax 434-979-4418 or the Internet www.charlottesville.StayHGI.com. The hotel is situated in the prestigious Peter Jefferson Place business park and is approximately 12 miles from the Charlottesville Airport. The Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville is convenient to attractions such as Monticello, Ashlawn-Highland, Michie Tavern, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal, John Paul Jones Arena, and the Historic Downtown Mall. Nearby corporations include State Farm Insurance, Martha Jefferson Hospital, University of Virginia, and Klockner Pentaplast.
The Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville celebrated its Grand Opening on Thursday, November 30, 2006 with an evening reception and the local Chamber of Commerce to orchestrate the ribbon cutting ceremony. The celebratory event will also be supported by local dignitaries. The grand opening celebration will include: a hotel tour, refreshments and live entertainment provided by John D’earth.
For more information about the Hilton Garden Inn Charlottesville, the hotel’s upcoming grand celebration or to make reservations, please visit www.charlottesville.stayhgi.com or call 1-877-STAY-HGI.
(Charlottesville, Virginia – November 29) Gray Television will change channel positions on the Comcast cable channel line-up, effective Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006.
Gray’s four stations will be repositioned as follows:
*MYC’villeTV will launch on Comcast channel 2
*WVAW ABC16 will be on Comcast channel 3
*WCAV CBS19 will be on Comcast channel 6
WAHU FOX27 will be on Comcast channel 9
“The channel realignments show a real commitment by Comcast to provide Charlottesville’s cable subscribers with great local programming,” said Gray’s Vice President and General Manager, Roger Burchett. “This is also a great testament to our entire team at Gray Television Charlottesville whose hard work and dedication to broadcast excellence results in more and more viewers everyday choosing to make us their Hometown Choice for great local coverage of news, weather and sports.”
Also in 2006, Gray Television received an “Excellence in News Award” from the Virginia Association of Broadcasters, and the University of Virginia named them as their “Official Flagship Television Stations.”
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