Fujifilm unveils innovative Landfill Gas-to-Energy Project
June 26, 2009
By CHRIS TRAINOR
ctrainor@indexjournal.com
It’s official: Greenwood’s FujiFilm manufacturing facility will now have 40 percent of its operations powered by methane gas captured at the county landfill on Siloam Church Road.
Numerous local elected and government officials, FujiFilm personnel, representatives of Methane Power and many more gathered at the landfill Thursday morning for the formal ribbon cutting for the Landfill Gas-to-Energy Project, which garnered Greenwood County the J.Mitchell Graham Award at the 2007 South Carolina Association of Counties meeting. It was just the fourth time the county had won the award in the last 34 years.
The gas-to-energy system captures methane gas from the landfill and pipes it to FujiFilm, which then uses the gas to fire boilers at the plant. Chandler Construction installed the pipeline from the landfill to the plant.
Greenwood County Councilman Robbie Templeton touted the project.
“We are extremely happy this project worked out,” Templeton said. “The county was facing a deadline imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce or eliminate methane emissions from the landfill. In the absence of a partner like FujiFilm, the county’s other option was to flare, or burn off, the gas at the landfill. Once again FujiFilm proves itself to be one of our best corporate citizens.”
Meanwhile, FujiFilm USA manufacturing president Shin Kataoka said he was pleased with the completion of the project.
“The completion of this project is a major accomplishment and a step in the right direction for the environment,” Kataoka said. “The landfill gas to energy project goes a long way toward meeting our global target for reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere.”
Methane Power developed the gas collection system for the landfill. Methane Power’s Lewis Gay talked a bit about the system.
“At some point in the future, the county would have been forced to put in this collection system,” Gay said. “According to the EPA requirements, when emissions get to a certain point, you have to collect and destroy the gas. So, rather than the county putting this in, we put this in and made a project out of it. It was a win for the county because they got the collection system and met the regulations without a penny being spent by the county. Also, they will receive royalties for the gas we supply to Fuji.
“Of course, it’s a real win for Fuji in that they are using a renewable resource to replace the natural gas that they were burning in these boilers.”
Victoria Ludwig spoke on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“It is really great to see the efforts of Greenwood County, Methane Power and FujiFilm come to fruition after many years of hard work and cooperation to develop this renewable energy source for the county,” Ludwig said. “It’s the combination of the forward thinking, persistence and tenacity on the part of all parties involved that enable these alternate energy projects to take place.”
Public sees new genetic center building during reception
June 26, 2009
By GRAHAM LOVE/ glove@indexjournal.com
The new Greenwood Genetic Center building is complete, and officials are already showing off the new facility.
The GGC hosted an advance showing of the new building Wednesday evening, as a group of doctors, government officials and other community members were able to tour the facility and talk with staff members about how the new building will benefit them.
The center’s new home is about 30,000 square feet, two stories and, for the first time, allows the center to house its labs and clinical services area in the same building.
The new building has labs on the second floor and its clinic on the second floor.
“We are very excited about this spectacular new building,” GGC director Dr. Roger Stevenson said “It is going to benefit us greatly in the work we do, and also benefit everyone treated and lab work done here.”
Having the lab and clinical treatment in the same building will allow the center to participate in clinical trials and expand on some of the library diagnostics and services provided throughout the state, according to Dr. Steve Skinner, GGC director of clinical and treatment services.
He added the new facility would eliminate “cramped spacing” that existed in the old facility, as the laboratory and clinical facilities have been expanded.
The expansion of laboratory facilities should help with diagnoses, establishing treatments and making sure what is being done is helpful. The expanded clinical services will allow for involvement in clinical trials, new therapies and providing more services than before to those locally.
The GGC currently provides more than 4,000 clinical visits yearly throughout the state and tens of thousands of lab tests each year, with those tests coming from in and out of state and other countries.
Skinner said the new building will allow the GGC to see more patients and expand on tests they provide, as now some tests have to be shipped out of state for completion.
“It serves as a physical symbol of hope for patients that new treatment is on the horizon for genetics services,” Skinner said. “There is a place you can come, and it is a center to serve the whole state. We want to ensure that as new therapies become available, and that it’s here in our state for our citizens.”
The new facility has been in the works for a while, with major planning taking place the last seven years.
In 2002, officials started planning the basic ideas and concepts of the building. There was another three years of drawing plans for the building and 18 months for construction.
Most of the equipment has been moved from the old buildings into the new facility, with work already being performed in the new building. The old genetic and lab buildings were built in the early 1980s.
The new GGC building is across the street from its current campus on Gregor Mendel Circle.
