Business First team members responded to more than 90 specific requests for assistance as a result of initial meetings. Completed projects during this program year ending June 30, 2010 resulted in the creation of more than 250 new jobs and helped to retain nearly 500 positions. Participating companies made new capital investments of $137 million.

Highlights of the interviews include:

• 132 identified businesses plan to expand in the coming year with associated capital investments in excess of $136 million.
• 27 percent of respondents plan to add additional employees over the next 12-month period, adding nearly 1,400 new jobs.
• Largest employment gains are anticipated in the Manufacturing industry and the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation industry.
• 96 percent have an overall positive attitude toward the community and 78 percent believe that they will see an improvement in the local business climate over the next five years.
• 86 percent rate workforce quality as good or excellent, although 95 firms report that recruitment is still a challenge, which is likely a mismatch between skills and demand.

Sara Dunnigan, senior vice president of Existing Business Services and Talent Development of the Greater Richmond Partnership and program manager for Business First Greater Richmond, said, “The program is more than just a collection of data. We take the time to thank area businesses for choosing Greater Richmond as a location to operate their business.” Dunnigan continued, “The information gathered during the interviews is used to identify ways to help solve business problems, remove barriers to growth, and to quickly connect firms to the resources they need to be successful. “

Program success stories include:

• The retention of Pfizer Consumer Health Research and Development in the City of Richmond which saved 300 jobs locally;
• The consolidated facility of Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation in Henrico County which saved 150 jobs;
• The expansion of Maruchan in Chesterfield County that included a capital investment of $16 million and up to 50 new jobs; and
• Hanover County-based Flexicell, Inc. which was connected to a training grant through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance to support the skills advancement of 11 employed engineers.

Gregory H. Wingfield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, said, “Existing businesses are the heart of a strong local economy.  Up to 80 percent of net new job growth comes from existing businesses.  They make investments in facilities, pay taxes and are committed members of our community.”  He continued, “Satisfied existing businesses are among our best ambassadors for attracting new businesses to Greater Richmond.  Ensuring they are connected to the resources they need to be successful is a critical component to our overall economic development strategy.”

For the full text of the Business First Greater Richmond annual report, visit: http://www.grpva.com/publications/BF_annual_report10.pdf.

Business First Greater Richmond, launched in October 2006, is a public-private collaborative regional initiative supported by the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc, the City of Richmond, the Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico.  It is also supported by more than 80 business volunteers and other agencies in the region committed to the growth and retention of area businesses.  For more information or to schedule a company visit, please visit: www.businessfirstrichmond.com.

The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. was launched in 1994 as a pioneering regional public-private initiative to serve as the regional economic development group for the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. The mission is to help grow the Greater Richmond economy through the attraction of high quality jobs and new capital investment, the retention of existing businesses, and the continued improvement of the region's business climate. Since inception, the Partnership has played a key role in the attraction of more than $7.3 billion in investment by 395 new and expanding companies. This is a return on investment of $164 for every $1 in funding provided by public and private partners since 1994. For more information, please visit www.grpva.com.

RSS feed: http://www.businessfirstrichmond.com/blog/rss/

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The University of Richmond's Robins School of Business and the Virginia Council of CEOs have joined to develop a quarterly survey of local firms that will gather basic information on expectations for business conditions.

The survey asks business owners and executives in the Richmond metropolitan area about their sales, employment and capital spending plans for the next two fiscal quarters. Results will be combined into an index.

"It fills a void," said Scot McRoberts, executive director of the Virginia Council of CEOs. "Our members are CEOs of smallto midsized businesses, and most of the economic data I see is either too broad geographically or too broad as far as the size of the businesses."

The survey is targeted toward leaders of firms similar to the 125 members of the Virginia Council of CEOs, with annual revenue typically between $1 million and $15 million.

"A lot of the economic data that seems to dominate the news is focused on the largest corporations," McRoberts said. "What I think is helpful and useful for a [midsized] company in the Richmond area is some data to show what other companies in the same geography think is going to happen in the next two quarters."

The first survey was conducted in July. Results should be out this fall, looking ahead to economic expectations during the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011, McRoberts said.

