Business Today
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce member enterprise news log
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
(Verona, VA) Heather L. Berry recently joined the staff of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network, headquartered in Verona, and will serve as the organization’s Grants Coordinator.
Berry will identify grant opportunities and develop proposals to fund hunger-relief programs initiated by the Food Bank Network that serves nine cities and twenty-five counties throughout Virginia and has branches located in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Verona and Winchester.
Berry was awarded a Master of Public Administration degree from James Madison University in 2001. Since 1998, she has worked for the City of Staunton in both the Economic Development and Finance Departments and most recently for the City of Waynesboro as the Office on Youth’s Grants and Evaluation Manager. During this time Berry successfully wrote over $2.3 million of funded grant proposals.
Berry is a native of Augusta County and currently resides in Staunton.
Governor Tim Kaine has announced that a Charlottesville man is one of his choices for Outstanding Scientist of 2007. George Milton Hornberger is a Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. The Governor has recognized him for research that involves acid rain in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and farm-related chemicals in the Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley. Hornberger will join four other scientists and industrialists during an April 19th banquet at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond.
(Waynesboro) The McClung Companies of Waynesboro captured 22 awards in the 2006 Virginia’s Best In Print Competition held recently in Williamsburg. It was the 47th year of this annual event sponsored by the Printing Industries of Virginia (PIVA), the top professional printing association in the commonwealth.
McClung earned nine First-Place Awards and 13 Awards of Excellence in several categories. McClung’s winning pieces were chosen from over 1,100 pieces entered in the contest by printers from all across the commonwealth.
“We’re particularly proud of our nine first-place awards,” said McClung President and CEO Tom Trevillian. “It’s always an honor to be recognized by PIVA as a quality printer. These awards are a tribute to our employees, who do prize-winning work in all phases of our operation.”
With over 60 years of craftsmanship and service, McClung Companies serves the graphic design, printing and communication needs of western, central and northern Virginia.
(Winchester, VA) Premier Community Bankshares, Inc. (“Premier”) (NASDAQ: PREM) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with United Bankshares, Inc. (“United”) (NASDAQ: UBSI) under which United will acquire Premier. The acquisition of Premier will afford United the opportunity to enter new Virginia markets including the Winchester, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and surrounding areas.
Albemarle First Bank is part of the Rockingham Heritage Bank Group of Premier, which is headquartered in Winchester. All of the banks will be folded into United Bankshares, which is headquartered in Charleston, WV, and operated in Virginia as United Bank.
Under the agreement, United will acquire Premier, which had $900.7 million in assets at December 31, 2006, and 26 offices through three wholly-owned banking subsidiaries, The Marathon Bank, Rockingham Heritage Bank and Premier Bank. Upon completion of the acquisition, it is anticipated that all three banking subsidiaries will be merged with United’s Virginia subsidiary, United Bank.
Premier shareholders will be permitted to elect to receive United common stock or cash, or a combination of each, for their shares of Premier common stock. The stock consideration will be at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.93 shares of United common stock for each share of Premier common stock and the cash consideration will be $34.00 per share. The election will be subject to pro-ration so that Premier shareholders will receive in the aggregate a minimum of 50% of the consideration in stock and a maximum of 65% of the consideration in stock. The transaction, which has been approved by both United’s and Premier’s Boards of Directors, is expected to close late in the 2nd quarter or early 3rd quarter of 2007, pending regulatory approvals and the approval of Premier shareholders.
United Bankshares, with $6.7 billion in assets at December 31, 2006, presently has 90 full-service offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. United Bankshares stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the quotation symbol “UBSI.”
(Charlottesville, January 29, 2007) Boar’s Head Sports Club has been named the “Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year” by the National Sports Builders Association.
Each year, based on entries submitted by an ASBA member – whether a contractor, designer, or supplier – the association selects outstanding tennis facilities that meet the standard of excellence as determined by the judging committee. For 2006, there were 25 courts or tennis facilities that were deemed outstanding by the panel of judges. Only four of those 25, however, were chosen for special honors.