Employer training funds available for area businesses and industries
June 24, 2009
C/O Gwdtoday
Funds are available through the Workforce Investment Act to train currently employed workers. The Upper Savannah Area, which consists of Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties, was awarded funds to contract with area businesses. Businesses applying for funding must have at least one full-time employee and must be current on all state tax obligations.
The Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Program provides funding for training needed in current businesses due to: expansion, new technology, retooling, new services/product lines and new organizational structuring or as part of a layoff aversion strategy.
Third party brokers may enter into IWT agreements on behalf of employers. Third party brokers may include: business associations, industry councils, chambers of commerce, downtown development corporations, etc.). Brokers cannot be involved in the training of the employees and cannot be reimbursed for administrative costs. City, county and state government agencies are ineligible for Incumbent Worker Training Funds.
Because funding is limited, a panel from the Upper Savannah Workforce Development Board will rate applications based on the cost-effectiveness of the investment. Priority for funding will be given to 1) Businesses whose applications represent a significant upgrade in employee skills and/or employee wage increases as a result of training, 2) Businesses whose training applications reflect a significant layoff avoidance strategy and provide retention opportunities, and 3) Businesses/Business Sites who have not received an Incumbent Worker Training Program award during the prior or current program year.
Businesses should note that this year funding will be limited to $15,000 per business. Approved training will be reimbursed 100 percent. Training must begin no later than September 1, 2009, and end no later than January 31, 2010.
Upper Savannah Council of Governments will contract with the selected business (es) to write an agreement for incumbent worker training. Costs will be reimbursed after the business provides the training services specified in the agreement. Reimbursable training expenses include instructors’/trainers’ salaries, textbooks/manuals, and materials/supplies. Periodic and refresher safety courses cannot be funded.
Upper Savannah Council of Governments must receive applications by noon, Friday July 31, 2009. Applications received after noon, Friday July 31, 2009, will be placed on a waiting list and considered for funding as additional funds are available.
To request a copy of the application, contact Upper Savannah workforce staff at (864) 941-8050 or adowell@uppersavannah.com. The application is also available for download at http://www.us1stops.com/funding.html.
PTC automotive technology program ranked top in the southeast
June 23, 2009
Tomorrow’s Technician magazine and Chicago Pneumatic have named Piedmont Technical College as the top automotive technology program in the southeast and the Tomorrow’s Technician/Chicago Pneumatic 2009 School of the Year runner-up.
Piedmont Tech was selected from more than 170 applications nominating more than 80 schools. Applications from instructors, principals, department chairs and students touted a variety of specialized training programs. These distinctive programs and specialized training opportunities provide students with defining skills as they enter the work force following graduation.
“To be the school of the year for the southeast shows the effort we are putting into the education of our students and illustrates the quality of our graduates,” said Mike Rodgers, instructor/coordinator for the Automotive Technology program. “We have to be the best so our students can be the best.”
Programs were judged based on such aspects as enrollment, curriculum, instructors, placement rates, improvement, community involvement and recruiting, to name a few.
“The Cobra projects and our annual summer camp were two factors that worked in our favor,” said Grayson Jefferies, instructor. “They were clear demonstrations of thinking outside of the box.”
As one of the three finalists, Piedmont Tech’s automotive program received $5,000 worth of Chicago Pneumatic tools. PTC’s program was in excellent company. Ohio Technical College in Cleveland, whose automotive program has more than 1000 students and is one of only eight BMW training centers in the country, was selected as the winner with the other two finalists being Shoreline Community College in Seattle and Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado.
“It’s exciting that a company like Chicago Pneumatic has partnered with us to recognize these top automotive schools,” said Beth Skove, associate publisher of Tomorrow’s Technician. “Many of these schools incorporate innovative training programs to prepare their students to be the future leaders of the industry; these young men and women will be influencers in the shop and will help take the automotive aftermarket to the next level.”
For more information on the Automotive Technology program, contact Rodgers at (864) 941-8468 or rodgers.m@ptc.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Jefferies at (864) 941-8498 or jefferies.g@ptc.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Solutia completes sale of nylon business
June 5, 2009
NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ — SK Capital Partners, a transformational private investment firm, today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Solutia Inc.’s (NYSE: SOA) integrated nylon business, a leading supplier and manufacturer of nylon chemicals, plastics and fibers. The company had approximately $1.8 billion in revenues in 2008.
Concurrent with the completion of the transaction, the business has been renamed Ascend Performance Materials. Frederic Poses, former Chairman and CEO of American Standard and COO of AlliedSignal, will lead an experienced management team with extensive industry expertise. Timothy Strehl continues as President of the company.
“We are attracted by the growth opportunities that exist within Ascend’s businesses, which have solid fundamentals, a strong customer base and talented people. Ascend, as an independent private company, will be focused on leveraging our leading technology to develop new and innovative products for our global customer base,” said Mr. Poses. “SK Capital brings valuable experience in all aspects of the business.”
