Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

August 2008 Issue

News

Supercar gets Jay Leno's attention

Comedian Jay Leno went for a spin in the Ultimate Aero car designed by West Richland, Wash., entrepreneur Jerod Shelby, founder of Shelby SuperCars, LLC, a U.S. automobile manufacturer. Leno invited Shelby to bring the world's fastest production car to Burbank, Calif., in June for a hands-on inspection and test drive at Leno's Big Dog Garage. The vehicle is a 2008 model of Shelby's 1,200-horsepower car that set a 255-mph world speed record last year and is in the Guinness Book of World Records. Visit Jay Leno's Garage or Shelby SuperCars, LLC to watch a 14-minute video including Leno's test drive of the Aero. Contact Shelby SuperCars, LLC at (866) 320-4617.

Kennewick firm introduces a new analytical product

Bruker Handheld of Kennewick, Wash., has produced a groundbreaking handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer that analyzes light alloys-such as aluminum and titanium-and metals using a silicon drift detector. The TRACERturboSD with integrated Silicon Drift Detector is faster and more sensitive than other handheld devices, offering speed, sensitivity, and energy resolution previously found only in more expensive laboratory-based systems. This handheld capability provides numerous advantages, such as in the aerospace industry where it can be used to more quickly analyze sophisticated light element alloys, even without the use of a vacuum or helium attachment. Bruker Handheld, formerly Keymaster Technologies, is a division of Bruker AXS. Contact John Landefeld at (509) 783-9850.

New personal aircraft introduced

Viper Aircraft of Pasco, Wash., has introduced a new member of its personal aircraft family that has increased range, better fuel efficiency, and expanded luggage capacity. The Viper FanJet aircraft is 21 percent larger in size and includes a climate-controlled cockpit able to accommodate pilots over 6'5" tall as well as 25 cubic feet of cargo space. The Pratt & Whitney JT15-4 turbofan engine allows for a maximum range of 1,500 nautical miles. Viper has also simplified the manufacturing process to reduce customer build times by more than 25 percent. Contact Dan Hanchette at (509) 543-3570.

Partnership reached to manufacture medical isotopes

Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation is partnering with the University of Missouri to develop a compact device to produce medical isotopes. AMIC, based in Kennewick, Wash., produces and distributes medical isotopes. The University holds intellectual property for a system than can generate clinically relevant quantities of medical isotopes without using a nuclear reactor.

Contact Jim Katzaroff at (509) 736-4000.

It's the Bechtel Board Room

The 40-person corporate boardroom in the new Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center opening in Kennewick, Wash., in October will be named the Bechtel Board Room. Bechtel entered into a 10-year, $250,000 agreement with the Tri-City Development Council, the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce to secure naming rights to the 1,177-square-foot room. All three organizations will be co-located in the new facility. Other businesses sponsoring naming rights for various areas in the Center are Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Associated Brokers, Battelle, EnergySolutions, Tri-Ports, AgriNorthwest, the Kennewick Arts Commission, and the Benton County PUD. Contact Deanna Smith at (509) 735-1000.

*PNNL wins international technology awards

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its partners won four awards that have been called the Oscars of Invention from R&D Magazine. The technologies being recognized are the Grid Friendly^TM Appliance Controller, a small circuit board built into household appliances that reduces stress on the power grid by continually monitoring fluctuations in available power; an integrated, single-step process materials fabrication method that generates nano- to macro-sized materials with identical chemistry characteristics; an advanced reactor technology that greatly reduces the size and cost of second-generation biofuel facilities; and the D3: Degradable by Design Deicer, a family of non-toxic biodegradable fluids used to remove and prevent the formation of snow and ice on aircraft, airport runways, roads, and pavement.  News release. The D3 technology also won a regional industrial innovation award from the American Chemical Society in June. PNNL has won a total of 78 R&D 100 Awards.

Contact Mary Anne Wuennecke at (509) 375-2447.

*PNNL scanning technology usage expanding in U.S. airports

The Transportation Security Administration is expanding use of a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory-developed technology that can detect metallic and non-metallic weapons concealed under clothing-without requiring physical contact with the traveler.  The ProVision^TM imaging systems are the commercial product of PNNL's holographic millimeter wave technology licensed to L-3 Communications and SafeView. TSA plans to implement the ProVision scanners in 21 of the country's busiest airports by the end of 2008, including Chicago O'Hare, Atlanta, Boston, New York LaGuardia, and San Francisco. The technology is already used in 12 U.S. airports and other airports worldwide. Matt Lauer featured the airport security scanner in July on NBC's Today Show. Contact Andrea Turner at (509) 375-3893.