Columbine Country Club in Littleton, Colo., received the “Outdoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year” Award; the Vanderbeek Residential Court in Warren, N.J., received the “Residential Tennis Facility-of-the-Year” Award; the Pennington-Ewing Athletic Club in Ewing, N.J., received the “Indoor Multi-Purpose Facility-of-the-Year” Award; and, Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Virginia received the “Indoor Tennis Facility-of-the-Year” Award.
“Boars Head Sports Club is no doubt one of the finest indoor facilities in the world” commented UVA Men’s Tennis Coach, Brian Boland. “Everything is done at the highest level of service and commitment.”
Boland added, “I am truly amazed by everything the University of Virginia Foundation does to support the tennis community, two top University of Virginia college programs, as well as the resort’s guests that come from out of town. As one of the top programs in college tennis we cannot imagine competing and practicing at a better facility.”
Boar’s Head, a staple on TENNIS Magazine’s annual “Top 50 Tennis Resorts” rankings, had historically offered six indoor tennis courts. Recent renovations to the main facilities’ indoor courts and the replacement of the air structure elevated the potential for the Boar’s Head Sports Club to bring nationally sanctioned indoor tennis tournaments to the Charlottesville community. As home to the University of Virginia Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams, NCAA sectional and regional championships represent just one of the many tournaments that could be held at the impressive new facility. There are now a total of 26 courts available at Boar’s Head Sports Club, including 12 indoor and 14 outdoor courts. Also included in the expansion was seating for up to 1,000 enthusiastic tennis fans with space for socializing with the teams.
“Few places in America support tennis like Charlottesville does,” said Ron Manilla, Director of Racquet Sports and Head Professional. “We are delighted to provide this community and our nationally-ranked University of Virginia Men’s and Women’s Tennis Programs with this state-of-the-art facility.”
Boar’s Head Inn, a 170-room resort set on 573 acres in the Virginia countryside, offers Four-Diamond dining, a state-of-the-art Sports Club, tennis, championship golf, a luxury spa, children’s programs, meeting space, and proximity to attractions such as Monticello, the Blue Ridge Mountains and wineries. Boar’s Head Inn is owned and operated by the University of Virginia Foundation.
For more information on the Boar’s Head Inn, Boar’s Head Sports Club, or to make reservations, call 800-476-1988 or visit www.boarsheadinn.com.
(Charlottesville) Onboarding, the process of bringing a new hire into an organization, has been automated by a small Northern Virginia company that has now opened a branch office in Northern Albemarle County. HRWorX, LLC, a privately held consulting company based in Dulles, Virginia, has a goal of helping Charlottesville/Albemarle area organizations eliminate paper and streamline the new hire onboarding process.
The flagship product from HRWorX is Newhireonline™, a web-based automated onboarding application that virtually eliminates the paper-intensive new hire forms process so new hires can more quickly and effectively be moved into an organization.
“The key advantages of Newhireonline are reducing cost and errors associated with filling in new hire forms by hand,” says HRWorX President Pat Brown. “Newhireonline structures the information collection process using a logical wizard-based interview script that greatly simplifies how new employees fill in their new hire paperwork.”
Common data elements (e.g., name and address) are collected only once during the online interview process and are then populated to all forms assigned to that new employee. This reduces delays caused by missing and incomplete information, and dramatically reduces the time a new hire spends completing and submitting their paperwork. Employees can then spend their first day of work in training and orientation, rather than practicing their penmanship on a stack of forms.
In short, Newhireonline helps organizations significantly narrow the gap between “Time to Hire” and “Time to Productivity” for their new employees.
In addition, because Newhireonline is web-based, new employees can complete the forms process at home prior to starting work, including printing forms for signature and electronically submitting them. As a result, HR, Payroll, and other areas have access to important employee data much sooner than before, and avoid the time and expense of mailing new hire packets.
