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Jay. B. Lafler, Vice President of Commercial Properties Management (CPM) announced that they have completed negotiations with The Martin Agency for one of their business units to locate within the mixed use project of Beaufont Center located at Chippenham Parkway and Midlothian Turnpike. The Martin Call Center will occupy over 16,000 sq. ft. and employ over 300 personnel.

The leasing of this Class B office space to The Martin Agency continues CPM’s philosophy of turning Beaufont Center into a true mixed-use project. Besides this office use, they presently have 8,500 sq. ft. rented to other office users in the rear of the former retail project. Mr. Lafler commented, “With the signing of a major office tenant, we will continue to promote the back of the shopping center as a true Class B office area. The rear entrances to the tenant’s spaces will be updated with landscaping, will have awnings, glass doors with sidelight windows as well as sconces lighting either side of the doors and brass name identification plates.”

The placement of The Martin Agency at the property is a substantial culmination of efforts to bring a major employer to the center to help enable the center to add more service and restaurant type users to help complement the number of employees at the Center. For The Martin Agency, key factors in locating at Beaufont Center were the excellent location, ease of access and the commitment for the continuation of the property being a
mixed-use project.

Barbara Joyner, a Partner with The Martin Agency, said, “We are very pleased with our new location. We believe that Beaufont Center is a wonderful strategic location and we are pleased to be a part of the Beaufont revitalization.”

The skill level of potential and incumbent employees has become the “hot topic” in our economy. Economic development is increasingly dependent on the quality of the available workforce.

It has long been recognized that employers often “speak a different language” when it comes to skills discussions and this has been a barrier to communication between education and training service providers and the private sector.

For some years, ACT’s WorkKeys has been used to cross this communication divide. This assessment and skills profiling system has proven its worth repeatedly, and the return on investment to employers and workers is extraordinary.

Several statewide educational and training initiatives (from the SOL’s to a regional portable skills credential) are being built on WorkKeys so it is imperative that we increase awareness of the WorkKeys system and its value to our economy.

To enhance this understanding, FREE WorkKeys seminars have been planned across the state. These concise, informative sessions are designed as an introduction to WorkKeys for employers, educators, parents, counselors, and other workforce development and education professionals.

You are invited to attend and to encourage others to take advantage of this FREE opportunity. The South Central Region seminar will be at John Tyler Community College, Chester Campus, Nicholas Center, on Monday, April 26, 2004, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please RSVP by email to Sandy Rivera at srivera@jtcc.edu
(phone:(804) 440-2447) and indicate that you will be attending the John Tyler Community College meeting on April 26.

Directions to the John Tyler Chester Campus are located on the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA) website at http://www.ccwa.vccs.edu/locations.cfm#h002

The Interactive Guide to Starting a Small Business in Chesterfield County is now available on the Chesterfield County Economic Development Web site at www.chesterfieldbusiness.com/guide/. This guide is an interactive system for potential and existing small-business owners that take the user through every aspect of starting a small business.

The guide contains virtually every document required on local, county, state and federal levels, accessible in pdf format. It also includes interactive links to all related Web sites to ensure ready availability of up-to-date information as laws change. It covers all aspects of starting a venture with a tutorial on business basics including:

• How to research your industry and market;
• How to analyze competition;
• Finding, hiring and keeping good employees;
• Identifying and projecting your market share; and
• The importance of a business plan as a growth tool.

In addition, the program includes a tutorial on the different types of business organization such as proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations, and identifies the pros and cons of each.

This guide is also available on a CD-ROM that includes a business plan software program. The business plan program, through a series of questions, will help the user produce a 35-50-page business plan that includes financial projections.

The Interactive Guide to Starting a Small Business was developed by the Community College Workforce Alliance through funding provided by the Greater Richmond Partnership.

If you are interested in receiving the CD-ROM version of the Guide, please send an email with your name and mailing address to Karen@chesterfieldbusiness.com and a copy will be sent to you. For more information or additional small business assistance, contact Karen Aylward, Project Manager for Small and Minority Business at 804-748-3963.

Sharper Image has opened its first east coast distribution center in Chesterfield County. The new distribution center will supply more than 60 Sharper Image stores from Boston to Miami as well as Internet and catalog customers. The 113,000 square foot warehouse is located in The Enterchange at Walthall facility in the rapidly developing Walthall Enterprise Zone area.

The company invested $2 million in the new operation and will employ 12 workers initially. The company plans to add another 25 workers in the next year to handle call center operations.

Virginia is the most business-friendly state in the U.S., according to a report released by Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc., a site-selection consulting company based in Park Ridge, Ill.

