(L-R) Brenau University Health & Science Dean Gale Starich, Arthur and Pamela Bilyeu, Brenau biology major Jordan Bryant Wallace from Cumming, Ga., and Lori and Don Lori McEachin

Brenau University dedicated a new greenhouse on the Gainesville campus on Friday, May 18, 2012, that will expand the university’s successful undergraduate research project that is returning endangered species to their native habitats.

Gale Starich, dean of the College of Health and Sciences at Brenau, said the facility also will be the first step toward the long-term vision for development of a bio-sciences field learning center on the Gainesville campus that will include a small amphitheater, the reclaimed bamboo forest that was established almost 100 years ago and other facilities.

The dedication ceremony honored the Gainesville donors who made it possible: Don and Lori McEachin, whose contribution honored Don’s mother, and Arthur and Pamela Bilyeu, who donated the greenhouse in memory of their daughter, Shannon McCoy, who died of cancer at age 34.

“This has nothing to do with the disease that took our daughter,” Pam Bilyeu said, “it does have to do with her, because she loved digging in the dirt and getting things to grow.”

However, Starich pointed out that the establishment of a culture of research and curiosity at the undergraduate level could lead students down many paths, including projects focused on human sciences as well as botanical endeavors.

“Our vision is that young women in particular need an opportunity and a safe place to expand and explore their career goals,” said Starich. “We are ensuring that starting in your sophomore year at Brenau you can be involved in all kinds of meaningful research.”

Jordan Bryant Wallace, a junior biology major from Cumming, Ga., actually enrolled in Brenau’s pre-physician assistant program, but her work with the endangered plants project, she said, rekindled her earlier interest in horticulture from her days at North Forsyth High School.

“I found that I have a passion for this kind of research,” told the donors and others attending the dedication ceremony outside the new greenhouse. “We are so grateful that you have made more of this possible. We can’t wait to hold classes here and   get some of our baby ferns back into the wild.”

She referred to the beginnings of the undergraduate research activities in which Brenau students identified one species of native fern that is almost extinct, and set out to get the plants to grow and reproduce in the laboratory with the aim of re-introducing the species to the wild. The program has now expanded to four species, and the greenhouse will be used to nurture the lab-developed plants and get them strong enough and large enough to thrive again in their natural habitats.

“The university has a broader vision,” said Matt Thomas, vice president for external affairs at Brenau. “We see this dedication as a beginning point that starts the progress toward that vision.”

Founded in 1878, Brenau University currently enrolls about 2,800 students in graduate and undergraduate programs on campuses and online. With a curriculum that blends professional preparation informed by the liberal arts, Brenau degree tracks range from Associate of Arts, which includes a special “early college” program for exceptional high school-age students to terminal degrees, including a Master of Fine Arts in Interior design and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The main campus of the Georgia-based liberal arts institution, which includes the Brenau Women’s College, is in Gainesville with other campuses in Augusta, Kings Bay and in two metro Atlanta locations, Norcross and Fairburn.

All interested subcontractors are invited to visit the public project website, www.ngmcproject.com, that will serve as the communications hub for current and potential subcontractors/vendors, craftsmen and project team members seeking up-to-date information related to the NGMC Braselton project. The website also includes a Subcontractor/Vendor Interest Form and Craftsman Interest Form, which can be submitted online. Once submitted, the information will be stored in a database for the project. By utilizing this system, Turner will be able to keep track of every subcontractor, vendor and craftsman interested in the project.

“We want to involve as many local subcontractors, vendors and craftsmen as possible in this hospital project which will serve the community in which they reside,” says Keith Merritt, project manager for Turner Construction.

“Turner’s focused plan for local, qualified subcontractor, vendor and craftsman participation in this building project is one of the factors that impressed us in their proposal,” says Rudy Lonergan, director of Facilities Development at Northeast Georgia Health System. “This is a key goal for the Health System and was an important aspect in our decision making process. We are pleased to have Turner partnering with us to achieve this goal through outreach efforts such as this fair and the project website.”

