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byline: Jessica Sabbath

Baril joins Kaplan Voekler

Steve Baril has joined Kaplan Voekler Cunningham and Frank PLC as a partner and head of the firm’s Richmond Litigation and Government Relations teams.


Baril was previously with Sands Anderson PC.

Baril is well-known litigator, specializing in dispute resolution for business owners, executives and entrepreneurs.

The lawyer is also involved in public service and politics.

He served on Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Economic Development and Jobs Creation Commission, where he chaired the New Business Recruitment Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College and Venture Richmond. He is treasurer and board member of the Richmond’s Future think tank and is the secretary/treasurer of The Forum Club.

Design work to start on passenger rail to Roanoke

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Norfolk Southern have signed an agreement to make improvements necessary to bring passenger rail to Roanoke.

The Star City hasn’t had passenger rail in 34 years.

The agreement includes upgrades between Lynchburg and Roanoke, including track additions and realignments, signal and communication upgrades, clearance adjustments and a platform at a station planned in downtown Roanoke.

Design work will begin immediately. Rail connections in downtown Roanoke are currently being reconfigured to improve the flow of train traffic through Roanoke.

Funding for bringing passenger rail to Roanoke was included in the transportation package passed by the General Assembly last year. Virignia has committed $92.7 million for the improvements, according to Thelma Drake, director of the DRPT. Roanoke is responsible for building the train station and parking.

The passenger rail is expected to start within four years.

Virginia launches web portal to track ‘innovation economy’

Virginia has launched a new online portal to measure performance of the commonwealth’s “innovation economy.”

The Commonwealth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Measurement System (IEMS) was developed by the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT).

“This system, which is available to the public, provides a dashboard and strategic path to new opportunities in the innovation economy using key indicators that can assist lawmakers, industry leaders and other stakeholders determine the best public-private investment priorities and policies,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement.

The portal tracks five areas of innovation economy, including the talent pipeline, research and development, access to capital, commercialization and business dynamics. A final category, outputs, measures the economic impact of innovation and entrepreneurship in Virginia’s economy.

Data used on the site come from federal, state and private sources. So far, here’s an outline of how Virginia measures up. Details can be found here: 

Talent pipeline:
Improving: Increase in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degrees awarded, Increasing participation in FIRST, an organization that encourages students to pursue STEM degrees
Maintaining: Concentration of high-tech employment
Worsening: Migration of educated adults

Access to capital:
Improving: Research and development tax credits offered
Worsening: Private investment

Research & Development:
Improving: Corporate R&D intensity (measurement of R&D performed by businesses as percentage of private output), Virginia R&D intensity, increased number of patents filed and awarded
Worsening: Federal research and development obligations, Decline in awards received from federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Commercialization:
Improving: Creation of university startups
Worsening: Declining number of university licenses

Business dynamics:
Improving: Increase in fast-growing firms, increased initial public offering and mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurial activity and broadband access
Worsening: Establishment churn, which considers replacement of older firms with newer, innovative companies

Outputs:
Improving: Share of Virginia company revenues from high-tech firms, improving market trends for key industry sectors
Maintaining: The share of high-tech wages, growth of firms that have an average annual employment growth rate greater than 50 percent over two years, work-force education level
Worsening: High-tech share of Virginia exports, high-tech job creation share

Intelliject changes name

Pharmaceutical company Intelliject Inc. is changing its name to kaléo Inc.

The Richmond-based firm said the name “Intelliject” no longer represented the company’s potential.

Kaléo is a Greek word for “a calling” or “purpose.”

“We are excited that our new name, kaléo, will help to communicate our future as a leader in developing a new generation of personal lifesaving medical products,” Spencer Williamson, president and CEO, said in a statement.

The company has one FDA-approved product, Auvi-Q, which is used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions. Auvi-Q is the size of a credit card and talks users through the injection process with step-by-step directions. The company has other personal lifesaving medical products under development.

Advance Auto completes $2.04 billion General Parts International deal

Roanoke-based Advance Auto Parts Inc. has completed its $2.04 billion acquisition of General Parts International Inc., an all-cash deal that creates a company with annual sales of more than $9.3 billion.

Advance Auto said the transaction, which was announced in October, makes it the largest aftermarket auto parts provider in North America.

Raleigh, N.C.-based General Parts is a major distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets. The privately held company, founded in 1962, operates under the Carquest and Worldpac brands.

The combined company now has about 5,300 stores and more than 70,000 employees.

Advance Auto said the deal will accelerate its growth strategy, providing it with additional market opportunities and strengthening its brands.

With the completed acquisition, Advance adds to its operations 38 General Parts distribution centers and 1,248 company-operated Carquest  locations in the U.S. and Canada.

It also will service about 1,400 independently owned Carquest locations.

Advance will also add Worldpac, a major importer and distributor of original equipment and aftermarket replacement automotive parts.

It serves  import specialists in North America and Puerto Rico operating 105 facilities in the U.S. and Canada.

 

Longtime employee tapped to lead Strickland & Jones

Stephen M. Jones has been named president, CEO and managing shareholder of accounting and consulting firm Strickland & Jones PC.

Jones succeeds James V. Strickland Jr., who founded the firm in 1979 and retired Dec. 31.

Jones has been with the firm since 1986. He became a shareholder and vice president in 1992, assuming responsibilities for the firm’s tax and accounting operations. The firm has offices in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News.

Since 1995, Jones has overseen the company’s acquisition of 10 local CPA firms.

In addition to Jones’ promotion, Ali E. Gunbeyi has been named a shareholder and takes on the title of vice president and chief operating officer. He joined Strickland & Jones in 2009.

Cathy Cale Nadeau and Nellie M. Green have been named shareholders of the firm and are adding the title assistant vice president. Nadeau will manage the firm’s Virginia Beach office and Green will oversee client development and marketing.

Virginia Tech launches winter session

Virginia Tech has launched the debut of its winter session, with almost 1,100 students taking 79 courses.

The idea was launched to help students get ahead in coursework, satisfy a requirement or for explore new interests.

Classes during the winter session include online coursework, a combination of in-class and online instruction, daily classes over the 12- to 15-day winter session, or a winter experience, with courses offered offsite, either domestically or internationally.

The inaugural winter session includes 32 virtual course offerings, including music appreciation, hospitality and tourism management, Africana studies, Spanish, sociology, urban affairs and planning, and women’s and gender studies.

The abroad options include programs in Senegal, the Dominican Republic, London, Spain and New Zealand.