Handshake 2.0 - Press Release Central

JobQuest Features Success Story, New Host

For Immediate Release
April 17, 2009
 
Contact:
Stephen Grieco, Foundation and Marketing Director
sgrieco@blueridgepbs.org
540.344.0991 ext 1781
888.332.7788
 
 “JobQuest” features success story, new host
 
(Roanoke, Va.)—“JobQuest” celebrated its fourth monthly episode on April 14, with 60 new job listings, a success story from a Christiansburg resident who found a job, and a new host for the popular show.
 
So far “JobQuest” has alerted viewers to 230 job vacancies in the Blue Ridge region and those highlighted during the April episode are now online at www.blueridgepbs.org, along with resume writing tips and other content from the show. The “JobQuest” phone lines and Internet chat room were again busy, with volunteers from the Roanoke Valley Society for Human Resource Management fielding a variety of questions.
 
Christiansburg resident Celia Carter called in during an earlier episode when she saw information about a Virginia Tech job. Within days of applying for the job, she accepted an offer to work for the university’s dining services.
 
“I had wonderful results with ‘JobQuest,’” Carter said. “And public broadcasting, they were a dream come true.”
 
Interviewing Carter was one of the first assignments for Julie Newman, “JobQuest’s” new producer and host.
 
“‘JobQuest’ is such an important public service, especially with so many people in our region out of work right now,” she said. “I feel lucky to be part of such a meaningful program.”
 
Newman, who has a decade of broadcasting experience, is already looking for more job listings for the next “JobQuest,” scheduled for Tuesday May 5 at 7 p.m. She is also lining up special guests for the May show who can provide valuable suggestions and insights to help shorten the job search.
 
Virginia State Senator Roscoe Reynolds was a guest on the most recent “JobQuest.” He talked about the challenges facing residents in the communities he serves, Virginia’s 20th District, including Martinsville where unemployment was 20.2 percent for February 2009. That figure was the highest in the state for the month and nearly double Martinsville’s rate from a year ago. Reynolds said the Virginia Employment Commission office in Martinsville has increased its staff so that they can help more people.
 
Craig Herndon, creator of the Virginia Education Wizard (www.vawizard.org), was also on the program. The Wizard, a new web site from Virginia’s Community Colleges, is a one-stop, online resource for people who want to change careers or who are preparing to enter the workforce.
 
Other “JobQuest” guests included Chris Winston and Molly Bell from The Roanoke Times, Cory Donovan from the NewVa Corridor Technology Council, Hollins University President Nancy Gray, Virginia Economic Bridge President & CEO Carl Mitchell, and National College Career Center Director Cathy Fortune.
 
“JobQuest” continues May 5 at 7 p.m. with another live, information-packed broadcast. Visit www.blueridgepbs.org for help contacting the “JobQuest” team, a calendar of employment events, links, and other helpful information.
 
 
About “JobQuest”
“JobQuest” is a monthly Blue Ridge PBS production that showcases job openings from The Roanoke Times’ online employment bank—jobs.roanoke.com—the Virginia Employment Commission, and other sources. The show covers a variety of topics, including helpful information about filing for unemployment insurance, hiring trends, job hunting on the Internet, and job training. In addition to The Roanoke Times-roanoke.com, “JobQuest” community partners include CBS affiliate WDBJ7, Virginia Western & New River Community Colleges, Roanoke’s Economic Development Office, Roanoke Regional Office of the Virginia Employment Commission, The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce; Roanoke Valley Society for Human Resource Management; Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc., and National College.
 
About Blue Ridge PBS
Blue Ridge PBS, founded in 1967, is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving 4 million individuals in portions of five states. The station’s 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. As the region’s storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational, educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests. Further, over 200,000 schoolchildren and their teachers benefit from the station’s education services that provide a safe, trusted environment for innovative on-air and online learning. Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of WBRA-TV/DT in Roanoke, WSBN-TV/DT in Norton, and WMSY-TV/DT in Marion, Va. www.blueridgepbs.

FurnishWEB Adds Smart Sales

FurnishWEB adds Smart Sales!

From press release:

BLACKSBURG, VA - Internet Databases has introduced Smart Sales, a sales analysis tool that is fully integrated into FurnishWEB, its popular web-based customer service and sales force application for the home furnishings industry.

"Our clients have asked us to supply their sales representatives with improved research tools, making them more efficient and effective when communicating with customers," says Barry Welch, founder and president of Internet Databases. "The Smart Sales upgrade to FurnishWEB helps sales representatives identify product lines that facilitate their retail customers' success by allowing them to be more strategic and targeted with their offerings."

