New Arlington Visitors Center Now Open The new Arlington Visitors Orientation Center, located in Pentagon Row, was opened and officially dedicated on October 22, 2003. The event featured special guests Representative Jim Moran, Virginia Senator Mary Margaret Whipple and Board Chairman Paul Ferguson. One of the first regional visitors centers in the area, the Arlington Visitor Orientation Center welcomes business and leisure visitors from around the world, providing information on the entire Washington, D.C. region and its many attractions. Staffed by a team of D.C. and Arlington experts with over 80 years of combined experience, the Arlington Visitors Orientation Center utilizes cutting-edge technology, multimedia displays, permanent exhibits and old-fashioned hospitality to orient visitors. Its the perfect place to take visiting family, friends, and business associates. Even long-time Arlington residents are sure to learn something new. For more information, including hours of operation and address, click here.

Arlington Development Tracking Report Released The Arlington Department of Community Planning, Housing & Development (CPHD) released it’s third quarter Development Tracking Report indicating that a site plan was approved for the US Postal Service facility and office complex in Clarendon. Also included is information on major projects beginning construction: the FDIC expansion in Virginia Square and the Residences at Station Square mixed-use project in Clarendon. For more detailed information click here.

Be Prepared for Any Emergency: Register for Arlington Alert In the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel, many Arlington businesses are evaluating their emergency preparedness plans. The Arlington Alert system can help. While businesses, workers and residents still need to develop concrete plans of action, signing up for Arlington Alert's e-mail, cell phone, blackberry, PDA and pager text messaging service can give you an early warning on imminent danger, and provide valuable informational updates during an emergency situation. For more information on Arlington Alert, and to register, click here.

Learn About SBA Services in Seven Languages An “Introduction to the U.S. Small Business Administration” is now available on the agency’s Web site in seven languages, downloadable in a PDF format in English, as well as six other languages including Spanish, Russian, French, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. The document provides a definition of the term “small business,” an overview of the SBA’s history, and various small business statistics. The document also outlines the SBA’s four basic program areas – access to capital, entrepreneurial development, federal procurement, and advocacy. The overview will soon be translated into Serbo-Croatian and Vietnamese as well.

New Business Incubator Opens in Arlington The Micro-Enterprise Business Incubator (MBI) is designed to help entrepreneurs and small home-based businesses who wish to transition to a public location by providing access to services such as a personal phone line, voicemail, a conference room, computer with Internet access, technical training, and basic business support in accounting, bookkeeping and duplicating. The monthly rental cost is reasonable and the access to all these features is included. For more information on how to become a tenant of the incubator, or to make an appointment to visit the office (located at 1644 N. McKinley Road Arlington, VA 22205), contact Chona Bravante at (703) 241-9497.

Export Workshop – Wednesday, December 10, 2003 The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) is hosting a one-day workshop to learn about Export Management Procedures, Documentation, and Compliance. This event is the first in a series of opportunities for companies to get insight into export procedures and find out what type of assistance is available. Attendees will receive a valuable reference notebook, a certificate of completion and demo software for export documents. Lunch is included. For more information, contact Patricia Codescu, International Trade Manager at (703) 506-1031. This event is limited to companies who are currently exporting or companies who are interested in starting. To register, click here.

2nd Annual Arlington e-Council Tech-e Awards Ceremony The 2nd Tech-e Awards Ceremony will be held on November 6, 2003 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Sheraton National Hotel. The e-Council, a joint organization of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce hosts the awards ceremony which recognizes Arlington companies in a variety of categories. Besides showcasing the best and the brightest of Arlington's technology businesses, the event also features a keynote speaker and special guests. The cost is $35 for Chamber members and $50 for non-members. To register, click here.

Energy Technology Seminar Sponsored by Arlington County & Rebuild America, an energy technology seminar will be held on Thursday, November 20, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201. Topics for this event include energy performance contracts by energy services companies, and how to finance energy efficiency improvements. Featured experts from CitiCapital (Citigroup) and Siemens will present information and lead discussions. The cost is free, and registration is required by contacting John Morrill or by calling (703) 228-4426.

Connect Your Business with Arlington Schools From November 17-21, 2003, the Arlington School System and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce are inviting members of the business community to reconnect with the classroom by opening the doors of local elementary, middle, and high schools for morning or afternoon visits. This event will also provide an excellent opportunity to consider partnering your business with an Arlington County school or class under the Partners in Education initiative. For more information on both of these opportunities, contact Linda Erdberg in the Partners In Education (PIE) Office of the Arlington Public Schools at (703)228-6003.

Winning Government Contracts The survival and success of small, local and minority business enterprises depends upon access to contracting opportunities. Don’t miss this opportunity meet the right people to help make that happen. Featuring keynote speaker SEC Commissioner Roel C. Campos, BizLaunch, Arlington SBDC, Arlington County Purchasing Office, National Capital Minority Business Opportunity Committee will sponsor this event on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 from 7:30 – 10:00 a.m. at the Arlington Business Center located within AED's offices at 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1500, Arlington, VA 22201. The event is free, but you must register by November 17, 2003 by contacting Tara Miles or by calling (703) 228-0853. Registrations may also be faxed to (703) 228-0805.

