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W.Va. laboratory
earns accreditation
The West Virginia High Technology Consortium (WVHTC) Foundation received official accreditation to provide evaluations for the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP).
The accreditation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) makes the Fairmont, W.Va.-based operation one of only eight such evaluation labs in the United States.
As an accredited commercial laboratory, the WVHTC Foundation’s Criterian Independent Labs will conduct evaluations as a Common Criteria Testing Lab (CCTL). The Common Criteria is an internationally developed and recognized standard for evaluation of off-the-shelf information assurance products.
“Although Criterian Independent Labs can evaluate any information assurance product, our plan is to put a special emphasis on biometrics products,” said James L. Estep, WVHTC Foundation president and CEO. “With West Virginia’s national leadership in the biometrics arena, this is a natural fit,” he said.
The CC standard was developed to provide an accepted set of criteria by the international community for uniform IT product security evaluations. For further information on Criterian Independent Labs, visit criterianlabs.org or www.wvhtf.org.
Polymer company announces
opening, first expansion
Gov. Bob Wise announced the grand opening of Polymer Alliance Services, Inc.
The company, which will employ 75 people at its 100,000-square-foot facility, also announced its first expansion.
“The polymer industry is a vital component of West Virginia’s economy,” Wise said. “The state provides the right climate to support polymer companies and today’s announcement is evidence of that support.”
Polymer Alliance Services, LLC, (PAS) is a division of the Naik Group of Industries (NGI). PAS will be involved in providing solutions, logistic services and value-added services to the plastic industry.
Technology transfer center
helps first responders
Printech, a family-owned, full-service commercial printing business in Wheeling, will manufacture the HazMat Smart Strip, which changes colors when exposed to nerve agents, cyanide and other chemicals.
Inventor Mike Reimer, a full-time firefighter and hazardous materials technician in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., took his concept to the National Technology Transfer Center at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va.
The center, created by Congress in 1989 to help take technology from the lab to the commercial sector, helped Reimer, who formed Safety Solutions, Inc.
Aerospace company attains
industry quality standard
Lockheed Martin’s major aircraft design and manufacturing sites in Fort Worth, Texas; Marietta, Ga.; and Palmdale, Calif., completed registration to AS 9100, the newest international aerospace quality standard.
The Marietta site registration includes its Clarksburg, W.Va., subassembly plant. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is considered the first major aerospace company to receive AS 9100 certification.
Officials dedicate
wind energy center
Gov. Bob Wise, FPL Energy, Exelon Corp. and about 150 guests dedicated the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center, the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi River.
The 66-megawatt facility on Backbone Mountain (north of Thomas) can generate electricity to power 22,000 homes. FPL Energy owns it and sells its power – used in West Virginia and the region – to Exelon Corp.
WVU attracts students
in forensics, biometrics programs
Of the 4,500 students entering West Virginia University as freshmen this fall, more than 10 percent have enrolled in the preforensics or prebiometrics program.
The only U.S. college to offer a degree in biometrics, WVU also provides workplace training in biometrics in extensive, five-day courses.
The Center for Identification Technology Research and the Biometric Knowledge Center at WVU coordinate research activity.
MU, region to capitalize
on biotechnology
Marshall University announced the Institute for Development of Entrepreneurial Advances (IDEA), which will turn biotechnology development into economic development for the university and its region.
The institute will commercialize science and technology, obtain patents and collect royalties from ideas developed on the campus and in the community.
University officials also plan to expand the Marshall University Forensic Science Center. A new annex will house classroom space and a regional computer forensics laboratory. Relocating offices there will allow for an expansion of the university’s DNA testing laboratory capabilities.
Charleston hotel recognized
for customer service
Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston and David Lang, general manager, received acknowledgment for extraordinary records of exceptional customer service tracked through the Embassy Suites Guest Satisfaction Rating System (GSRS) and quality assurance scores. The Charleston hotel earned a No. 12 ranking among the brand's system of 170 properties.
Consulting firm announces
plans for expansion
EDS, a global consulting firm, plans to hire about 80 employees as part of a contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In South Charleston, the firm will employ database administrators, system administrators, operations technicians and computer engineers, EDS spokesman Bill Ritz said. Some employees will work for EDS, but others will work as subcontractors for Unisys, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Dell and Reliable Integration Systems, Ritz said.
EDS chose South Charleston because of its available workforce, quality of life and proximity to colleges and universities, Ritz said.
West Virginian to lead
U.S. e-government agency
President Bush announced his intention to appoint Karen Evans of Martinsburg as administrator of the Office of Electronic Government.
The agency, part of the Office of Management and Budget, was created last year to improve coordination of information technology across the federal government and to help agencies better meet information technology management reforms.
