Tri-Cities Tech Business Update
This monthly e-mailed update contains news, opportunities, upcoming events, and other information about Mid-Columbia tech businesses and the organizations that support them.
June 2010 Issue
Tech News and Notes
Tri-Cities Research District Innovation Center
The Tri-Cities Research District will be home to the newly-announced Innovation Center. The Innovation Center potentially represents one of the largest privately-financed real estate investments ever made in the Tri-Cities. Wayne Perry and Cal Cannon have formed the corporation Innovation Center TCRD, LLC specifically to develop the 89-acre parcel of land they recently acquired within the boundaries of the District. Phase I of the Innovation Center will be located north of 1st Street (soon to be renamed University Drive) between Einstein and Salk in Richland, Wash., on 7.5 acres and will consist of eight buildings totaling approximately 175,000 square feet of space. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Contact Diahann Howard at 509-375-3060.
2010 Small Business Award winners
Pasco, Wash.-based Harms Engineering, Inc. received the Gold award at this year's Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Awards ceremony in May. The event recognizes small businesses in Benton and Franklin Counties for their exceptional customer service, outstanding commitment to employees, and superior community relations. The awards are presented to locally-owned small businesses with fewer than 60 full-time employees that best exemplify the qualities of honesty, fairness, ethical business practices, and concern for employees and customers. Columbia Basin Racquet Club, Salon Monroe, and Pediatrics for You were also recognized with awards. Brian Johnson of Motoring Services was also recognized with a special award for his ten years of service to develop and guide the judging process for the awards. Contact Tracy Hill at 509-967-1063.
PNNL EDO on Facebook
The Economic Development Office at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is now on Facebook. The EDO page provides frequent updates and information about economic development activities and opportunities to help businesses start, grow, or revitalize. The Office helps businesses connect with technology experts, facilities, and other resources available at the Laboratory, many at no cost. Link to EDO Facebook page.
FE&C new headquarters space in TCRD
Federal Engineers & Constructors has opened its new headquarters building in the Tri-Cities Research District in Richland, Wash. The $4 million, 21,000-square foot building is located at 3240 Richardson Way. The company specializes in environmental cleanup, including nuclear remediation and industrial construction. Contact Dick French at 509-375-1608.
New renewable energy program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented a new program to promote renewable energy generation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations. The program is a joint effort with the Environmental Protection Agency to expand the work the two agencies did through the AgStar Program. Under the new interagency agreement, nearly $4 million will be provided over the next five years to help farms overcome the obstacles preventing them from recovering and using biogas. The collaborative program will expand technical assistance efforts, improve technical standards and guidance for building and evaluating biogas recovery systems, and expand outreach to livestock producers and help them with pre-feasibility studies. More information.
Tech Opportunities and Resources
Refresh '10
Nominations are still 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.
New Product Marketing course at WSU Tri-Cities
JUNE 21 - JULY 28. The Business Program at WSU Tri-Cities will offer a new course for enrolled students on "New Product Marketing" during the summer semester. The course will cover the general topic of introducing new products into the market place with emphasis on technology-based start-up companies that have the potential to grow rapidly. This course will be useful for technology managers, new products managers who deal with either technology products or non-technology products and particularly those with an entrepreneurial interest intending to start a new business. The course will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 7:45 pm from June 21 through July 28. Contact Wanda Walters at 509-372-7360.
Rural Energy grant funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for grants under its Rural Energy for America Program. The program provides grants for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance as well as funds for purchasing renewable energy or energy-efficient equipment. The program is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses. The deadline to submit an application is June 30. More information and application instructions.
NIST grant funding
Local investment fund loans
Do you need money to expand your business? The Hanford Area Economic Investment Fund has money available to lend to businesses. Loan amounts typically range from $150,000-$500,000. Loan applicants must be the owner/operator of a business in Benton or Franklin County, and must demonstrate need and the ability to repay the loan. Loans may be made for any purpose including equipment, leasehold improvements, R&D costs, and working capital. Contact Art Tackett at 509-943-9185.
Resources online
The column "In cyber world, the best defense is self-defense" was published in the Tri-City Herald on May 9. The article discusses the importance of protecting yourself against cybersecurity attacks.