Barry Siadat, Managing Director of SK Capital, said, “Ascend is an excellent fit with our strategy to invest in businesses where we have expertise in order to capitalize on significant upside potential and generate superior returns for our investors. We are very pleased to have been able to complete this transaction despite the difficult financing market, and we believe this bodes well for our investors as we continue to look at a number of attractive opportunities in our target sectors.”
Jamshid Keynejad, Managing Director of SK Capital, said, “Today marks a key milestone for Ascend. We look forward to working to build on the company’s heritage and strong industry position to enable it to reach its full potential. As in the case of Ascend, we believe this is an opportune time to acquire good businesses at attractive valuations and utilize our operational capabilities to drive significant value for our investors.”
Wells Fargo Foothill provided the financing to complete the transaction. SK Capital was advised by The Valence Group, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and KPMG.
About Ascend Performance Materials
Ascend is a world leader in proprietary technologies that are central to the production of nylon, plastics and synthetic fibers found in thousands of commercial and industrial products, including carpet, tires and apparel, as well as agricultural products, animal feed and personal care products. The business has world scale integrated manufacturing capacity which enables it to develop new products from its core technologies. Ascend has sales offices throughout the world, five manufacturing facilities in the United States and a technology center, and employs over 3,000 people. For more information, please go to www.ascendmaterials.com.
About SK Capital Partners
SK Capital Partners, led by Managing Directors Barry Siadat, Jamshid Keynejad and Jack Norris, is a transformational private investment firm focusing on acquiring assets in which its partners have deep industry knowledge through previous investments and experience, and the ability to deploy substantive operational strategies to unlock value and deliver superior returns. These industries include niche segments of the specialty materials, chemicals and healthcare sectors. More information is available at www.skcapitalpartners.com.
SC Festival of Flowers selected as ‘Top 20 event in Southeast’
June 4, 2009
C/O GwdToday
ATLANTA, Ga. — Southeast Tourism Society has named the SC FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast for JUNE, 2009.
This year’s SC FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS will take place June 6 – 28, 2009. Over 30 events, including cultural, horticultural, sporting, and other special events will take place during the month of June. The Festival will kick off with the “Safari” Topiary Display throughout Uptown Greenwood beginning June 6. For more details of the events, visit www.scfestivalofflowers.org or contact the Festival of Flowers office at 864-223-8411.
“The STS Top 20 Events list is an excellent guide for travelers in the Southeast. Events chosen represent the best activities the region offers. Being chosen is a great accolade that can draw extra attention to a festival or special event,” said Neville Bhada, director of communications and public relations for the Southeast Tourism Society.
Students honored for work ethic achievements
June 4, 2009
By By FELICIA KITZMILLER/fkitzmiller@indexjournal.com
In a time of increasing competition for jobs and college admittance, every little advantage helps.
Mark Warner, of Partnership Alliance, said he hopes the work ethics certificates presented by his organization and G. Frank Russell Career Center on Monday give the 44 recipients that extra advantage.
Last year, Partnership Alliance and the career center teamed up and created a program that evaluates student performance the way an employer would – based not only on grades and classroom performance, but also on soft skills such as communication and team work. At the end of the year, students can earn a Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate.
Last year, the program was opened to one class. Nine students volunteered, and five received certificates. Don Lytch, teacher of the machine tool technology class that piloted the program, said the five students who earned the certificate all had two or three companies send them letters inviting them to apply for positions.
This year the program was opened to all juniors and seniors in trade and industrial classes, and was piloted in business and health. About 110 students participated and 44 earned certificates.
“I think it’s something worth bragging about,” Warner told recipients.
Students said the program focused on things they would do anyway, but made them realize anew the importance of certain behaviors.
“I wanted to be as involved as possible,” junior health science student Oreyale Briggs said. “I guess I took it more seriously.”
Senior engineering student Jamie Rambo said she has always been a good and responsible student, but still thought she took something away from the program.
“It feels good to be recognized for hard work,” she said.
She also agreed with Warner that it will give her a leg up on her peers who didn’t receive the certificate
“I know exactly what employers are expecting when I walk in for an interview,” Rambo said.
Director Chuck Graves said working toward the certificates made students more aware of the skills they would need, as well as the things employers would expect as they went about their daily activities.
“I think we take for granted that kids know what soft skills are and they don’t,” he said.
Graves said he hopes students continue to remember to focus on these areas as they go on with their lives, whether they move on to college, the work force, or are returning for another year of high school.
“It offers so much to get them ready for life beyond high school, and that’s what we’re here for,” he said.