Students and faculty at the Robins School of Business have interacted with members of the Virginia Council of CEOs, and a research project that would help local firms was a natural evolution of that relationship, said Richard Coughlan, the Robins School's senior associate dean.

Results are tabulated by Jeff Pollack, assistant professor of management at the Robins School, who developed the survey based on similar research conducted by the Business Roundtable, a national association of chief executive officers.

The Robins School and the Virginia Council of CEOs are looking for other companies with revenue of more than $1 million to participate in the quarterly surveys.

"Our hope is that by inviting others to participate, we will double and triple the number over time and come up with a great sample of the region's economic outlook," McRoberts said.

Business owners and executives interested in participating should contact McRoberts at smcroberts@vaceos.org.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

"Many believe it is the biggest opportunity of our time," said VCU international marketing professor Van R. Wood.

The Certificate in Sustainability program will take place over 11 evening sessions from Sept. 8 to Nov. 17 at the VCU School of Business in Snead Hall.

"What makes it relevant is we're going to add another 2 billion people to the world's population by 2050," said architect and planner William R. Godfrey.

Godfrey, president of the Henrico County-based Environic Foundation International, will be one of the VCU program's leaders.

"We're going to have to become four to 10 times more efficient to provide those 9 billion people with the services and amenities we have now," Godfrey said. "We're going to have to innovate in every sector . . . to become that four to 10 times more efficient."

Sustainable development meets the present generation's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, Wood said.

Meeting the demands of sustainability will be a game-changer for those prepared for what's coming, he said.

VCU's town-and-gown sustainability program will explore how individuals, organizations and communities can innovate ideas, products and services; reduce expenditures through decreased waste and efficient use of materials; enhance their personal and business reputations; and avoid disasters such as BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The program, which will be limited to 50 participants, will cost $1,500 per person for registrations through Sept. 3, and increase to $2,500 after that.

Wood, Godfrey and Robert M. Clarkson, who is also with the Environic nonprofit, will coordinate the program.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

American Eagle, American Airlines' regional affiliate, will launch the second daily flight between Richmond International Airport and Miami International on Nov. 18.

The winter service will use 50-seat ERJ-145 jets.

"It represents additional access to a beach destination during the coldest months of the year," RIC spokesman Troy Bell said. "The service comes online right before Thanksgiving, and it's scheduled through April 4.

About 31,500 air travelers a year fly between Richmond and Miami International on American Eagle, Bell said. He said an additional 82,000 travel annually on JetBlue Airways between Richmond and Fort Lauderdale, which is in the Miami metropolitan area.

With the new service beginning in November, American Eagle's daily RIC-MIA flights will leave Richmond at 7:20 a.m. and 2:50 p.m., and depart from Miami at 12:05 p.m. and 8:20 p.m.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

The team, including 20 lawyers, is chaired by Patrick O. Gottschalk, who joined Williams Mullen in February after four years as secretary of commerce and trade under then-Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

The services the law firm is offering include negotiating incentive packages that businesses often receive from state and local governments when relocating or expanding their operations.

"What we want to do is collaborate with the state officials in Virginia and North Carolina and regional groups, as well as local economic developers, to try to help the process of bringing new business to Virginia and North Carolina," Gottschalk said yesterday.

Williams Mullen has 300 lawyers at 11 offices in Virginia, North Carolina, Washington and London.

While the economic development practice will focus primarily on Virginia, North Carolina and the Southeast, it may also assist firms seeking to invest in other states, Gottschalk said.

Other services the firm plans to offer through the economic development practice include real estate, land use, environmental permitting, corporate law, immigration, labor and employment and intellectual property issues.

The vice chairman of the economic development team is Angie D. Harris, who was deputy chief of staff to thenNorth Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt. She works in Williams Mullen's Raleigh, N.C., office.

Industry sectors the team will focus on include advanced manufacturing, distribution and logistics, research and development, technology, energy, data centers and corporate headquarters.