Pollina evaluated and ranked states on their pro-business stance. Points were assigned for each state based on 14 factors, including taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation; energy costs, spending on infrastructure and workers compensation legislation. A short list of states were then assigned points based on 11 more factors including the resources a state dedicates to its economic-development department; the professionalism of the department; and the state’s incentive program, including, property and other tax credits, job training and grants.

Governor Mark R. Warner announced that DuPont Engineering Polymers will create 20 new jobs with the major new polymer plant in Chesterfield County.

The plant will meet increasing demand for DuPont™ Zytel® HTN high-performance polyamide resins with 30-million pounds per year of capacity. Located adjacent to DuPont’s existing Richmond site in Chesterfield County, the new facility is scheduled for startup by the end of 2004.

Governor Mark R. Warner announced that HCA would expand operations at its Patient Account Services Center in the Boulders office complex in Chesterfield County. The expansion will bring 160 new jobs with an annual payroll of $4.8 million. Virginia successfully competed with Georgia and Tennessee for the project.

“With more than 10,600 employees statewide and an annual payroll of $375 million, HCA is a significant employer and taxpayer in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Warner. “I am pleased to announce this company’s continued growth and strong commitment to Virginia.”

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, HCA is the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services. It owns or operates approximately 200 hospitals and 80 outpatient surgery centers in the United States, England and Switzerland, including 12 hospitals and three surgery centers in the Commonwealth. HCA’s Central Virginia facilities are CJW Medical Center, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, Retreat Hospital and John Randolph Medical Center.

When the expansion is complete, the Richmond Patient Account Services Center will employ 670 personnel who provide billing, customer service and collection services for 30 HCA hospitals in five states. The new positions include accountants, customer service representatives, and other business office positions. Hiring will begin in November and continue into early 2004.
“Richmond was an attractive expansion opportunity for several reasons,” said Steve Gross, CEO of HCA’s Richmond Patient Account Services Center. “The caliber of the workforce, the quality of the schools, the fact that the state and county are very pro-business – all these factors came into play. In addition, Richmond is a core market for HCA and its hospitals there have gained a reputation for clinical excellence.”

HCA’s commitment to Virginia involves several other major expansion projects. In 2003, it opened the $44 million Levinson Heart Hospital at CJW Medical Center in Richmond in 2003 and broke ground on a $38 million project at Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem. An $83 million expansion at Reston Hospital Center will be completed in 2004. HCA is also seeking state approval to build 180-bed Broadlands Regional Medical Center in Loudoun County.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Chesterfield Department of Economic Development and its Industrial Development Authority assisted HCA with its decision. The company qualifies for a Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit, a statutory incentive available to all qualifying companies. To support HCA’s investment, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training as well as retraining assistance for existing HCA jobs.

“Today’s announcement is great news for the people of Chesterfield County,” said Art Warren, Chairman of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors. “HCA’s expansion is another example of the cooperation between the county and the state to create jobs in Central Virginia.”

A safe and healthy workplace is the result of teamwork that includes both employers and employees. Through a spirit of cooperation, employers, employees, and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry can work together to reduce injuries and illnesses in
our workplaces.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) was developed to provide incentives and support to smaller, high-hazard employers to work with employees to develop, implement, and continuously improve safety and health programs.

SHARP recognizes worksites that operate exemplary safety and health programs that result in the immediate and long-term prevention of job related injuries and illnesses.

This is achieved by:

• Encouraging employers to use Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) funded consultation service and to involve their employees in establishing fully effective safety and health programs.
• Providing public recognition for employers and employees who have worked together successfully to establish effective and exemplary safety and health programs.
• Removing the company’s name from general schedule compliance inspection lists.

You are eligible for SHARP if you:

• Have no more than 250 employees at the site and not more than 500 total employees at all sites within the same Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) controlled nationwide.
• Are a single, fixed worksite.
• Have at least one full year in operation.
• Have a lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rate and a total recordable case rate (TRCR) below that for your industry within the established SIC or be willing to commit the time and resources to reduce your current rates to those required over an 18-month deferral period.
• Be on VOSH’s high hazard inspection list, or have a SIC on any emphasis program list at the national, state or local level.

Employers with Existing Exemplary Safety and Health Programs

Employers found during the initial visit to meet all the criteria to participate in SHARP as outlined in the eligibility section may be recommended for participation without having to meet the 18-month deferral period. The company must demonstrate that its LWDII and TRCR are currently below the national average for the establishment SIC and have been maintained at that level over time.

Employers requesting initial participation must agree to the following:

• A full service comprehensive survey of all conditions and operations of the establishment, including a complete safety and health program review.
• Involve employees in the development, operation, and improvement of all elements of the workplace safety and health program and in the decisions that affect their safety and health.
• Work with the consultation program to: correct all identified safety and health hazards and provide confirmation of corrections, effectively implement all elements of a safety and health program, lower the LWDII and TRCR rates below that of the national average for the establishment SIC, consult in advance with the consultation program on any changes in working conditions, or work processes that might introduce new hazards into the workplace, and notify the consultation program at the end of the deferral period to request a final comprehensive visit to verify the above requirements have been met.