Smart Sales is a web-based analysis tool that provides a territory-wide view of sales history, by aggregating product, collections, retailers, finishes, and product types with current to previous year comparisons. It is an upgrade to retailer-level tools of the previous FurnishWEB release. The data is consolidated from actual shipment detail records and presented in an easy-to-use grid format. Sales representatives and sales management can perform research and print reports to analyze a territory, set goals and targets, and it can also be used to meet with a client. It includes dashboard graphs that give sales representatives valuable information on their top retailers, collections, and products at a glance and it is available globally, 24/7.

We are very excited here at FurnishWEB to be releasing this feature to kick off 2009 and the Las Vegas Market! As always, send me an email if you have any questions or comments.

Jilian Metz
FurnishWEB, Customer Care Gal
support@furnishweb.com

Schultz-Creehan LLC Chosen by The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

Contact:
Nanci Hardwick, CEO
Schultz-Creehan Holdings, Inc.
2200 Kraft Drive, Suite 1475
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540.443.9215

For Immediate Release:

Schultz-Creehan LLC chosen by The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

As an NCDMM Alliance Partner Schultz-Creehan LLC will address and support the broad manufacturing and machining needs of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and its Suppliers.

Blacksburg, Virginia - January 8, 2008.  The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), an organization providing innovative solutions and broad manufacturing technologies to the Department of Defense, has named Schultz-Creehan LLC as an alliance partner. 

According to NCDMM, companies such as Schultz-Creehan which are selected as alliance partners “have a passion for advancing the capability of U.S. manufacturers through the development and application of state-of-the-art manufacturing and machining technologies”.  The NCDMM alliance partnership group is comprised of established technology leaders, precision manufacturers, universities and government labs, and emerging technology developers.

Alliance Partnership with NCDMM provides several benefits such as advanced training opportunities to enhance current manufacturing capabilities.  Schultz-Creehan will also have unique access to projects and new developments with the Department of Defense in effort to solve critical issues at the national level by contributing its high-tech manufacturing expertise.

 “Our partnership with NCDMM provides the opportunity to advance technological and manufacturing capabilities of both Schultz-Creehan and NCDMM while solving significant defense challenges,” stated Schultz-Creehan CEO Nanci Hardwick.

About Schultz-Creehan Holdings, Inc.: Schultz-Creehan is a high-tech engineering firm focused on the research and development of innovative solutions for industry.  Schultz-Creehan addresses complex product development challenges through expertise in materials science and industrial engineering.  With offices and lab facilities in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia, Schultz-Creehan develops and manufactures products and processes to serve clients in the aerospace, defense, medical device and industrial markets for customers like Northrop Grumman, Moog Inc, Office of Naval Research and more.

For more information about Schultz-Creehan, visit www.schultz-creehan.com

Blue Ridge PBS “JobQuest” a Hit on Air, Online

For Immediate Release
January 15, 2009
 
Contact:
Stephen Grieco, Foundation and Marketing Director
sgrieco@blueridgepbs.org
540.344.0991 ext 1781
888.332.7788
 
(Roanoke, Va.)—The Blue Ridge PBS premiere broadcast of “JobQuest” was a hit on air and online, with hundreds of viewers calling in and logging on to get tips on finding employment. The monthly show began Jan. 6 and will continue Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. with another live, information-packed broadcast.
 
“The American people expect their public media station to step up at times like this and do whatever can be done to assist,” said James Baum, Blue Ridge PBS president and CEO. “We think ‘JobQuest’ is an excellent way for us to help.”
 
“The inaugural ‘JobQuest’ show could not have been any better for all involved,” said Stuart Mease, special projects coordinator with Roanoke’s Economic Development Office, a “JobQuest” partner. “The show pulled together many people and groups under one purpose to assist and serve job seekers. Anyone concerned about their job or career should tune in each month to participate in this joint effort.”
 
The hosts for “JobQuest” are news anchors Jean Jadhon and Keith Humphry, from the Roanoke-based CBS affiliate WDBJ7. They interviewed a variety of guests to get a closer look at employment issues in the region. A phone bank staffed by members of the local Society for Human Resource Management chapter was busy the entire show. Similarly, an Internet chat room set up for “JobQuest” buzzed with people sharing ideas about job opening highlights and job hunting insights.
 