"We are aligning our vision with what we know the states of North Carolina and Virginia are focusing on," Gottschalk said.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

The Inc. 500, available in the magazine's September issue, includes only one Richmond-area company -- Henrico County-based Morton Consulting. The technology consulting and project management company, founded in 2006 by Mark D. Morton, is ranked No. 419 on the Inc. 500.

"It is pretty exciting," said Morton, whose company, like others on the Inc. 500, reported enormous revenue growth in the three years from 2006 to 2009. Its revenue rose 709 percent to $5.6 million during that period.

"The key is having good people working for us that have the right skill sets, and the right experience, and who can bring value to our customers," said Morton, president of the 50-employee company.

A total of 48 Virginia companies made the Inc. 500, but the magazine also compiles a larger list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies. That larger list includes Richmond-area companies such as Dominion Payroll Services and Robinson Radio, among others.

The Inc. 5000 lists a total of 293 companies from Virginia, making the state among the top 10 with the most fast-growth companies, the magazine noted.

Of the top 10 Virginia-based firms on the Inc. 500, nine are in Northern Virginia, and all are described as having some government contracts. Yet the Inc. 500 also includes Savvy Rest Inc., a Charlottesville-based company that makes nontoxic, allergen-free mattresses from organic materials.

Morton, a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate, started Morton Consulting after working for more than 15 years for two other Richmond-area companies.

Last year, Morton Consulting acquired a division of Richmond-based IT firm Xperts Inc., which helped keep revenue strong in a weak economy, Morton said. The firm also has expanded its sales market into Northern Virginia and the Raleigh, N.C. area.

"I think what this economy has underscored for a lot of business is the importance of being diversified," he said.

The top-ranked Virginia firm on the Inc. 500 is Herndon-based NetWitness, which develops technology products to counter cyber-security threats. The company ranked No. 21 on the Inc. 500 with a three-year growth rate of 7,745 percent and 2009 revenue of $19.7 million.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Colfax completed the purchase Thursday of Baric, which makes fluid-handling systems mostly used for lubrication applications in oil refineries and the power-generation industry.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Privately held Baric employs about 100 people in the U.K. and sells its products in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Colfax expects the transaction to add to its earnings over the next 12 months.

The company said it expects annual pro forma sales for 2010 to be about 14 million pounds, or about $21.7 million U.S. dollars as of yesterday's exchange rate. Baric's current backlog of orders, which Colfax said has been increasing, is about 28 million pounds, or about $43.5 million U.S. dollars.

"Baric is an excellent fit and complements our highly engineered solutions business," Clay H. Kiefaber, president and CEO of Colfax, said in a statement. "With the addition of Baric, we are able to offer customers a broader range of custom engineered lubrication systems worldwide."

Colfax makes fluid-handling products such as industrial pumps and valves used in oil and gas, power generation, commercial marine, defense and general industrial markets.

Shares rose 5 cents, or 0.4 percent, to close at $12.65.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Excerpt:

“With the November midterm elections looming, voters appear ahead of Washington in grappling with the tough choices to come, according to national polling and a focus group commissioned by The Wall Street Journal in the bellwether city of Richmond.”

Read the article

A local investment group has acquired a Hanover County manufacturing plant that was scheduled to close this year and will keep it in operation, saving about half of its jobs.

The plant in Doswell, which makes extrusion coatings and laminates, was owned by Alsip, Ill.-based Berry Plastics Corp.

In July, an investment group that includes some of the plant's managers and the Henrico County-based investment firm Smither & Company. closed on a deal to acquire the 250,000-square-foot plant and 18-acre site just off U.S. 1.

The new owners are operating the plant as Specialty Coating & Laminating LLC.

"We saw an opportunity and felt it was a good time from a value standpoint to make an acquisition," said Ken Smither, president of Smither & Company.

Berry Plastic Corp. notified state and local officials in January that it was planning to close the plant and move the operations elsewhere, cutting 66 jobs. Under the new owners, the plant now employs about 30 people.

Smither said the investors came together after Hanover County officials reached out for potential buyers for the site. The new leadership team is planning to build its business by retaining some customers that were being supplied from the plant under Berry Plastics Corp. and seeking new customers. The plant supplies markets including packaging and construction.

