Posts Tagged ‘South Carolina’
Friday, September 16th, 2011
 As T-Mobile USA, Inc. continues the rapid expansion of its 4G network, J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study, Volume 2, shows that customers in the Northeast, Southeast and West regions are satisfied with an improved network experience, including call quality and messaging and data performance.
In its study, which compares network performance among the largest U.S. wireless carriers, J.D. Power and Associates recently announced that T-Mobile earned the second highest ranking in these three regions covering 32 states, tied in the Northeast.
T-Mobile ranked second out of four in both the Southeast and West regions, and tied in the Northeast. The Northeast region covers the seven states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The Southeast region covers nine states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The West region covers 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
“T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to making reliable connections available to more Americans continues to pay off as shown by the results of this J.D. Power study,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile USA. “In the past six months, we have continued to advance the performance of our 4G service while also driving improvements in call quality, reliability and the overall experience for our customers.”
The J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study measures consumers’ wireless network experience, based on 10 criteria that impact a carrier’s performance. Wireless phone subscribers surveyed were asked about their experiences with dropped calls, static/interference, connection on first try, immediate voice mail notification, message transmission failures and mobile Web and e-mail connection errors. Call quality and data performance were examined in six regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest and West.
Results of the 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance StudySM, Volume 2, are based on more than 22,000 Internet survey interviews conducted between January 2011 and June 2011.
Tags: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, J.D. Power Wirelss Network Quality Performance Study 2011, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northeast, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southeast, T-Moblie, Utah, Washington, West
Posted in Internet/New Media, Mobile, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Monday, August 15th, 2011
 “The West is America’s new heartland, and it is increasingly a dominant region of population growth and political influence,” says economist and corporate relocation expert Dr. Ronald R. Pollina in the just-released Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011: The Rise of the West.
In the annual study of job retention and creation by the 50 states and the federal government, Dr. Pollina, author of the recent book entitled Selling Out a Superpower, emphasizes that the “West is not only a leader in population growth but has also become the pro-business leader, thus showing the greatest potential for job growth.”
But Virginia[ is the ultimate model for the rest of the country. Brent Pollina, Vice President of Park Ridge, Illinois-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate (www.pollina.com) and author of the study, names Virginia as “America’s most pro-business state” for the third consecutive year, winning yet again by the largest margin in the study’s history.
“Virginia can certainly be emulated by other states, which should view Virginia’s economic policies as a coloring book,” says Brent Pollina. “All they need to do is stay between the lines of the coloring book, and they, too, can create a powerful pro-business environment.”
This year’s Most Improved State, North Dakota, climbed from 18th to 3rd place in only three years, and it’s one of seven powerhouse Western states in the Top 10. Unfortunately for the region, California ranked dead last for the eighth consecutive year.
The Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011 are: 1) Virginia 2) Utah 3) North Dakota 4) Wyoming 5) Nebraska 6) Kansas 7) South Dakota 8) Missouri 9) South Carolina and 10) Indiana. The study, considered the most comprehensive, unbiased and unvarnished by the economic development industry, is the “Gold Standard” for evaluating and ranking states based on 32 factors controlled by state government, including taxes, human resources, education, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, workers compensation laws, economic incentive programs and state economic development efforts.
Two new factors—state budget deficit and state property tax index—along with a comprehensive State Report Card have been added to this year’s study.
“In recent years, we have lost millions of the nation’s manufacturing, technology and high-wage service jobs, and this trend is escalating.” says Brent Pollina. “The federal budget deficit, trade deficits, low interest rates, family debt and inadequate educational systems are and will continue to have a negative impact on the U.S. economic, political and military strength in the 21st Century.
“We are deluding ourselves if we believe that we have not been impacted already, both socially and economically, and that our government, along with American ingenuity and tenacity, will correct for any losses. This report details how many state governments have the resources, but not the will, to keep Americans employed in high paying 21st century jobs.”
We haven’t read this full study yet, but we see some similarities and discrepancies with other studies. What do you think of the selections?
Tags: Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pollina report, South Carolina, South Dakota, top ten pro business states, Utah, Virginia, Wyomig
Posted in Economic Development, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
 Charlotte, NC – An easy and fast way to send video mail messages proved to be best in show at the 10th Annual Five Ventures Business Innovation Competition held at the University of North Carolina- Charlotte. The event is held in conjunction with the Charlotte Research Institute, the Ben Craig Center and the Office of Technology Transfer.