"‘JobQuest’ is an excellent way to combine the impact of the region's strongest media organizations to provide meaningful assistance for people during this tough economic time," said Amy Morris, WDBJ7 news director.
 
According to “JobQuest” partner The Roanoke Times-roanoke.com, employers are getting applications from people who watched the show, and positions highlighted during the program have already been filled.
 
“Everyone recognizes the current tightness of the job market,” explained Keith Foreman, recruitment advertising manager at The Roanoke Times. “The key to managing through these tough economic times is utilizing the variety of resources available for job seekers that are presented on ‘JobQuest.’”
 
The Feb. 3 episode of “JobQuest” is already in production. Visit www.blueridgepbs.org for more information, program schedules, job site links and job listings highlighted during the show.
 
 
About “JobQuest”
“JobQuest” is a monthly Blue Ridge PBS production that showcases job openings from The Roanoke Times’ online employment bank—jobs.roanoke.com and the Virginia Employment Commission. The show provides viewers with helpful information about filing for unemployment insurance, hiring trends, job hunting on the Internet, job training and a variety of other topics. In addition to The Roanoke Times-roanoke.com, “JobQuest” community partners include WDBJ7, Virginia Western & New River Community Colleges, Roanoke’s Economic Development Office, The Roanoke Regional Office of the Virginia Employment Commission, The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc.
 
About Blue Ridge PBS
Blue Ridge PBS, founded in 1967, is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving 4 million individuals in portions of five states. The station’s 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. As the region’s storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational, educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests. Further, over 200,000 schoolchildren and their teachers benefit from the station’s education services that provide a safe, trusted environment for innovative on-air and online learning. Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of WBRA-TV/DT in Roanoke, WSBN-TV/DT in Norton, and WMSY-TV/DT in Marion, Va. www.blueridgepbs.org

Comfort Inn Blacksburg Named CRC Affiliate Hotel Fourth Consecutive Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Comfort Inn Blacksburg

Blacksburg, VA, January 19, 2009 – The Comfort Inn Hotel in Blacksburg, Virginia has been named the Affiliate Hotel of the Corporate Research Center (CRC), for the fourth year in a row.

Companies in the CRC, their visitors, and their employees benefit from the Affiliate relationship with the hotel. Dr. Joe Meredith, President of the CRC, said, "What has impressed me about the Comfort Inn is that they are so service oriented."

The General Manager of the Comfort Inn, Lynn Laidlaw, also mentioned the hotel’s focus on service.

"These are professional people here for a business purpose. We provide what they need – a good night’s sleep, transportation, fax services, even late check out – to get their work done."

Dr. Meredith concluded, “I am confident in recommending the Comfort Inn to people visiting the CRC because I know they will be very well taken care of.”

Located off of I-81 and Route 460, the Comfort Inn Blacksburg is located close to many area businesses and attractions including the Corporate Research Center, the Virginia Tech campus and Montgomery Regional Hospital.

For additional information:

Contact: Lynn Laidlaw, General Manager
Phone: 540-951-1500
Fax: 540-951-1530
Web Site: www.ComfortInnBlacksburg.com

Blue Ridge PBS Launches JobQuest Show

For Immediate Release
December 22, 2008
 
Contact:
Stephen Grieco, Foundation and Marketing Director
sgrieco@blueridgepbs.org
540.344.0991 ext 1781
888.332.7788
 
Blue Ridge PBS to help unemployed with new show “JobQuest”
 
(Roanoke, Va.)—Blue Ridge PBS has developed a new television program called “JobQuest” to address the employment challenges facing those in the region who have lost their jobs during the national financial crisis. The monthly show, beginning Jan. 6, 2009 at 7 p.m., is a live, call-in program that will help people find employment through job opening highlights and job hunting insights.
 
“There are a lot of jobs out there. This is not a time for despair,” said James Baum, Blue Ridge PBS President and CEO. “This is a time for retooling, retraining and learning how to best use the many resources available to jobs seekers. ‘JobQuest’ will provide valuable information to people who need it most.”
 
The program will showcase job openings from The Roanoke Times’ online employment bank—jobs.roanoke.com, and provide viewers with helpful information about filing for unemployment insurance, hiring trends, job hunting on the Internet, job training and a variety of other topics. In addition to The Roanoke Times, “JobQuest” community partners include WDBJ7, Virginia Western & New River Community Colleges, Roanoke’s Economic Development Office, The Roanoke Regional Office of the Virginia Employment Commission, The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc.
 