Evans earned bachelor’s and master’s of business administration degrees from West Virginia University. She currently serves as chief information officer at the Department of Energy.
Advanced placement
scores are rising
The number of West Virginia students who scored 3 or above on Advanced Placement (AP) exams jumped 11.6 percent in 2003, according to data released by the College Board.
In the Midwest region, only Iowa posted a higher mark at 15.9 percent.
West Virginia also outpaced the national average on scores of 3 or above by 4.2 percent. A score of 3 is passing on most AP exams, and students can receive college credit for scores of 3 or greater.
West Virginia also is among the leading states in the Midwest in AP program participation. In 2003, the number of West Virginia high school students taking AP exams jumped 11.3 percent. The total number of AP exams taken by these West Virginia students also rose dramatically, from 4,184 to 4,791 – an increase of 14.5 percent.
Both increases are the second highest posted among the 13 states in the Midwestern region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
University in top 20
on magazine's list
Wheeling Jesuit University earned a No. 17 spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Universities – Master’s in the South.
The 573 universities in this category were ranked within four geographic areas – North, South, Midwest and West – because, in general, they tend to draw students heavily from surrounding states.
They were ranked in such areas as average freshman retention rate, average graduation rate, percentage of classes under 20, percentage of classes of 50 or more, student/faculty ratio, percentage of faculty who are full time, SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile, freshmen in top 25 percent of high school class, acceptance rate and average alumni giving rate.
Commerce officials brief
companies on China
Companies planning to attend the China Mining & Coal Show in October, as well as those interested in the Chinese market in general, participated in a live, interactive video conference with the U.S. Commercial Service in Beijing hosted by the West Virginia Development Office and the Charleston West Virginia Export Assistance Center.
U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Officer Charles Winburn helped companies identify and understand the opportunities and challenges of the Chinese market.
Commercial Specialist Baochun Mei offered market information specific to the mining industry in China. Officials from West Virginia companies discussed issues including the competitive environment in China, specific duties and taxes applied to their products and intellectual property issues.
Participating companies included Almeda, Inc., of Parkersburg; Phillips Machine Service of Beckley; Tabor Machine of Bluefield; The Daniels Company of Princeton, and Walker Machinery of Belle.
West Virginia firms
take trade to Australia
West Virginia companies took their mining expertise and products to Australia for the 2003 AIMEX mining industry.
The West Virginia Development Office sponsored the West Virginia Pavilion in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, giving the state’s companies the added prestige of a federal association.
Participating companies included A.L. Lee Corp., Lester; Boone Supply, Sylvester; Kanawha Scales & Systems, Inc., Poca; K.R. Komarek, Inc., Wheeling; KSD Enterprises, LLC, Clarksburg; Phillips Machine Service, Inc., Beckley; Saminco, Inc., Lavalette, and The Moore Co., Inc., Charleston. AIMEX 2003 was one of five export promotion events sponsored this year by the West Virginia Development Office.
Agencies can issue
tax credit vouchers
The Neighborhood Investment Program Advisory Board approved 116 organizations for participation in the program in 2004.
By donating to approved NIP organizations, contributors can support their communities and receive up to 50 percent of the contributed amount in credits to reduce corporate net income tax, business franchise tax and personal income tax.
The West Virginia Legislature established the Neighborhood Investment Program in 1996 to increase charitable giving to local nonprofit organizations.
The program allows 501(c)3-designated charitable organizations to apply for tax credit vouchers to distribute to contributing businesses and individuals. The West Virginia Legislature sets aside $2 million annually in state tax credits for the NIP.
To participate, a 501(c)3 organization must apply to the West Virginia Development Office. The NIP Advisory Board evaluates applicants on a number of criteria. Participants have until June 30, 2004, to distribute their allocation of NIP tax credits, which are issued for donations from $500 to $200,000.
For contact information on FY 2004 Neighborhood Investment Program participants or for additional information on the program, contact Lisa Wells with the West Virginia Development Office at (304) 558-2001 or toll-free at (800) 982-3386.
NGK honors
top supplier
Unisource Worldwide, Inc.’s Huntington, W.Va., distribution center is NGK’s top supplier with respect to quality service, cost efficiency and product enhancement, receiving the Supplier of the Year Award for 2002.
The Huntington distribution center supplies fine paper, packaging and industrial goods to NGK, the world leader in spark plug and oxygen sensor manufacturing.
NGK, whose North American distribution center and manufacturing plant is in Sissonville, W.Va., supplies parts to DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Honda and Toyota. Unisource distributes commercial printing and business imaging papers, packaging systems and facility supplies and equipment in North America.
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