“Charlotte-based mailVU is an impressive company. They were selected by an experienced judging panel as the grand prize winner of our business innovation competition,” said Devin A. Collins, assistant director, Business and Entrepreneurial Development for UNCC’s Charlotte Research Institute.
“They also won the People’s Choice Award as voted by the audience, which is equally impressive and speaks to the future commercialization of their product. When investors give a thumbs up and consumers give a thumbs up you know you have something.”
Five Ventures offers opportunities for selected companies to receive assistance with their business plans and mentoring from successful entrepreneurs through a series of workshops held over several weeks.
Contest attracted entries from four Southeast states
“Five Ventures provides an outstanding way for Charlotte entrepreneurs to fine tune their business plans and to gain experience in presentations,” said mailVU CEO Alan Fitzpatrick. “The workshops in particular were great opportunities to hone our pitch and improve our plan.”
The annual contest attracted start-up applicants from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee, attracting innovators in a variety of industries including automotive, biotech, business services, consumer marketing, renewable energy, and software as a service.
“The traction mailVU has gained in the market place with little to no marketing has been impressive,” said Paul Solitario, Managing Partner at Cerium Capital in Charlotte. Solitario served as a judge at this year’s competition.
“It’s been impressive how web users have embraced the technology and it’s impressive that there are paying clients asking them to accelerate their development.”
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Five Ventures contest 2011, MailVu, NC, South Carolina, Tennessee, UNC-Charlotte, video mail, Virginia
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Monday, March 14th, 2011
 CHARLOTTE, NC – Premier Alliance Group, (OTC.BB:PIMO), a professional services company focused on business and technology consulting, has closed a private placement of its securities resulting in gross proceeds to the company of $5 million.
The company sells business consulting services and human capital solutions to customers with a focus on core areas of business processes used throughout the corporate world including project management, business analysis, business consulting and strategic consulting.
Typical initiatives in which Premier provides services include compliance and regulatory, merger and acquisition, and business process reengineering efforts.
In the Southeast, it has a presence in South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia as well as Raleigh and Charlotte, NC.
The Charlotte-based company disclosed the financing in a news release earlier this month.
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Atlanta, Charltote, financing, NC, Premier Alliance Group, Raleigh, South Carolina, tech and business consulting
Posted in Carolinas, Georgia, IT, Money, North Carolina, South Carolina | Comments Off
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
 ATLANTA – Southeast BIO (SEBIO) has selected ten semifinalists in its fourth annual BIO/Plan Competition.
Launched in 2007, the BIO/Plan Competition is a program developed to promote the creation of new life science companies based in the Southeast.
The ten semifinalists were selected from nearly forty total applications. The applicant pool included applications from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
They represent a wide range of technologies including small molecule therapeutics, biologics, diagnostics, and medical devices. Five of the semifinalists selected are from Georgia, three are from Florida, one is from South Carolina, and one is from Virginia.
The technologies emerged from some of the region’s finest research institutions, including Emory University, Florida International University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Medical College of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and University of Virginia.
“Despite the funding crunch, the level of scientific innovation at universities and startup companies remains extremely impressive as seen from the BIO/Plan applications, and this bodes well for an outburst of valuable commercial opportunities that will attract investment dollars from firms like ours,” said Carlos Parajon, managing partner, Harbor Island Equity Partners .
“This quality of research and innovation leads to investment and growth, which in turn creates more innovation and positive economic outcomes for the region.”
Each semifinalist is now paired with a small mentoring team and beginning the mentorship phase of the Competition. Each mentoring team includes three or four experienced professionals from active venture funds or angel groups, biotech entrepreneurs and managers, and service providers with relevant start-up expertise.
The mentoring teams directly interact with the semifinalists over a period of 4 months focusing on the strategic development of the business concept and commercial opportunity.
The teams are also supported with additional resources including development plan templates and guidelines, regulatory consultants, and presentation guidelines and examples. The ultimate goal of the mentoring process is the creation of an executable development strategy and associated written plan. This rigorous mentorship process is the cornerstone of the Competition.
“Every year, our companies brag about SEBIO’s process and the terrific advice they get from the BIO/Plan mentors,” notes Susan Shows, Senior Vice President, Georgia Research Alliance. “This coaching and the visibility to investors is extremely valuable to the region’s early stage companies.”
Following the mentoring process, each of the semifinalists will submit their written development plan to a panel of judges. Four finalists will then be selected to present at the Twelfth Annual SEBIO Investor Forum, November 3-4, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia. The finalists will present to the full conference audience, which includes more than 400 industry leaders from across the region, and over 100 investors from the Southeast and around the world.