Employees rank among state's most satisfied

Vista Engineering Technologies, LLC of Richland, Wash., and MEIER Enterprises, Inc., of Kennewick, Wash., tied for 19^th place as two of Washington's Best 100 Companies to Work For as selected by Washington CEO Magazine from the more than 200 nominations submitted. The full list is posted on the magazine's website. Companies were selected based on confidential employee surveys on human resources issues, morale, and other considerations. MEIER's Employee Stock Ownership Plan incentivizes employee-owners. Vista hosts regular events for employees and family members, such as hockey games, picnics, and an annual whitewater rafting trip. For MEIER, contact Denise Sweeden at (509) 737-6932. For Vista Engineering, contact Phil Ohl at (509) 737-1377.

*Tech businesses contribute to area growth

Several area businesses received mention in Washington CEO magazine's recent profile of the Tri-Cities as the state's population-growth leader over the past eight years. The article attributes some of the area's growth to the abundance of high-tech job opportunities. Tri-Cities technology businesses mentioned include Vivid Learning Systems, Infinia, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as well as the Tri-Cities Research District. The complete article is available online.

Tri-Cities Research District

Research District to receive funding

The Tri-Cities Research District will receive $100,000 over the next three years to cover seed operating expenses. The funding will come from Battelle's Corporate Contributions program, which oversees charitable giving where Battelle has offices.

TechRealization Workshop

The master plan for the Research District will be unveiled at the TechRealization Workshop in August. (See item below in "Coming Up.") The workshop schedule includes a presentation by TVA Architects on the final concept for the 500 acres of undeveloped property within the District as well as updates on other activities and future plans.

Survey wrapping up

An internal survey of the 80 companies within the Research District was completed at the end of July by TCRD staff to learn more about the tenants and identify any issues that the Research District could work to address. Results will be reported to the District board during its August meeting, and the annual work plan will be changed appropriately based on the results.

"Dream" company moving in

Our Dream Continued, LLC has nearly completed construction on its 48,000-square-foot building within Stevens Center. The company plans to move into the new facility August 1. The principals of the company are involved in the management of commercial real estate property within the Stevens Center Business Park and North Richland.

Opportunities and Tools

Research funding grants

Washington technology businesses looking to partner with a university or nonprofit researcher on innovative technology projects are invited to apply for a funding award through the Washington Technology Center's Research & Technology Development Awards program. Each team can apply for up to $300,000 in a three-phase program. The Washington Technology Center can help interested companies find research partners. Notices of intent are due September 18, with applications due October 23. A free information session will be held from 11 am to noon on August 5 at the Applied Process Engineering Laboratory in Richland, Wash. To reserve your space, or learn more about the grants program, contact Russell Paez at (206) 616-3102.

Smartmap Expo

Exhibitors are being sought for the Tri-City Development Council's 6^th Annual Smartmap Expo, billed as the premier manufacturing networking event in the Pacific Northwest. It will be held September 30 through October 2 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Wash. The exhibitor registration fee for two badges is $300, which includes a booth, various events and seminars, and the TRIDEC Manufacturing Appreciation Luncheon. Exhibitor space is limited and fills up quickly. Download an exhibitor registration form.

Contact Gary A. White at (509) 735-1000.

New resources online now

Five new resources are available online. 1) A new report by the Technology Alliance called "The Economic Impact of Technology-Based Industries in Washington State" states that Benton County is the third largest tech employer county in the state of Washington. 2) A presentation on the necessary elements of a workplace safety plan from the Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network seminar held in Richland in June is available online. 3) A presentation on cash management for small businesses, also from the Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network, is available online. 4) The article "Replenishing our energy with Mother Nature's Help" was published in the Tri-City Herald in June. 5) The article "Managing cash, sans the fridge" was published in the Tri-City Herald in July.

More online

The SCORE Association, a national resource for small businesses, has a number of new online resources. For tips on building an effective website that gets results, click here to get to the free online workshop, "Creating an Online Presence." For a new tool that enables business owners to track their business progress online click here then on the tab "Chart my success." It's free; you must create an account. Also download free templates on business plans, cash flow, sales forecast, Internet marketing, and more.