"As we grow the business, we expect to be able to operate it more entrepreneurially," Smither said. He said the company expects to grow to about 100 jobs within three years.

Hanover County officials said the only incentive provided for the company was a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Business Assistance's Jobs and Investment Program.

"Certainly in this climate we consider it a success story," said Marc Weiss, Hanover County's economic development director. "We were able to save 30 jobs, and bring the company back under local ownership."

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Life Sciences in the United Kingdom – An Opportunity for Growth

The East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and BioCity Nottingham will present an overview of the life sciences industry in the United Kingdom and particularly the region of the East Midlands.  The discussion will focus on the current landscape of the UK, new trends, challenges, and ways that academia, industry, and government can work together to provide new opportunities for strategic alliances and corporate growth.  emda is a government agency responsible for helping companies expand into and grow within the East Midlands.  BioCity provides business support, finance, labs & offices to bioscience, pharmaceutical, med-tech & healthcare companies.

The presentation begins at 10:30 am and will conclude at 12 noon with a boxed lunch. Beginning at 12:30 pm, emda and BioCity representatives will be conducting 30-minute, one-on-one meetings. If you are interested in attending the presentation and/or scheduling an individual meeting, please RSVP to Courtney Skunda, cskunda@vabiotech.com by Tuesday, August 24^th.

The credit card and banking company is buying two buildings for more than $17 million, according to area brokers, to expand its call center and operations.

The buildings, Innsbrook Center I and Innsbrook Center II on Wheat First Drive, were formerly occupied by Wachovia Securities. The brokerage vacated the buildings about two years ago after the company merged with A.G. Edwards and moved to St. Louis.

"Initial plans call for operations and call-center functions to occupy the new space sometime in the second half of 2011," Capital One spokeswoman Shelley Solheim said.

The two buildings are adjacent to the company's current three-building Knolls campus in Innsbrook.

"These buildings will accommodate future growth and allow our company to operate more efficiently," Solheim said.

She said she didn't know how many employees would work at the buildings.

McLean-based Capital One's main operations are in the West Creek office park in eastern Goochland County. Capital One employed the equivalent of 6,828 full-time workers as of Jan. 1.

"There hasn't been a big trade like this [in the Richmond area] for a couple of years," said Andrew Little, an investment banker with John B. Levy & Co., a Richmondbased real estate banking firm.

"These are nice size buildings. Capital One must have pretty big plans. And that is great news for Richmond."

The buildings, with a total of about 190,000 square feet, could accommodate 800 to 1,000 people, said Stevens N. Gentil, chairman of Grubb & Ellis/Harrison & Bates, a Henrico-based commercial real estate firm.

The purchase will help bring down the office vacancy rate, which has topped 30 percent in Innsbrook -- the highest in the Richmond area, according to CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate firm.

As vacancies in the Richmond area rose during the past couple of years, construction slowed.

"No new construction eventually solves a lot of vacancies as companies go after the best buildings in the best locations at the best prices," Gentil said.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Two health-care building projects are in development.

The Virginia Community Healthcare Association and Community Care Network of Virginia will break ground tomorrow on a 25,000 square-foot, $4.2 million office building at 3831 Westerre Parkway in western Henrico County.

In Chesterfield County, West End Orthopedic Clinic and HCA's CJW Medical Center are partnering to develop a 70,000-square-foot, $25 million medical-office building with special features for providing orthopedic care.

Groundbreaking took place this week for the OrthoVirginia Building at 1115 Boulders Parkway in the Boulders office park.

"CJW Sports Medicine has been serving athletes in this community for more than 20 years, and we are excited that we will be moving our team into this advanced facility," Tony Hayes, CJW Medical vice president for business development, said in a statement.

"We are also proud to be offering a sophisticated outpatient surgery center in this convenient location," Hayes said.

Both projects are being developed by Lingerfelt Development and are scheduled for completion next summer.

"One goal is to have this be a technical-training center for our community health centers across Virginia," said R. Neal Graham, CEO of the Virginia Community Healthcare Association, of the Henrico project.

The association is a nonprofit agency representing primary-care providers, including federally qualified community health centers, that provide care in underserved areas and regardless of peoples' ability to pay.