"The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com are pleased to be a partner in the ‘JobQuest’ program as another means to assist job seekers in these tough economic times,” said Debbie Meade, president and publisher of The Roanoke Times-roanoke.com. “With jobs.roanoke.com as the region's leading jobs website, this partnership allows us another medium to serve our community. We appreciate the opportunity to offer jobs.roanoke.com and collaborate with Blue Ridge PBS and other local leaders to provide resources to help address the economic and employment issues facing our region."
 
“JobQuest” viewers from across the region will be encouraged to call in or email with questions. Many of these calls will be answered live, on air, by guest experts who can offer tips on applying for jobs. Other calls will be handled, off camera, by a phone bank staffed by employment professionals. Blue Ridge PBS will set up an online chatroom to field email questions. Human resources specialists, business representatives and other guests will also be in the Blue Ridge PBS studio to share their knowledge and expertise.
 
The national economic downturn is affecting the regional economy and the pocketbooks of average citizens all over Southwest Virginia. The number of unemployed is rising in many Blue Ridge PBS communities like Danville, Va., where the unemployment rate is nearly 10 percent. This is nearly double the rate from a year ago. “JobQuest” is a community service production developed to help people through these troubled times.
 
Visit www.blueridgepbs.org for more information and program schedules.
 
About Blue Ridge PBS

Blue Ridge PBS, founded in 1967, is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving 4 million individuals in portions of five states. The station’s 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and North Carolina. As the region’s storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational, educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests. Further, over 200,000 schoolchildren and their teachers benefit from the station’s education services that provide a safe, trusted environment for innovative on-air and online learning. Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of WBRA-TV/DT in Roanoke, WSBN-TV/DT in Norton, and WMSY-TV/DT in Marion, Va. www.blueridgepbs.org.

LimbGear Opens Office Headquarters at Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center

LimbGear® opens its headquarters office and makes Blacksburg its home.

December 4, 2008  Blacksburg, VA - LimbGear®, an upcoming brand of mp3 enabled apparel, has recently centralized its product development and business operations in Blacksburg, VA.

Beginning November 1, 2008, LimbGear relocated its central office to Research Building II in the VTCRC.  LimbGear’s® President and CEO, Tyson Daniel has taken the business from his basement to the biggest tradeshows in the US in just over 2 years.

Headquartered in Blacksburg, VA, LimbGear® makes it a point to build and maintain a close relationship with the community and university.  LimbGear® has strategically placed its product development headquarters on-campus in order to work directly with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering and to learn from the demographic most comfortable with the digital lifestyle, college students.  LimbGear® is also a member company of high-tech business accelerator VT nowledgeWorks.

The founder and CEO of LimbGear®,Tyson Daniel, believes that success is not only derived from persistence but a strong community and support structure.  LimbGear was started in 2006 with an idea and some material from a wetsuit.  His support structure has enabled it to grow into a promising enterprise.

Currently, the LimbGear® team is preparing for their inaugural tradeshows including Consumer Electronics in Las Vegas, Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City and CAMEX in Anaheim, where it will debut the new line of mp3 enabled headware, scarves and armbands.

About LimbGear®:

LimbGear® manufactures apparel and accessories to more easily infuse mp3 players and digital toys into the active lifestyle. In December, LimbGear® launched its most recent innovative product, the mp3-enabled winter skullcap.

All LimbGear® products are currently available on the web at http://www.LimbGear.com

LimbGear
Media Contact: Jamie Bucciarelli
1861 Pratt Drive, Suite 2042
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(804) 249 9540
jamie@limbgear.com
http://www.limbgear.com
Available 9-6 Monday-Friday

Premier Transfer and Storage Participates in Mayflower’s Discover America Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Jaime Clark, Marketing Manager
                  540-389-3254 x. 202

Students get set to tour the country with Mayflower’s Discover America® Program

([Roanoke, VA]) – As students return to Monterey Elementary School for the 2008-09 school year, they will soon begin a cross-country odyssey through a unique geography and history program developed by Mayflower Transit, Inc.  Courtesy of Premier Transfer and Storage, an agent of Mayflower Transit, approximately 135 4th and 5th graders will be participating in Discover America® -- a program which enables children nationwide to “tour” and study the geography and history of various U.S. cities via “Driver Bob”, a fictitious Mayflower van operator.

On October 10th, Premier Transfer and Storage sent one of its drivers to Monterey Elementary School.  Introduced to the students as “Driver Bob”, this van operator explained the Discover America® program, discussed his job responsibilities and conducted a tour of his vehicle.  “Our driver had a great time meeting the students and teachers,” said John Phillips owner of Premier.  “The kids really enjoyed his presentation and the tour of his truck.”