Coming Up

*TechRealization workshop

AUGUST 27. REGISTER BY AUGUST 20. TechRealization: A Day for Recognizing Clean Technology Impacts and Progress in the Tri-Cities Research District is scheduled for August 27 at the Washington State University Tri-Cities Consolidated Information Center in Richland, Wash. This year's workshop will follow-up last year's TechMagination workshop, which focused on brainstorming and imagining the possibilities of a clean technology agenda in the Tri-Cities Research District/Innovation Partnership Zone and around the state. TechRealization will bring together many of the same people to "realize" the progress, update local and regional stakeholders, and plan the path forward. Speakers include the executive director of the Sandia Science & Technology Park; the new executive director of the Bioproducts, Science, and Engineering Laboratory; the state's Innovation Partnership Zone program manager; the executive director of the Tri-Cities Research District; and chief executive officers of local sustainable technology companies. The free workshop is from 8:15 am to 2 pm and includes lunch for those who have registered. Register online by August 20. Contact Lisa Teske at (509) 372-6850.

Immigration customs enforcement seminar

AUGUST 14. The seminar "Immigration Customs Enforcement and Protecting the Security of Your Workforce" is being offered on August 14 at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash. The Executive Overview session, from 8 am to noon, is targeted at top-level managers. The Practitioner Workshop session, from 1 to 5 pm, focuses on human resource personnel. The seminar is being sponsored by the Tri-City Development Council, CBC, Washington Manufacturing Services, and WorkSource Columbia Basin. Registration is $75 per session.  Register online or by calling Linda Adams at (425) 438-1145, ext. 107.

Mark Your Calendar

Economic and Workforce Development Conference

SEPTEMBER 3-4. REGISTER BY AUGUST 8 for DISCOUNT. The Governor's 2008 Economic and Workforce Development Conference will be held September 3-4 in Lynnwood, Wash. Economic and workforce development partners will gather to assess how the state's vision of the future, called The Next Washington, is working in communities. Register by August 8 for $150; after that it will cost $200. Click here for more information. Contact Maury Foreman at (206) 256-6110.

Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference

SEPTEMBER 8-10, REGISTER BY AUGUST 25. The Fifth Annual Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference will be held September 8-10 at the Hilton Hotel in Vancouver, Wash. It will include more than 300 industry leaders, researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, investors, and tech transfer professionals discussing issues and opportunities in commercializing small-tech innovation. The cost is $240 for the public, $145 for students, and $125 for short-course registration only. The event is sponsored by the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute and the Washington Technology Center. Click here for more information. Contact Skip Rung at (541) 231-4883.

Smartmap Expo

SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 2. The Tri-City Development Council's 6^th Annual Smartmap Expo, a large manufacturing networking event, will be held September 30 through October 2 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Wash. This year's event includes the first annual MatchTech conference and luncheon, featuring keynote speaker Peter Chase, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Purcell Systems in Spokane, Wash. The MatchTech event provides manufacturers an opportunity to share their technology challenges with top-level researchers and be matched with potential solution providers through a web-based process. Other seminar topics include using technology to stay on top of your business, hiring the right people, and maximizing your website. Download registration form. Contact Gary A. White at (509) 735-1000.

Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium

OCTOBER 15-16. REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 30. The 2008 Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium will be held October 15-16 in Pasco, Wash. Highlights of the event will include breakout sessions with leading industry and government experts as well as a business expo with the Department of Energy's prime Hanford contractors, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, government procurement officials, and representatives from ports, municipalities, and state and federal agencies. There will also be networking opportunities with public and private sector decision makers. Early pre-registration is $50 per person if registered and paid by September 30. After September 30 and at the door, registration will be $75 per person. The registration fee includes a Hanford Site bus tour, the evening welcome reception, continental breakfast and lunch, breakout sessions, the business expo, and handout materials. Downlaod registration form under Calendar & Event Forms. Contact Kristi Kesler at (509) 735-1000.

Got News?

We invite your contributions! We will consider items that fit the mission of this publication, including your tech-related news, awards, and notices of upcoming events. Please send text and photos to Andrea McMakin or call (509) 372-6013.

Tri-Cities Tech Business Update is published by the Economic Development Office at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Each month, we send you an e-mail message, giving you the link of news, tips, awards, upcoming events, and other information about local technology-based businesses and organizations that support them. With business and community partners, our goal is to build and diversify the Tri-Cities economy—adding skilled jobs in primary-sector industries that bring in outside dollars. Currently, more than 1,100 tech-related businesses, investors, and economic development stakeholders subscribe to the newsletter, mostly in the Mid-Columbia area and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. This newsletter (RL-P00-009) supports DOE-Richland's vision for the future of the Hanford Site and surrounding area through the creation of research opportunities, new industries, and new business clusters