Community Care Network of Virginia is a health-care management and information-technology firm with a client list that includes health centers, private practices and others. The new building also will have conference facilities for meetings and teleconferences.

The Henrico project will provide about 120 construction jobs, and the Chesterfield project should have an estimated 180 construction jobs.

Both buildings have committed tenants, which made development feasible, said Alan T. Lingerfelt of Lingerfelt Development.

"Our company started working for these clients over a year ago on both projects, " Lingerfelt said. "They are somewhat insulated from other economic conditions that would affect other sort of real estate products that we do. Both buildings are 100 percent occupied. That is what made them successful ventures at this point."

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

The study is based on 31 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.

For more information on the rankings, click here.

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that DuPont will invest $20 million to establish a facility in Chesterfield County to make the first nanofiber-based polymeric separators for high-performance lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles and many other potential commercial uses.

The facility, an early commercial-scale plant to produce the new material for this growing market, will be located at a leased building in Chesterfield County and will begin operations in early 2011. Virginia successfully competed against a number of other locations for the project.

"DuPont is a science leader and a major employer in the Commonwealth. The company has been in Chesterfield County since 1929 and this exciting new battery technology facility will continue DuPont's history of innovation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are committed to helping our existing employers expand their operations in the Commonwealth.  This announcement is positive news for our economy, and for the competitiveness of Chesterfield County and the entire Commonwealth in the global marketplace," said Governor McDonnell.  

The facility will further refine and develop DuPont™ Energain™ separators, a nanofiber-based material that improves safety by allowing high-performance lithium-ion batteries to operate at higher temperatures and can increase power up to 30 percent.

"DuPont™ Energain™ separators will be key to battery manufacturers making huge advances in lithium-ion batteries," said Thomas G. Powell, President, DuPont Protection Technologies. "DuPont enjoys a great, long-term partnership with Virginia and the technology development it enables enhances our presence here as a major employer."

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County to secure the project for Virginia. The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

"It gives Chesterfield County great pleasure to partner with our largest private employer on this exciting and innovative project. DuPont is one of our oldest businesses and we are delighted that they continue to choose Chesterfield County as the location to grow and prosper," said Dan Gecker, Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Chairman.

DuPont™ and Energain™ are trademarks of DuPont.

# # #

Anderson Strudwick Inc. is opening nine offices, by creating partnerships with 37 financial consultants, the company announced.

The expansion increases the Richmond-based securities firm's private client group to 21 offices with 106 financial consultants.

It marks a major move outside of its traditional southeastern footprint, said J. Todd Newton, the company's CEO.

The new offices are in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Oklahoma City, as well as Worcester, Mass., and the Florida cities of Indialantic, Naples, Orlando and Sarasota.

Anderson Strudwick, which has dropped the ampersand in a longtime corporate name, plans to add people at its new offices before the end of the year.

Most of the new consultants were with the firm Jesup & Lamont. The NYSE Amex stock exchange this month told that firm that its shares were subject to removal from listing because of its financial condition.

In May, Anderson & Strudwick opened an office in Tampa, Fla., adding 10 consultants who were formerly with GunnAllen Financial.

"Our approach is to strategically add individuals to our team who are known for setting and meeting high standards of integrity and client service," Newton said.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Thursdays were originally chosen, as the meeting date as that day is the only day (outside of Fridays) not utilized by local governments for their Council and Board of Supervisors meetings.

2010

• August 12
  3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room (Private Sector Finance Meeting)
• September 10
  9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room (Audit Review Committee Meeting)
• September 16
  Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room
• October 7
  Noon - 5:00 p.m.
  Williams Mullen (Special Board Meeting on VCU ED Study)
• October 28
  Annual Meeting and Investors' Reception
  6:00 p.m.
  MWV

2011

• January 20
  GRP Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room
• April 21
  Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  Location to be determined
• July 21 Board Meeting
  3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room
• September 15
  Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  Location to be determined
• October
  Annual Meeting and Investors' Reception
  TBD

2012

• January 19
  GRP Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room
• April 19
  Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  Location to be determined
• July 19
  Board Meeting
  3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  GRP, Inc. Board Room
• September 20
  Board Meeting
  Noon - 2:00 p.m.
  Location to be determined
• October
  Annual Meeting and Investors' Reception
  TBD

Virginia dropped from No. 1 to second place as the best state in the nation to do business, according to a survey by CNBC.