Tech Dates and Deadlines
Tri-Cities Research District Speaker Series
JUNE 9. REGISTER BY JUNE 7. James Palmer and Kim Foster will be the next speakers in the Tri-Cities Research District Speaker Series. They will give the presentation "Attracting Investment in to the Tri-Cities Research District: A Look at the EB-5 Visa Program" on June 9 beginning at 4 pm. The speakers will discuss the opportunities and constraints that the EB-5 Visa Program, administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department, offers. The EB-5 Visa Program is a source of investment, based on employment creation, in which qualified foreign national investors can invest in an employment-creating project in return for preferred immigration status and permanent residency. The session will be held in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory Auditorium located on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus in Richland, Wash. Palmer is a business development manager at the Washington State Department of Commerce and Foster serves as corporate counsel for the ASPI Group, Inc. They will discuss the opportunities and constraints of the EB-5 Visa Program administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Mission Support Alliance are teaming to host the speaker series dedicated to educating stakeholders, the community, and other interested individuals and organizations on what it takes to successfully develop a research park. There is no charge to attend this event; however, you must pre-register by Monday June 7. A light reception sponsored by Mission Support Alliance will follow. Register online.
Advanced Invention 2 Venture workshop
JUNE 12-15. The Oregon Nanosciences and Microtechnologies Institute and National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance will hold a four-day Advanced Invention 2 Venture workshop in June at the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, Ore. The workshop provides instruction, exercises, coaching, and real-time feedback to technology-based startup businesses. The workshop will be followed by six to eight weeks of homework and exercises monitored by an assigned coach. The end result is a 15-minute investor pitch and commercialization plan to support it. Exceptional teams may be given the opportunity to present a longer pitch to a panel of investors and other experts. The workshop is open to founders of technology-based startups. The cost is $500 for students, $750 for faculty members, and $2000 for small businesses. The fee for pre-revenue startups, observers, and practitioners is $1000, and the corporate venture fee is $5000. Register online.
Foresight seminar
SEATTLE: JUNE 14. SPOKANE: JUNE 15. REGISTER BY JUNE 9. The Washington Small Business Development Center, Washington Technology Center, and Sirti, will host the Foresight seminar "How Small Businesses Can Successfully Commercialize Technology". The seminar is an overview of the commercialization process with topics including developing a commercialization strategy; finding customers, partners, and funding; and conducting negotiations. The seminar will be offered in Seattle, June 14; and in Spokane, June 15. Each day will include a basic session from 8 am-noon and an advanced session from 1-5 pm. The cost is $25 per session. The Seattle sessions will be held at WSU West in the Pike Tower Building located at 520 Pike Street, Suite 1101. The Spokane sessions will be held at the Sirti building located at 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Room 432. Register online.
PNNL This Month
PNNL Director speaks in Beijing
Collaboration between U.S. and Chinese research institutions will enable a more speedy deployment of emissions capture technology, says Michael Kluse, director of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Kluse gave a presentation May 8 at the International Cooperative Conference on Green Economy and Climate Change in Beijing. He discussed PNNL's existing collaborative partnerships with Chinese research institutions. He also discussed how PNNL is working successfully to rapidly accelerate the rate of technology innovation and transfer into the marketplace in the areas of emissions management, smart grid and energy efficiency. "Establishing a strong scientific alignment between U.S. and Chinese researchers is key to deploying real, scalable solutions to our collective emissions problem," said Kluse. "We must use our nations' complementary skills, in collaboration, to move discoveries and technologies into the marketplace where the world can experience the fruits of our labor." PNNL's collaborations with China date back to the early 1990s when it helped found the Beijing Energy Efficiency Center, and the laboratory has continued to build upon its partnership with China ever since. Read the complete news release.
PNNL facilities earn gold
Reducing energy and water use by more than 30 percent and keeping 78 percent of construction waste from landfills helped earn two new Pacific Northwest National Laboratory research facilities gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The Biological Sciences Facility and the Computational Sciences Facility at the Department of Energy's PNNL collectively received gold status from LEED. Gold is the second-highest rating in the green building program. The two research facilities-which are joined by a glass-encased commons area-were dedicated in October 2009 at PNNL's Richland campus. LEED is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute. 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 Diane Kahler or call (509) 372-4133.
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