Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

May 2010 Issue

Tech News and Notes

Small Business Awards nominees announced

Local technology-based businesses Harms Engineering, Inc., based in Pasco, Wash., and Richland Industrial, Inc., based in Richland, Wash. are among the ten nominees for the 2010 Small Business of the Year Award. The awards ceremony is presented by the Three Rivers Alliance of Chambers to recognize small businesses in Benton and Franklin Counties for exceptional customer service, outstanding commitment to employees, and superior community relations. The awards banquet will be held on May 4. Contact Tracy Hill at 509-967-1063.

Energy Solutions scholarships awarded

Students from ten Columbia Basin-area high schools have received scholarships from the Energy Solutions Foundation. The scholarships are awarded to 10^th grade students planning to study math, science, or engineering. Each student receives $2,000. Richland High School student Katrina Hui was also named one of the top three distinguished award recipients in the nation and received an additional $5,000 scholarship. View the complete list of Washington recipients. Contact Pearl Wright at 801-649-2286.

New staff at Dade Moeller

Richland, Wash.-based Dade Moeller & Associates, Inc. welcomes a new senior safety and health services professional to its staff. Phillip Bartley will serve as a project manager and provide technical expertise and consulting support to the company's government and commercial clients, including Washington River Protection Solutions, the Department of Energy contractor managing the Hanford tank farms. Bartley has more than 30 years of environmental, construction, and industrial health and safety experience. Contact Paula Tumlinson at 509-946-0410, ext. 283.

New staff at Meier Architecture Engineering

Meier Architecture Engineering, based in Kennewick, Wash., welcomes a new civil project engineer to its staff. Jason Mattox is a professional engineer who will take residential and public works land use projects from conceptual stages through construction. Contact Denise Sweeden at 509-735-1589.

Tech Opportunities and Resources

Cleantech Open competition accepting submissions

The 2010 Cleantech Open competition for clean technology startup businesses is underway. The Cleantech Open is the world's largest clean technology competition. The competition focuses on accelerating the development of clean technology startups by providing resources, education and support for clean technology entrepreneurs. Two Tri-Cities, Wash.-based businesses--Innovatek and NHThree-were regional semi-finalists in 2009. The top prize nationally is $250,000 is cash and services. Additionally, regional winners receive up to $30,000 in cash and services. The deadline is May 22. More information about the competition. Online entry form. See item in Tech Dates & Deadlines about the Cleantech Open webinar on May 4.

Economic development grand funding available

The Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund Committee is accepting applications for a new grant opportunity. Public entities in Benton and Franklin Counties are eligible to apply for grants of up to $100,000 each. The grant program serves as a catalyst for private capital investment and new job creation. Projects eligible for grant application are those projects that focus on creating primary jobs and that encourage new development and business expansion in targeted industry sectors that diversify the economy in Benton and Franklin Counties. The deadline for submission is May 28. Contact Art Tackett at 509-943-9185.

Refresh '10

Nominations are being accepted for the annual Refresh website redesign competition, and a second category has been added this year for online training. Refresh 2010 is sponsored by Imageworks and Vivid Learning Systems, both based in Pasco, Wash. The competition provides winners with up to $5,000 worth of services toward the design of an updated website or online training. Anyone can nominate a business for consideration. An independent panel representing the fields of marketing, business, and academia will identify the top 10 nominees and then a separate panel of local business leaders will select the top three winners. The submission deadline is June 6 and winners will be announced June 25. More information. Contact Chris Collier at 509-545-1800.

Resources online

1) The column "Cleantech competition's prize helps startup firms" was published in the Tri-City Herald on March 27. The article provides information about the annual Cleantech Open Business Competition for technology-based small businesses. 2) Webcasts from the Life Science Innovation Northwest conference held in April are available online. The webcasts feature the keynote address and five panel discussions from the conference, which was sponsored by the Washington Biomedical & Biomedical Association. Watch the webcasts online.

Tech Dates and Deadlines

Cleantech Open webinar

MAY 4. A webinar to help businesses develop their submissions for the Cleantech Open competition will be held on May 4. The webinar session will include guidance for writing an executive summary and also provide general information about the competition. The webinar is free and will take place from 4 - 6 pm Pacific Daylight Time on May 4. Directions for joining the online meeting.