The financial news cable network said Texas has supplanted Virginia again for the top spot. Virginia ranked the best in 2007 and 2009 and second in 2008, when Texas held the top spot.

The rankings are based on the most recent data available, a CNBC spokeswoman said.

The state gets high marks for regulatory and litigation environment, but was docked points for cost of living, where it ranked 27th. It also ranked 26th in the cost of doing business.

CNBC ranks the states in 10 categories, including workforce, quality of life, transportation, education, business friendliness and access to capital. The state ranked 12th in transportation and infrastructure.

Gov. Bob McDonnell successfully pushed through the General Assembly a series of tax breaks and incentives to help attract businesses to Virginia.

J. Tucker Martin, director of communications for McDonnell, said "the No. 1 priority of this administration is creating good-paying jobs for our citizens, and [yesterday's] announcement will certainly help us in that endeavor.

"Virginia's lofty position extends across years, elections and administrations," he added. "It reflects well on the bipartisan effort in Virginia to keep taxes, regulation and litigation at a minimum."

Virginia got a score of 1,477 out of a possible 2,500 points, said Scott Cohn, senior correspondent for CNBC.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Wanted: 30 pediatric specialists in areas such as critical care, kidney disease, lung disease, rehabilitation, autism, endocrinology, oncology, sickle
cell disease and more.

Children's Hospital in North Richmond today becomes part of the VCU Health System, giving the health system additional presence in the Richmond area and beyond while providing a boost to VCU's pediatric research, patient care and training missions.

With the combined operations, VCU officials are looking for additional medical experts to handle an expanded patient base.

The merger comes after years of on-again, off-again efforts to align the nonprofit, private, specialty pediatric hospital with the major health system or to bring area health systems together to create a children's hospital
for the region.

"I have to take in the moment," said Leslie G. Wyatt, who closed her eyes and spread her arms yesterday during a program at which the new logo and name were unveiled.

The agreement "marks a beginning of a new journey that many of us have only dared to dream about," said Wyatt, who moves from being the president and CEO of Children's Hospital to vice president of children's services for the VCU Heath System.

The arrangement brings into the VCU fold the hospital at 2924 Brook Road and children's outpatient therapy centers in Fredericksburg, western Henrico County, Petersburg and Chesterfield County.

From a marketing perspective, the merger probably will help VCU, said Karen Cameron, chief executive officer of the Central Virginia Health Planning Agency, an independent review agency.

"They will maybe be viewed in the community as the most comprehensive, because they will have inpatient, outpatient and therapies."

In addition, she said, having additional off-campus locations may be more attractive and convenient for families.

The new entity is known as the Children's Hospital of Richmond. Children's Hospital's approximately 350 employees now work for the VCU Health System.

"It's been long in coming," said Lawrence McAndrews, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, based in Alexandria.

"I, myself, have met with civic leaders and members of the boards for maybe 15 years and have talked to them about the value that could be brought to children in the community bringing together the resources of these two organizations," McAndrews said.

He explained that pediatric specialists, like other specialists, need a crucial volume of patients to have a viable practice. The joint operation broadens the patient base for specialists recruited to VCU.

"We already work with well more than 100 surgical and pediatric specialists and subspecialists. We begin now recruiting 30 more," said Dr. Bruce Rubin, chairman of pediatrics department at VCU.

In the arrangement, Children's Hospital's assets now are part of the VCU Health System, said John Duval, chief executive officer of MCV Hospitals, part of the VCU Health System.

"It continues on as a subsidiary within the broader health system," he said.

Dozens of VCU and Children's Hospital employees gathered yesterday at the Brook Road campus for yesterday's formalities.

Children's Hospital sits on 14 acres in North Richmond, on land that is separate from additional acreage controlled by the Children's Hospital Foundation, which has raised funds for the hospital. Duval said the foundation becomes an independent foundation.