The finalists will be awarded face-to-face, private meetings with top investors in the region at which time they can more fully promote their investment opportunity and development plan. One Southeast BIO/Plan Competition winner will be announced and recognized in a special ceremony at the Investor Forum.
More information about the BIO/Plan Competition, the SEBIO Investor Forum, and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the SEBIO website, www.sebio.org.
Tags: 2010 business plan competition, Alabama, Biotech, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, SEBIO, South Carolina, Virginia
Posted in Alabama, Biotech, Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Other SE, Pharma, Potomac, SEBIO, South Carolina, Virginia | Comments Off
Friday, June 25th, 2010
 COLUMBIA, SC – SC Launch has invested $100,000 in Columbia-based Quintesocial, a social networking company that uses online tools to help its members find fun, interesting, and fulfilling activities based on their interests in the city where they live.
Quintesocial rolled out its first social network in Portland, Oregon, in March, and launched in Denver on June 1st. Additional launches throughout the country are in the works.
“The SC Launch investment enables us to expand our technology platform into white label/privately branded opportunities as well as to expand our social network nationally,” said Quintesocial founder and CEO Barbara Iaquinto.
The company asks members who sign up a set of questions and then designs a personalized calendar of events for them and other like-minded members. The events may range from invitation only restaurant openings to an opportunity to test drive a new performance car.
Since the inception of the SC Launch Program four years ago, SC Launch has assisted, helped form and/or land more than 230 knowledge-based entities in South Carolina, providing both funding and services to over 178. The Program has attracted more than $120 million in add-on, private equity investment in South Carolina companies.
Quintesocial’s technology is licensed through the University of South Carolina.
SC Launch is an affiliate of SCRA.
Since the inception of the SC Launch Program four years ago, SC Launch has assisted, helped form and/or land more than 230 knowledge-based entities in South Carolina, providing both funding and services to over 178. The Program has attracted more than $120 million in add-on, private equity investment in South Carolina companies.
Tags: financing, Q, Quintesocial, SC Launch, SCRA, social networking, South Carolina
Posted in Carolinas, Internet/New Media, IT, Money, South Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, April 19th, 2010
 CHARLESTON, SC – GreenWizard Inc., a company selling software that lets users analyze and select green building materials, has planted $1.15 million from a syndicate of venture capital funds and angel investors, led by California-based Zygote Ventures. Zygote also led an investment round in the company in 2009.
GreenWizard’s will use the funds to build out and market its interactive, searchable database system of green products for LEED and green commercial construction. The company says its Web-based tools help architects, engineers, and contractors to build greener structures for less money in less time.
“GreenWizard offers an entirely unique, cross-search and compare database for a construction market that is very eager for tools to navigate through LEED and other green-product choices,” said Zygote Ventures’ Jerry Fiddler.
www.GreenWizard.com
Tags: construction, Energy, financing, green tech, Internet, IT, South Carolina
Posted in Carolinas, Internet/New Media, IT, Money, North Carolina | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
 Bill Mahoney, CEO, SCRA By Bill Mahoney, CEO, SCRA
Recently, after I had given an update on SCRA’s SC Launch program, I was approached by a colleague who stated, “Five years ago, I would never have thought so much progress could happen so quickly to build a knowledge economy in South Carolina.”
It was a very nice compliment, and one that meant a great deal considering the recent economic environment. But, SCRA had indeed set out to build a strong knowledge economy in South Carolina several years ago.
Almost exactly four years ago, SCRA started the SC launch program, to identify, develop and invest in promising knowledge economy startups. Prior to SC Launch, many technology discoveries from SC corporate, university and hospital research centers were sitting unused, or leaving the state for development elsewhere.
SC Launch seed funded 35 firms
SC Launch was created to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and infuse much needed resources into start-up technology companies commercializing indigenous research.
To date, the program has supported about 270 entities that are creating new jobs and bringing innovative products and services to the market. 149 of those entities have received both funding and support services.
Of that 149, 35 have received initial equity investment from SC Launch. Many of the SC launch client companies have secured additional funding from angel and venture capital sources. 35 SC launch client equity companies are moving from startup to revenues and margins on the strength of $71 million in private follow-on investment.