“One of our customers would overnight their new hire paperwork and also pay the cost of having it overnighted back to them,” says Brown. “This used to cost them about $30 in mailing each time and took three to five days to get the paperwork back. When the paperwork was received, two thirds of the packages were either incomplete or illegible. By using Newhireonline, this customer now receives completed paperwork within 24 to 48 hours, and it's 100% complete and legible.”
HRWorX, LLC combines creative consulting with proven, innovative technology to help organizations automate the manual process of onboarding new employees. Some of our current clients are State of Minnesota, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Fairfax County, VA, US Transportation Security Agency, and Accenture. HRWorX is owned in part by Innovative Management Concepts, Inc. (IMC), a Charlottesville IT and Systems Engineering company who has been a Chamber member for the past several years.
(Charlottesville) Envirian of Charlottesville, a technology-based provider of residential real estate services to buyers and sellers in Central Virginia, announced Rosa Nicolosi of Envirian of Charlottesville has successfully completed the REALTOR® e-PRO course, becoming one of a select few real estate professionals to earn the prestigious certification offered through the National Association of REALTORS®.
The e-PROÒ certification course, a comprehensive and interactive educational program unlike any other professional certification or designation course, is specifically designed to provide real estate professionals with the technology tools needed to assist consumers in the purchase or sale of a home. Once completed, the e-PRO certified real estate professional joins the ranks of a special community of highly skilled and continuously trained professionals who provide high quality and innovative online-based real estate services.
“As more and more consumers begin their search for real estate-related information on the Internet, we at Envirian of Charlottesville know that it is critical to be well educated in the use of technology to the benefit of consumers,” says Rosa of Envirian of Charlottesville. “Obtaining my e-Pro designation ensures that my technology skills specific to the real estate industry are up to date today and tomorrow.”
The exclusive REALTOR e-PROÒ certification course is presented entirely online and certifies real estate agents and brokers as Internet professionals. Its innovative design enables students to complete the course at their own pace, when and where they want, via the Internet. The course is designed to help REALTORSÒ stay at the leading edge of technology and identify, evaluate and implement new Internet business models.
About Envirian of Charlottesville
Envirian of Charlottesville, a technology-based provider of residential real estate services to both buyers and sellers, has been serving clients in the Central Virginia region since March 2006. The company, owned by Broker Drake Van de Castle, is headquartered in the Gardens Shopping Center, directly behind the Patriot Bank on US Rt. 29 at 900 Gardens Boulevard, Suite 400, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The company and its agents are proud members of the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORSÒ, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Virginia Piedmont Technology Council. For more information, visit http://www.charlottesville-fine-homes.com or call 434-975-6777.
Mark N. Glover joined the staff of Mountain Lumber Company as its Chief Operating Officer in January.
Glover was born and grew up in Keene, New Hampshire. His 25-year professional career has spanned several different industries including the Automotive, Capital Equipment, Medical Device, and Wood Products industries. His educational focus in Manufacturing Engineering and experience in LEAN manufacturing has afforded him the opportunities to work throughout the United States helping organizations to increase their global competitiveness. As an Executive Board Member for the International Management Council from 1993 through 1998 he completed the curriculum for the Certified Managers Program.
Glover is an active community leader with a history of serving on several boards and focus groups including being involved in the Monadnock Chapter of New Hampshire’s United Way Campaign from 1998 through 2002 as Division Chair and as a member of the Board of Allocations. As Senior High School Advisor for the United Church of Christ from 1988 to 1998 he led mission trips to provide humanitarian aid including: hurricane relief in San Juan Puerto Rico, reconstruction efforts with Habitat for Humanity in Pittsburgh, PA and flood relief for displaced families in Richmond, VA.