Children's Hospital, Richmond
Location: 2924 Brook Road
Net patient revenue, 2008: $11,822,954
Revenue and gains in excess of expenses, 2008: $1,309,091
Total assets minus liabilities, 2008: $124,504,893
Beds: 47-bed transitional-care unit providing around-the-clock skilled nursing for transitional, palliative, long-term and end-of-life care.
Employees: about 350 full time and part time
Services: Assistive technology, children's feeding program, dental infant services, motion analysis, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, psychology/neuropsychology, speech therapy, transitional-care unit
Other locations: Bon Air Therapy Center, 206 Twinridge Lane, Richmond; Glen Allen Therapy Center, 10124 W. Broad St.; Fredericksburg Therapy Center, Lee's Hill Medical Center, 10530 Spotsylvania Ave., Fredericksburg; Petersburg Therapy Center, 321 B Poplar Drive, Petersburg
SOURCES: Virginia Health Information Industry Reports, Children's Hospital annual report, Times-Dispatch archives.

Copyright Richmond Times-Dispatch. Used by permission.

Amtrak will add a state-supported passenger train between Richmond and Washington starting July 20.

The additional intercity passenger train is part of a $25.2 million, three-year pilot project to run two passenger trains daily to Washington: one round trip from Staples Mill Station and the other, already in service, from Lynchburg.

"With hourly trains in the morning and several afternoon trains to choose from, you can easily plan your business trip and get to work on the train instead of sitting in traffic," said Thelma Drake, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Amtrak's website yesterday advertised a $30 one-way fare for the train's first trip from Richmond to Washington on July 20. Amtrak's ticket prices change with market demand.

The state will pay Amtrak $2.1 million for the first year's service, based on an expected 42,000 passengers.

On weekdays, the train is scheduled to leave Staples Mill at 7 a.m. and arrive in Washington's Union Station at 9:30 a.m. The weekday return train will leave Union Station at 3:55 p.m. and pull into Staples Mill at 6:25 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays, the train will depart Staples Mill at 6:35 a.m. and arrive at 9 a.m. in Washington. On Saturdays, the return train will leave Union Station at 7 p.m. and get into Richmond at 9:25 p.m. On Sundays, the train will leave Washington at 4 p.m. and arrive at Staples Mill at 6:25 p.m.

The additional train will bring to five the number of morning northbound departures from Staples Mill Station to Washington, with six return trains available in the afternoon and evening.

In Virginia, the new train will stop at the Ashland, Fredericksburg, Quantico, Woodbridge and Alexandria stations. Travelers can take the train as far north as Boston.

The state says Amtrak's new service must meet annual ridership and revenue goals in order to continue in operation. If the trains meet the goals -- and if additional revenue becomes available -- the new Richmond train could be extended to Norfolk within three years.

Richmond-area officials yesterday muted their original objections to the state's proposal for the future Norfolk train, which would stop at Staples Mill, but not at Main Street Station in downtown Richmond.

They worried that the Norfolk service might represent a diversion from the state's commitment to enhanced passenger rail service at Main Street Station, which local leaders see as critical to the region's economic vitality.

"We realize that all trains will not be able to stop at Main Street Station in the immediate future," said Charles E. Gates Jr., spokesman for the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, at a meeting of the Richmond Area Metropolitan Planning Organization yesterday.

"But we would like to have as many trains as possible and as soon as possible," Gates said. "Let's identify the baby steps that will get Main Street Station online as soon as possible."

Specifically, the regional group wants the state rail agency to complete the preliminary engineering and advanced environmental impact study for high-speed rail service between Richmond and Washington.

The engineering and environmental effort will cost an estimated $45 million.

The Department of Rail and Public Transportation intends to apply for federal funds for the work, but the state must still come up with about $9 million of the cost. It is trying to find the money now, Drake said, with the funding application due in August.

One federal criterion for putting money into rail projects is evidence of a state's own efforts to build its passenger rail service.

"We're a little less worried than we were," Gates said about the Norfolk train. "A successful Norfolk train is necessary for us to get federal funding."

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