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  The Program Manager may then recommend the site for SHARP approval and participation. For more information please contact the Consultation Services of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry at (804) 786-8707.

Increase Your Opportunities For Government Contracts!

August 25, 2003

8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Bryant and Stratton College

8141 Hull Street Road

Richmond, VA 23235-6411

The Small Business Procurement Workshop will be a dynamic, educational, and networking opportunity for small business entrepreneurs who need information and contacts to manage and expand their opportunity to do business with the Federal, State, and Local Government. Topics will include:

Federal Government Procurement – Learn how to register your business with the federal government to maximize your bid opportunities, understand the FAR, types of federal government contracts and become familiar with the various forms associated with federal government procurement. You will be able to register for the Federal Contractors’ Database following the workshop.

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s eVA Initiative – Learn about Governor Warner’s Executive Order #29 and eVA, the Commonwealth’s electronic procurement system designed to increase access to procurement opportunities with state agencies. You will be able to register for eVA following the workshop.

Chesterfield County’s Purchasing Department – Learn about Chesterfield County’s new Diversity Initiative and how to increase access to opportunities for procurement and contract activities with the county. You will be able to register for the County’s Bidders’ Mailing List following the workshop.

Small Business Resources – Learn about the Virginia Community Development Loan Fund’s Contractor Loan Program and the many small business resources available through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and Chesterfield County’s Department of Economic Development.

For more information or to register for the event, please visit: http://chesterfieldbusiness.com/reg/

Small Business Owners, mark your calendar for June 27th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for an all-free event — the First Ever Small Business Resource Day at the Community College Workforce Alliance’s Center for Entrepreneurial Development Center at the Verizon Entrepreneurial Resource Center, AdvanTech, 501 East Franklin Street. Over 21 local, state and federal agencies plus Verizon, Wachovia Bank, Capital One Bank, BB&T, Richmond Times Dispatch, and TimesDispatch.com are coming to share valuable information to you, the Small Business Owner.

All of these organizations are dedicated to connecting the Small Business Community with Central Virginia’s valuable Resources. Each organization will have tables of information for you and will have time to answer many of your questions.

While you’re at the center take advantage of our 14 different complimentary small business related seminars.

These are some of the 30-minute seminars that will run from 9:00 a.m, to 5:00 p.m. don’t miss any of them:

• “Business Killers”
• “How MBE Certification can help your Small Business”
• “Marketing Sizzle with Direct Mail”
• “NxLevel Training Programs in Virginia”
• “Don’t give me another item for my To-Do list!”
• “An inside look at the Speaking Business”
• “What Can Small Businesses Do to Try and Control Healthcare Costs?”
• “The Aging Adventurer”
• “Creating your Marketing Message”
• “Choosing and Pricing the Right CPA for Your Business Success.

All seminars will be held in Room 105 (Seminar Room). The room seats approximately 35 persons and we have limited seating so “First Come First Seated!”

If you’ve not had the opportunity to see the Verizon Technotrain and the technology it has to offer you, it will be available for tours from 9:00 a.m. to noon in front of AdvanTech building.

To end our first annual Small Business Resource Day, join us at the Tobacco Company Restaurant from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for the Small Business Appreciation Night happy hour with happy hour pricing on all beverages.

For more information on the day’s events and our participating resources, organizations and partners visit www.CCWAsmallbusiness.com or call (804) 521-4320.

The Richmond region has been recognized in the recent issues of two magazines as one of the nation’s top cities for business, careers and corporate headquarters.

The latest issue of Forbes magazine ranks the region No. 12 among the “Best Places for Business and Careers.”

Business Facilities magazine in its April issue ranks the Richmond region No. 11 among the “Best Cities for Corporate Headquarters.”

Austin, Atlanta and Dallas rank ahead of the Richmond region on the Forbes list. But the Richmond region outranks places such as Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Santa Rosa, California.

Working with Economy.com, an economic and financial research firm, Forbes evaluated each city based on income, job growth and cost of doing business. For the first time, it also considered crime rates, housing costs and net migration.

Business Facilities magazine developed its “Best Cities for Corporate Headquarters” list by surveying corporate real estate executives, site-selection consultants and real estate professionals. The magazine discovered that “it’s the intangibles like prestige and recognition” that count heavily in corporate headquarters location.

Large cities such as Atlanta, New York, Charlotte and Chicago, as might be expected, lead the “Corporate Headquarters” list. The Richmond region, however, ranks ahead of places such as Denver and Jacksonville, Florida.