Innovation Centers incubating new companies
While SCRA has enjoyed early success from the SC Launch program, we realize that further development of the knowledge economy requires more planning and work. We must continue to provide a tuned ecosystem for emerging technology startups to grow and thrive. Providing world-class business, laboratory and advanced manufacturing facilities is a key component of knowledge economy development.
To fill this role SCRA, in conjunction with its university and civic partners in South Carolina, has introduced Innovation Centers located in Charleston, Columbia, and Anderson to complement our existing research parks. With the Charleston Innovation Center Grand Opening in December, 2009, a groundbreaking of the Columbia Innovation Center in February 2010, and announcement of the Anderson Innovation Center scheduled for availability in Spring 2011, we are already filling these centers with top-notch companies.
Four start-up companies, all created from technology formed at the Medical University of South Carolina, are already headquartered in the SCRA MUSC Charleston Innovation Center as of January.
Immunologix, Microbial Fuel Cell Technologies, Neurological Testing Services, and Vortex Biotechnology Corp. are the first tenants.
These companies embody the precise type of start-ups that each Center is designed to house. The Charleston Center consists of office and laboratory space to support biopharma, biomed, and biotech applied research and commercialization.
Slated to open its doors this June, the SCRA USC Columbia Innovation Center already has two tenant companies; Immedion, which will house a data center in the facility, and Direct Measurements. The Columbia Center is tailored to house high-tech companies emerging from both the University of South Carolina and the general marketplace, particularly those expanding to commercialization and light manufacturing stages.
The third Innovation Center will be located in Anderson, SC, within the Clemson Advanced Materials Center and next to the Clemson Advanced Materials Research Lab. This center will feature both LEED certification and limited access areas. .SCRA and Clemson look forward to opening this Center in the Spring of 2011.
At SCRA, we have a strongly executed a vision for building the knowledge economy in South Carolina. Investment resources and facilities are only part of this vision, but they are already bringing positive impacts to our state. There is a saying that, “To ensure your own future, you must create it.” SCRA continues to inspire new entrepreneurs, strengthen technology-based businesses, and create a better tomorrow for South Carolina.
SCRA
SC Launch
From time to time, TechJournal South runs guest blogs on topics of interest to our readers. If you have an idea for a guest blog topic, contact TJS Editor Allan Maurer: Allan at TechJournalSouth dot com.
Tags: Charleston, Columbia, Innovation Centers, SC Launch, SCRA, South Carolina
Posted in Biotech, Carolinas, Economic Development, Healthcare, Internet/New Media, South Carolina | Comments Off
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
 MERGER & ACQUISITION ROUNDUP – Columbia, MD-based Merkle, the largest customer relationship marketing agency in the U.S., has acquired loyalty marketing firm Metzner Schneider Associates.
With the acquisition, Merkle adds significant depth and experience in loyalty marketing to its rapidly expanding strategic consulting organization. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Metzner Schneider Associates principals and founders Richard Metzner and Howard Schneider, who started the firm in 2002, will lead Merkle’s newly formed loyalty practice group that will focus on the development and execution of strategic customer loyalty programs for industry-leading clients. In addition, Merkle is bringing several members of the Metzner Schneider Associates senior management team onboard, including Margy Bloom, Kate Hogenson, Sarah Marsh, Dorothy Rosen and Laura Siegfried.
With more than 1,000 employees, Merkle is headquartered near Baltimore in Columbia, Maryland with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Little Rock, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Hagerstown, Md.
SC-based Micro Price sells
Micro Price, a Columbia, SC-based technology company selling solutions for computer networking, telephone systems, web design and managed services for small businesses, has sold to Frank Piet.
Piet bought the firm from owner Richard Stansfield. Financial details were not disclosed.
Charlotte-based VR Business Sales & Acquisitions handled the transaction.
Tags: Acquisitions, IT, Marketing, Maryland, Merkle, Micro Price, South Carolina
Posted in Acquisitions, Carolinas, Internet/New Media, IT, Marketing, Maryland, North Carolina, Potomac, South Carolina | Comments Off
Friday, March 19th, 2010
 SPRINGFIELD,VA – Versar, which sells technology services to the government and defense sector, has acquired South Carolina-based Advent Environmental, which sells environmental clean-up services and is also a Department of Defense vendor.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but Versar said it expects the acquisition to add more than $12 million in annual revenue and $100 million in contract capability to the firm.
Tags: Acquisitions, Government/Defense, South Carolina, Viriginia
Posted in Acquisitions, Carolinas, Government/Defense, Potomac, South Carolina, Virginia | Comments Off
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