SVHEC Hosts Successful Workforce Forward Forum

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) hosted the Workforce Forward 2012 Forum  on September 20th at The Prizery in South Boston, VA. Leaders in business, industry, economic development, and education gathered for a day focused on advanced manufacturing and the workforce development needed for Southern Virginia to take advantage of the manufacturing renaissance. Forum attendees engaged with three panel discussions and keynote speaker Harry Moser.

The first panel focused on Manufacturing Trendsetters and featured panelists Rick Dockstader, plant manager at Presto Products’ South Boston facility, Ken Morgan, Board Chairman of Morgan Lumber Company, LLC, and Angela Lewis, president of Lindstrand USA. Leigh Cockram, Executive Director of the newly formed Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, facilitated the panel. As experienced manufacturers in Southern Virginia, panelists spoke about their individual businesses, as well as the advantages and challenges of being located in the region. The panelists agreed that people skills were the key assets for employees to have, and that workers in Southern Virginia were top-notch, “We have a wealth of skilled labor here,” Lewis said. When asked about workforce challenges panelists cited employees lacking computer skills and difficulty with workforce training. Angela Lewis pointed out the toll long-term unemployment has taken on Southern Virginia’s workforce describing it as “heartbreaking” how some have lost confidence in themselves and in their ability to find work again.

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Job opportunities focus of Workforce Forward Forum

More than 150 educators, economical developers, business and industry leaders and Southern Virginia Higher Education Center staffers were eager to hear successful players in the manufacturing arena share their stories and perspectives during Thursday’s Workforce Forward Forum held at The Prizery.

Hosted by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, the forum’s theme was “Virginia Manufacturing: Back to the Future.”

Patricia Thomas, chairman of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center Board of Trustees, welcomed those attending, and Southern Virginia Higher Education System Executive Director Betty Adams offered an overview and purpose of the day’s event.

“The purpose of this event was to bring together educators, economic developers, community leaders, business and industry leaders to focus on what the job opportunities are to be today and in the future in southern Virginia, and what are the programs we need to offer to get those jobs,” Adams said.

Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative, delivered the keynote address entitled “Reshoring: A Key to Employment and Economic Development.”

According to Moser, the Reshoring Initiative works to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States by helping manufacturers see the benefits of bringing off-shore jobs back to America.

In January 2012, Moser joined 18 fellow business leaders at the White House for President Barack Obama’s forum on “Insourcing American Jobs.”

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Titles clinched, success stories abundant at VIR

Success stories abounded at VIR in the first-ever appearance by the American LeMans Series on the fabled road course.

Corvette Racing's Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner clinched the American Le Mans Series GT title with a class win in Saturday's VIR 240.

Alex Job Racing's Cooper MacNeil clinched the GT Challenge (GTC) championship while winning his class with co-driver Leh Keen.

In the P2 class, Level 5 Motorsports' Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker won after a close race with Conquest Racing's David Heinemeier-Hansson and Martin Plowman.

CORE Autosport's Alex Popow wrapped up the Prototype Challenge (PC) title with a third-place class finish, with teammates Colin Braun and Jon Bennett taking a class win on Saturday.

In the GT class, Gavin and Milner's win clinched the team championship for Corvette Racing and the manufacturer title for Chevrolet.

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Students Compete at International Woodworking Fair

Halifax County High School seniors Dustin Meadors and Shonque’l Betts recently returned from competing in the WoodLINKS Ready to Assemble competition at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta, GA. A third member of the design team, Jared Owen, is a freshman at Liberty University and was unable to make the trip to Atlanta because of classes.

The students were accepted to the national competition because of a design they created as dual enrollment students in the WoodLINKS program at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC). Their competition entry was a unique lamp design called  “Universal Light Bulb.” Shaped like a traditional incandescent light bulb, “Universal Light Bulb” uses an energy-efficient compact florescent bulb to create an intersection between old and new.

Being accepted to the prestigious competition gave Meadors & Betts real world experience in producing and marketing an original product. After working through the sumer to improve their design, they took it to the International Woodworking Fair where they had to man a booth and act as salesmen. In addition, Meadors & Betts had to submit a marketing plan, assembly instructions, assembly drawings, and a one-page description. “This year the students stepped it up by including the packaging for the product. They made a box, and used Digital Art & Design program skills to make graphics for their box so it looked shelf-ready.  They also used video & created a commercial,” said Clint Johnson, Product Design & Development instructor at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC).

“It’s interesting to see what it takes to build a business,” Meadors stated. “You have to have the builders and the sellers--it’s really a team effort.” While at the competition Meadors & Betts continued working to improve their marketing capabilities by creating a Facebook page for the Universal Lightbulb and an email address for product inquiries ( theuniversallightbulb@gmail.com ).

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VIR to play pivotal role in ALMS title chase

A new venue for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón looks to play a huge role in determining the 2012 ALMS champions. 