Beginning in October and continuing through May 2009, “Driver Bob’s” route will “transport” Monterey Elementary School students to 10 cities across the United States, including New York City, Denver and San Francisco.  Each month, students will receive letters from “Driver Bob” along with picture books, postcards and various other souvenirs, highlighting the significant landmarks and sites located in each city.  Students will discuss this material, calculate “Driver Bob’s” mileage and trace his route on a U.S. map provided by Premier Transfer and Storage.  In addition to receiving monthly letters, the students will have an opportunity to log on to Driver Bob’s Web page, www.mayflower.com/may/driverbob, and obtain updates of the routes followed and additional information on U.S. landmarks and attractions.

Students will also be able to keep track of “Driver Bob’s” side trips by logging on to www.mayflower.com/may/driverbob.

“At a time when so many children are struggling to learn basic facts about geography and history, Mayflower’s Discover America ® program is an excellent tool to help teachers present their lessons in a fun and interesting way,” says Phillips.  “Our agency is proud to be involved with a program that focuses on the children and their education.”

Premier Transfer and Storage, Inc. is a locally owned and operated agent of Mayflower Transit with offices located in Christiansburg and Salem, Virginia.  Premier is a full service moving company providing office, commercial, industrial, and household goods moving services as well as storage. 

Koofers.com Secures $500k of a $2 Million Series A Round

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Student Data Site Koofers.com Secures $500k of a $2 Million Series A Round

RESTON, Va. - December 3, 2008 - Koofers Inc., the developer of an academic platform for college students, has secured $500,000 of a $2 million first round. Koofers.com is an interactive community that serves the academic needs of college students through information sharing. Students benefit from collaboration with their peers and the experiences of former students. The site allows university students to share past exams & study materials, and provides access to class grade distributions and comprehensive course & instructor ratings.

The term "koofers," coined in the early 1940's, refers to old tests or study materials that are available to students in order to prepare for new tests. The term originated at Virginia Tech, where the startup was founded, with guidance provided by VT KnowledgeWorks (VTKW).

LaunchBox Digital selected Koofers.com as one of nine participants in their inaugural LaunchBox08 business accelerator program, and provided seed financing. Koofers' Series A financing has been provided by New Atlantic Ventures and Altos Ventures. Most recently, Koofers.com was named one of the top 25 finalists (out of 600) of Facebook's fbFund developer's competition.
------------------------------

Michael Rihani
Koofers.com | Chief Strategy Officer | 540-818-8817
11600 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 440K | Reston, VA 20191

Polymer Solutions Awarded Business of the Year 2008 Award

Date: December 1, 2008

Contact: Elizabeth Jewel, M.B.A.
Customer Relationship and Sales
Coordinator
Polymer Solutions Incorporated
2903-C Commerce Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Phone: (540) 961-4300, 877-961-4343
Fax: (540) 961-5778
E-Mail: Elizabeth@PolymerSolutions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Polymer Solutions Awarded Business of the Year 2008 Award

The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce in Virginia has named Polymer Solutions Incorporated as one of two Large Businesses of the Year in 2008. The award was presented during the 7th Annual Dinner and Ceremony held at the Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center on November 14, 2008. Robin Reed, WDBJ-7 Meteorologist, was the host for the evening.

Dr. James Rancourt, Founder and CEO, was honored to accept the award for Polymer Solutions. Polymer Solutions was nominated by their peers in the community and then completed a detailed application to provide information to the judging panel. Applications were judged on corporate history, management, involvement in the community, corporate culture and philosophy. When asked about the foundations for the applicant company’s success Polymer Solutions responded, “We value and promote
responsiveness, professionalism, and technical competence throughout the corporation. We work on behalf of a client as if we were an employee of their company. This corporate wide attitude demonstrates the extent to which we care and the determination and effort we put into solving our client’s problems. In essence, we make their problem our problem. Our slogan: “Expert Team. Committed Partners.” conveys that philosophy.”

Polymer Solutions Incorporated (www.PolymerSolutions.com) is an independent ISO 17025 accredited, FDA registered, and DEA licensed laboratory that provides the world with premier technical solutions for molecular systems. The company has comprehensive experience concerning polymer systems, and has been involved in polymer analysis and testing for automotive, medical, construction, electronics and sporting goods industries, representing a variety of technology areas, for over 20 years.