Mountain Lumber Company has been in the business of producing reclaimed antique wood flooring of exceptional character and durability for some of America’s finest homes, commercial structures and landmark buildings for 30 years.
The company saves and reuses centuries-old wood from buildings and other sources slated for demolition, “rescuing” some of the finest wood in the world, which otherwise might have gone into landfills.
UVA Professor Michael F. Skrutskie has been awarded the National Academy of Science's Watson Medal for contributions to the field of astronomy. Skrutskie was given the medal for his project that involved infrared surveying of the entire sky to give astronomers the first ever bird's-eye view of the Milky Way galaxy. The medal is awarded every three years and comes with a $50,000 prize. Skrutskie's colleague, Roc M. Cutri of the California Institute of Technology, also received the award.
(Waynesboro) Tim Raynes, a press operator on the five color Heidleberg Speedmaster, was recently chosen the Employee of the Quarter at McClung Companies. Established in 1992, the award is based on recommendations from fellow workers and recognizes McClung employees who display extraordinary dedication to their jobs.
“Tim is a unique individual who is both quality and production conscious,” noted Dave Perkins, McClung vice president. “He is focused on getting the job done, and done right.” Tim brings his own brand of intensity to work each day, often on his favorite mode of transportation, his Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle.
Tim has worked over seven years at McClung and is a veteran of 16 years in the pressroom. He lives in Grottoes with his wife and has three daughters.
With over 60 years of craftsmanship and service, McClung Companies serves the graphic design, printing and communication needs of western, central and northern Virginia.
(Richmond, VA) Thirty-one Williams Mullen attorneys, including two from the Charlottesville area, have been recognized as Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars by publisher Law & Politics.
Super Lawyers Rising Stars are chosen by a survey of the Super Lawyers in each state and through publisher Law & Politics’ independent research. Super Lawyers are instructed to vote for lawyers they have personally observed in action whether as opposing counsel or co-counsel, or through other first-hand courtroom observation. The annual Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star list, published for the first time in January 2007, comprises the top attorneys who are either 40 or under or who have been practicing 10 or fewer years.
Among those honored were: David H. Bruns, ?Valerie W. Long and John E. Russell.
Williams Mullen provides comprehensive legal services to regional, national and international clients. With 250 attorneys and offices throughout 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 a century ago. For more information, please visit www.williamsmullen.com.
(Charlottesville, Va.) A book about teaching philosophy to children by Piedmont Virginia Community College philosophy professor Marietta McCarty was released last month by Tarcher/Penguin press.
Entitled Little Big Minds: Sharing Philosophy with Kids, the book had its beginnings in classrooms in Central Virginia. McCarty’s outreach first to third-graders and then to students in kindergarten through eighth grade and her summer program for Charlottesville children have attracted state and national attention.
Little Big Minds will be on sale in area bookstores. Signed copies are available in the PVCC Bookstore.
McCarty has taught at PVCC since 1981 and became a full-time faculty member in 1988. She also has developed the college’s service learning program which connects academic work and community service.
More information about Little Big Minds is available at www.littlebigminds.com.
A new Internet review and service company launched in Charlottesville today, Friday, January 12, 2007, when Rust Reviews published its website, www.RustReviews.com.
Rust Reviews brings “customer reputation” to the Internet by making it quick and easy for customers to provide reviews. These reviews are posted on the Web business information pages of te company’s member businesses.
Rust Reviews provides member businesses with a Web page providing consumers with important business information, including phone numbers, location, driving directions, the business description, special promotions, recent customer reviews, a link to an existing website, and a map function.
Rust Review also provides member businesses with networking via the company website’s visitors, who may use the site as a telephone book, search engine or to view local advertising.
Additional information may be obtained by calling 434-923-4590 or by sending e-mail to info@rustreviews.com.