Workplace relationships seminar

MAY 4. The Columbia Basin Chapter of the American Society for Quality's May meeting will feature speaker Rick Martinez, founder of Peak Performance Systems in Richland, Wash. The presentation "You're Not My Type" will focus on identifying personality types within the workplace and developing effective working relationships. The meeting will be held at the Shilo Inn in Richland, Wash., with check-in and networking beginning at 5:30 pm, chapter business and buffet dinner at 6 pm, followed by the presentation at 7 pm. The cost is $17 for members and $20 for non-members or $5 for the presentation only. To register, contact Alvin Langstaff at (509) 371-2221 with your name, phone number, and company affiliation.

Small Business Awards banquet

MAY 4. The Three Rivers Alliance of Chambers will hold the 2010 Small Business Awards banquet at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Wash., on May 4. Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Micro Business awards will be presented to recognize small businesses in Benton and Franklin Counties that best exemplify honesty, fairness, ethical business practices, and concern for employees, customers, and the community. The event will include a social hour beginning at 6 pm; followed by dinner and the awards program beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are $35. Reserved tables of eight are available. Contact Tracy Hill at 509-967-1063.

2010 State of Technology Luncheon

MAY 17. REGISTER ONLINE BY MAY 16 FOR DISCOUNTED RATE. The Technology Alliance is holding its annual State of Technology Luncheon in Seattle in May. The event focuses on celebrating innovation in Washington and understanding the strategies that will shape the state's economic future. The featured speaker will be Clayton Christensen, author of Disrupting Class, The Innovator's Dilemma, and The Innovator's Prescription. As many as 800 business and civic leaders throughout the region attend. Registration and networking begin at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel at 11 am, followed by the luncheon program from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Individual tickets are $85 with advance registration or $100 at the door. Reserved table packages are available. Contact Katy Tollefson at 206-389-7259.

Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network meeting

MAY 18. REGISTER BY MAY 14. The Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network will hold its May seminar "Where angels dare to fly-angel investing today" on March 18 beginning at 7:15 am at the Richland Community Center in Richland, Wash. The panel of speakers consists of: Byron McCann of the Northwest Energy Angels, Gary Ritner of the Puget Sound Venture Club, and Tom Simpson of the Spokane Angel Alliance. Panelists will describe their respective organizations and recent activities and discuss how to know if a business is "angel ready." The event will take place from 7:15-8:30 am. There is no charge to attend, but you must pre-register by May 14 and space is limited. A continental breakfast will be provided. Register online.

PNNL This Month

Global warming triggers CO2 release from soil

Twenty years of field studies reveal that as the Earth has gotten warmer, plants and microbes in the soil have given off more carbon dioxide. Understanding this soil respiration is central to understanding how the global carbon cycle affects climate. "There's a big pulse of carbon dioxide coming off of the surface of the soil everywhere in the world," said ecologist Ben Bond-Lamberty of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "We weren't sure if we'd be able to measure it going into this analysis, but we did find a response to temperature." Read the complete news release.

PNNL licenses "smart charger" to car maker

California car maker, ZAP, plans to use the Smart Charger Controller technology developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in its charging stations internationally. The controller technology allows electric car owners to recharge their rides at times of lowest cost and least stress on the grid. "ZAP believes the patented smart car charging technology is an important feature to ensure the environmental viability of electric cars," said ZAP Founder and Director of Business Development, Gary Starr. Battelle, which manages PNNL for DOE, granted ZAP the non-exclusive license. Read the complete news release.

PNNL scientist honored with medal

A scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been honored by the American Association of Engineering Societies with the John Fritz Medal. Jerry Posakony was recognized for his pioneering contributions to the fields of ultrasonics, medical diagnostic ultrasound, and nondestructive evaluation technologies. Posakony has devoted much of his career to developing important technologies that have touched nearly everyone's life, from medical diagnostics to industrial applications that help ensure product quality and safety. Read the complete news release.

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