Overview of SBA Programs & Services Join BizLaunch on November 19, 2003 to learn about the benefits and services currently offered by the SBA’s Washington Metropolitan Area District Office. Learn how complimentary business resources offered by the SBA like SCORE, 8(a) and BIC can help your business succeed. The event will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2003, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Arlington Business Center, located within AED's offices at 1100 N. Glebe Road, Ste 1500, Arlington, VA 22201. The cost is free, but you must register by November 18, 2003 by contacting Tara Miles or by calling (703)228-0853. Registrations may also be faxed to (703)228-0805.

Plateau Systems to Manage Classroom Learning for Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation Arlington's Plateau Systems, the leading provider of enterprise learning management systems (LMS), announced that Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, has selected Plateau 4 LMS to manage all online and classroom learning for its 7,000 plus employees in multiple locations across the United States. Plateau 4 LMS enables Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation to efficiently administer, track and evaluate work force training to ensure compliance with the requirements of all relevant regulatory authorities. For more information, click here.

CACI Earns Two DoD Contracts CACI International Inc. of Arlington has been awarded two prime contracts by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support TRICARE, the military's healthcare program. One contract calls for CACI to provide management planning and resources to help centralize TRICARE's marketing and education capabilities, while the second calls for CACI to support TRICARE's customer call center. The two contracts carry a total estimated value of $60 million. For more information, click here.

General Dynamics Corp. Wins Contract with U.s. Forestry Service General Dynamics Corp.'s Network Systems unit won a 10-year contract worth up to $20 million to provide information services to the U.S. Forestry Service. General Dynamics systems will manage the mapping of land and vegetation in 18 California national forests, incorporating satellite imagery and satellite location information. For more information, click here.

Arlington's Fluor Intercontinental Inc. Wins $102 million Delivery Order Fluor Intercontinental Inc. of Arlington won a $102 million delivery order from the Army Corps of Engineers for mobilization, security, planning, support for contractor personnel and support for the corps in Iraq. For more information, click here.

Arlington's Trans Digital Technologies Wins State Department Contract Trans Digital Technologies of Arlington won a $65 million contract from the State Department for digital passport printers, related consumables, installation and maintenance services, and technical support services. For more information, click here.

Qineti-Q Corp. of Arlington Wins DARPA Contract Qineti-Q Corp. of Arlington won a $15.8 million contract from the Special Operations Command and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for support services. For more information, click here.

Arlington's Mills Corp. Sells Share of CA Mall Mills Corp., the Arlington-based shopping mall developer, agreed to sell a 50 percent stake in the Great Mall of the Bay Area in California – which it acquired in August – to Kan Am Grund Kapitalanlagegesellschaft for $136.4 million in cash and assumed debt. Kan Am, a German real estate investment group, will assume $89.3 million in debt and the balance will be paid in cash, said Noam Saxonhouse, a Mills spokesman. Mills bought the mall for about $265.5 million. For more information, click here.

KEI Pearson Awarded $42M Military Health Systems Contract Arlington-based KEI Pearson announced it was awarded a three-year, $42 million contract with the Military Health System (MHS), Resources Information Technology Program Office (RITPO). KEI Pearson will provide enterprise system implementation, change management, and training support for the Defense Medical Human Resources System-internet (DMHRSi) initiative. The DMHRSi is a Tri-Service management support system that will standardize and optimize the utilization of human resource assets across the MHS. For more information, click here.

Interstate to Manage 22 Former RFS-Owned Hotels for CNL Hospitality Arlington's Interstate Hotels & Resorts announced that it will manage 22 of the hotels that CNL Hospitality Properties, Inc. (CNL) acquired in its recent merger with RFS Hotel Investors, Inc. The properties previously were managed by Interstate's Flagstone Hospitality Management subsidiary. With the new arrangement, Interstate will fold the Flagstone organization into Interstate's larger operation in Arlington. With the signing of the CNL contracts, Interstate Hotels & Resorts now operates more than 300 hospitality properties with nearly 70,000 rooms in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Russia and Portugal. For more information, click here.

James Monroe Bancorp Reports Third Quarter 2003 Earnings James Monroe Bancorp, Inc. of Arlington announced record earnings for the third quarter of 2003 and for the nine-months ended September 30, 2003. James Monroe Bancorp's President and Chief Executive Officer, John R. Maxwell, commented, "We are extremely pleased with the excellent growth and profitability we have experienced this year. Despite economic conditions and strong competition from other financial institutions, we continue to experience excellent loan growth and deposit growth." James Monroe Bank, a full-service community bank and a wholly owned subsidiary of James Monroe Bancorp, opened for business on June 8, 1998, at 3033 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, click here.

Metal Storm Completes Share Purchase Plan Subscription Arlington's Metal Storm Limited has completed its Share Purchase Plan, raising approximately $5.0 million. The company intends to use the proceeds for working capital purposes to advanced its internal research and development programs. Metal Storm's Chief Executive Officer Charles Vehlow, said, "We are delighted with the support from existing and new shareholders in taking up the offer. Metal Storm is at an exciting stage in its growth with several significant product-related developments recently and these funds will give us additional support to drive these along the path to commercialization." For more information, click here.

DMJM Design Unveils Newest Project Arlington design firm DMJM Design recently unveiled the new $9.9 million 47th District Courthouse in Farmington, Michigan. DMJM Design, in association with French Associates of Rochester, Michigan, provided all architectural planning, programming and design services for the 43,000 sq. ft. structure. DMJM's Arlington office was ranked third largest A-E firm in the metropolitan Washington area by the Washington Business Journal . For more information, click here.