(Richmond, Va. – Jan. 8, 2007) Williams Mullen, Virginia’s third largest law firm, and Maupin Taylor, P.A., North Carolina’s oldest law firm, today announced they have signed a letter of intent to combine the firms. The resulting firm will be one of the largest in the Southeast with 300 attorneys and will have expanded capabilities to serve clients in both states as well as in federally regulated and cross-border transactions.
“We are excited about this growth opportunity,” said Joey Smith, chairman and CEO of Williams Mullen. “The combined firm will provide our clients with access to additional resources while maintaining the same high quality of service each of our firms is known for.”
The two firms will be working diligently with existing clients over the next few months to ensure a seamless transition.
“It is our responsibility as legal advisors to ensure that we have the appropriate resources to assist clients in their growth,” said Keith Kapp, Maupin Taylor’s managing partner. “Williams Mullen is a great fit for Maupin Taylor, and the depth they bring in legal experience will help enhance our capabilities and expand our services into new territory.”
As a result of the pending merger, the firm’s attorneys and staff will combine to total nearly 700 employees. The combined firm will operate offices in Raleigh, Research Triangle Park and Wilmington, N.C.; Charlottesville, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, Tysons Corner, Virginia Beach and Portsmouth, Va.; Washington, D.C.; and London.
Gateway Bank, a mutual client of both firms, said the merger will provide added service benefits.
“Companies want the best resources and capabilities when it comes to their outside counsel. You want the most equipped team possible.” said Ben Berry, chairman and CEO of Gateway Bank and Trust Co. “With this merger, both firms, who already have vast synergies, can enhance their resources and expand practices. Joining forces will only strengthen their service.”
The name of the firm will be Williams Mullen, although North Carolina offices will operate under the name Williams Mullen Maupin Taylor for a transition period. Joey Smith will continue as chairman and CEO of the merged entity.
Both are full-service law firms providing legal advice in areas such as labor and employment, corporate finance and securities, litigation, tax, government relations and more for clients in industries such as financial services, health care, transportation, technology, insurance and real estate and development. Williams Mullen and Maupin Taylor attorneys have also served as state and local judges, state legislators, as well as Virginia and North Carolina Bar Association officials.
In addition to their similar practice areas, Williams Mullen and Maupin Taylor share a history of strong community involvement. Attorneys at each firm are encouraged to serve their communities, beyond the practice of law. Both firms participate in their area United Way campaigns and support numerous business and community organizations. Williams Mullen attorneys and staff hold leadership positions on the boards and committees of a wide array of non-profit organizations and colleges and universities. They also maintain their own funding entity, the Williams Mullen Charitable Foundation.
Final details of the merger are still being confirmed, but it is scheduled to close March 1.
(Charlottesville, VA) The Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers Society (JWGGS), an organization dedicated to the advancement of Monticello area wineries, has elected Chris Breiner of Stone Mountain Vineyards as their new chairman.
Since their founding, the Society has been responsible for establishing the Monticello Viticultural Area, The annual Monticello Wine Festival and, more recently, the Monticello Wine Trail website www.monticellowinetrail.org and brochures to promote the now twenty-one wineries in Central Virginia.
Oakencroft Vineyard’s Felicia Warburg Rogan founded the organization and served as the chair for over a quarter century.
“Much has changed since we started,” Rogan said. “I am thrilled with the variety and number of high quality wines being grown in our region. I have worked closely with Chris for many years, he represents the next generation of Monticello winemakers. I look forward to our continued work together.”
Breiner, who has served on the JWGGS Board of Directors for the past five years, is looking forward to the new assignment while recognizing the critical importance of the past.
“Today, the Monticello area is the richest wine region in the state with twenty one wineries and numerous independent vineyards,” Breiner said. “We truly stand on the shoulders of greatness. Without courageous Virginia wine visionaries such as Felicia Rogan, Gabriele Rausse, Dennis Horton, Luca Paschina and many others, our industry literally would have never taken root. As the birthplace of American wine, we must continue to build on this rich heritage by introducing more people to the great wines of the appellation.”
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