The VIR 240 on Saturday is the first race at Virginia International Raceway for America’s premier sports car racing championship. The four-hour race — hence the ‘240’ — pays two additional points per position, a critical factor with all but two titles up for grabs.

Thirty-two cars on the entry list are set for the ninth round of the 10-race 2012 ALMS championship. Developments from the Sept. 1 Baltimore Sports Car Challenge presented by SRT clarified some title chases while others… not so much. Forty-six points remain available to winners in the final two races – 22 at VIR and 24 at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.

A large number of ALMS teams – including Muscle Milk Pickett Racing - spent time during the summer testing at VIR, and the outlook for the race is breath-taking. Teams will compete on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road circuit that has a chance to set ALMS speed records. 

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Halifax County to experience 'Renaissance'

A "U. S. Renaissance in Advanced Manufacturing" is happening in Halifax County next month.

Riverstone Energy Center in partnership with the National Center of Coatings Application, Research, and Education, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center's R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County is hosting a symposium on the U.S. Renaissance in Advanced Manufacturing Oct. 22-26.

This one-week symposium will begin with the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the National Center for Coatings Application, Research, and Education (C-CARE).

The symposium will feature talks and panel discussion on this renaissance in advanced manufacturing and guided tours of the Modeling and Simulation Center, the R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing and C-CARE.

Also, on Monday, current NASA Associate Administrator for Education, former NFL player, and two-time Space Shuttle astronaut, Leland Melvin, will give the keynote talk on the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in closing the skills gap and supporting America's role in capturing new 21st century career opportunities in advanced manufacturing.

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VEDP President Martin Briley visits Halifax

Briley, who was hired as the new Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO in October, visited the area prior to the luncheon taking a curbside tour of the county’s industrial park, Riverstone Technology Park and The Prizery.

Earlier, Briley had toured the new Innovation Center at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center.

The reception and lunch followed the authority’s regular monthly meeting held at Riverstone Friday morning.

Board members said they hosted the reception for the new Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO in an effort to continue to develop a relationship between the county and partnership leaders and for him to learn more about what Halifax County has to offer in the areas of energy and advanced manufacturing.

Halifax-based Web & Mobile Design Firm Packs on Creative Weight

Glerin Business Resources, Inc, a Halifax-based web & mobile design firm is adding several creative professionals to its staff, representing a significant expansion for the family-owned business. The new positions bolster Glerin's already-formidable design and strategy services.

Adding to the headcount at Glerin HQ in Halifax, VA are new Creative Director, Ben Capozzi, and new Project Manager, Tina Morgan. "My job," says Capozzi, "is to maximize our collective brilliance to solve client problems. I'm responsible for developing our teams, making sure that our clients are delighted with our work, and that it all happens on schedule, efficiently, and -most important- consistently." Capozzi comes to Glerin with a background in assembling and leading outstanding teams, from his earliest ventures as an award-winning comic book publisher, to a brand design consultant for Papa John's under Starbucks' Wright Massey. He also has stints in public and higher education at Virginia Tech, Danville Community College, and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center where he has taught digital media, design thinking, and creativity.

Morgan comes to her Project Manager position after 14 years in Health Care, and 6 in Higher Education, wrangling sprawling and ambitious projects with Virginia Tech, the Riverstone Energy Center, and the SVHEC.

"I am really excited to join this team of creative professionals. Glerin has built a reputation that I am proud to help grow. Our collective talent is bountiful and opportunities are limitless!"

She is also an entrepreneur in her own right, owning and operating Morgan Creek Photography.

Glerin has also recruited talented freelance designer-photographers Heather Chipps and Trevor Smith, both outstanding students in the area's Business of Art & Design program, a visionary academic endeavor between the SVHEC, DCC, and Halifax County Public Schools. Glerin selected the two based on their strong portfolios, outstanding creativity, and professionalism.

These positions in Halifax complement and enhance Glerin's services, says President and CEO, Lisa Kipps-Brown,.
"Adding Ben and Tina to our team has taken Glerin to the next level. We now have the Dream Team that we've been looking for, a full complement of professionals with deep experience across the spectrum of design and marketing. Glerin is proud that Trevor and Heather are local students who came out of the innovative Business of Art & Design program at SVHEC; that program will provide our pipeline of future designers."

A native of Halifax County herself, Kipps-Brown has built Glerin over the past 16 years with help from her designer-developer children, Glenn and Erin Brown, who work remotely with clients and colleagues in Richmond, VA and Atlanta, GA, respectively.

The remote teams are further enhanced by Copywriter & Voice Artist, Rueben Medina and Photographer, Tess Yaney in Atlanta as well as Marketing and Customer Relations Associate, Ashleigh Sottile in Tampa, FL.

Glerin's modest but (literally) colorful Halifax County cottage HQ belies a truly regional firm with a national client list.