Northeast Georgia Health System is developing the new hospital on the River Place campus, a 119-acre green field parcel in rapidly growing South Hall County. River Place currently includes a multi-story medical office building, Medical Plaza 1, that houses numerous physician specialties, an urgent care center and outpatient services including imaging, lab and physical and occupational therapy. The new hospital is envisioned to be state-of-the-art by incorporating innovations in design and delivery methods which have proven to enhance the delivery of care and reduce project and ongoing operating costs. The new 100-bed hospital has an estimated size of 240,000 SF. The project will break ground in fall 2012 and is scheduled for completion in early 2015.

All subcontractors will be required to provide a complete a Pre-Qualification package prior to receiving an Invitation to Bid from Turner. Subcontractors who have a qualification statement on file with Turner need to only provide updated information as required by Turner. Contact Anne Adams with Turner Construction Co. at 404-504-2698 to request a Pre-Qualification package or for a listing of information required to update your existing Pre-Qualification file.

“Carter’s new distribution center will have an immediate, positive impact on the lives of Jackson County residents,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “Encouraging job growth in the state is of the utmost importance, and we are pleased Carter’s has chosen to invest in Georgia and its workforce.”

“Carter’s has been doing business in Georgia for nearly 90 years and our global headquarters is based in Atlanta. We’re proud to expand our presence in our home state,” said Michael D. Casey, chairman and CEO of Carter’s, Inc. “This new facility is intended to allow us to support growth in our Carter’s and OshKosh B’Gosh brands, improve the efficiency of our operations and better serve our customers.”

Georgia QuickStart, the state’s oldest and most successful job training program, will support Carter’s in developing a high performance workforce for the new facility. The company will begin its hiring process in early May to fill positions in operations, engineering, inventory control, human resources and additional support roles. The company expects to invest more than $50 million in the new facility and create more than 600 new full-time jobs in Georgia by 2015.

“The new distribution center is a welcome addition to Jackson County’s economy, and represents a great opportunity for our workforce,” said Courtney Bernardi, director of economic development for the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce. “We work hard to attract strong global companies like Carter’s to our community and look forward to contributing to their success.”

Scott McMurray, director of the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Logistics industry team, managed the project on behalf of the state.

Carter’s achieved its 23rd consecutive year of growth in 2011, surpassing $2 billion in sales. The company delivered 21 percent year-over-year growth, with growth in every business segment including the tripling of its two-year-old e-commerce business.

The new facility will be part of Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products (BCP) Division, which is based in Cary, N.C.

Caterpillar plans to break ground on the new facility in Athens in the first quarter of 2012.  Initial production at the facility is expected to begin in late 2013, ramping up to full production over a five-year period. The company will use the website www.jointeamcaterpillar.com to fill the majority of open positions at the facility.

The total investment for opening the new facility will be about $200 million. In addition to the 1,400 people working in the new facility near Athens, Caterpillar estimates another 2,800 full-time jobs will be created in the United States among suppliers and at other non-Caterpillar companies that will support the new facility.

“We are making a series of significant investments around the world to position Caterpillar to maintain its leadership position, and I am thrilled to be in Georgia to announce that Athens will be the newest city to be home to a Caterpillar production facility. We are even more excited that this project will create more than 4,200 jobs in the
United States,” said Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman.

“Georgia is proud to have built a business climate that provides the logistics, workforce, speed and efficiency that global industry leaders like Caterpillar are looking for,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “We appreciate Caterpillar’s continued investment in our state, and this new operation will resonate in our workforce and our economy for generations to come.”

In late 2011, as part of a strategic decision to move production closer to the majority of customers who use small track-type tractors and mini hydraulic excavators, Caterpillar announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility in North America.

“The decision to shift production from Japan to the United States is driven by the proximity to a large base of customers in North America and Europe. Our objective is to better serve those customers from this new factory,” said BCP Vice President Mary Bell.
“The Athens site was selected from among dozens of locations considered due to its proximity to the major ports of Savannah and Charleston, a strong regional base of potential suppliers, a positive and pro-active business climate and a good pool of potential employees with manufacturing experience,” Bell added.

“We are thrilled to welcome Caterpillar as our newest corporate citizen and look forward to the opportunity to partner with them in their success,” said Athens-Clarke Mayor Nancy Denson. “Our two counties joined forces to support this project because of its vast potential to create job opportunities and revitalize our local manufacturing industry.”

“Caterpillar’s location in our county will be a major force in establishing an industrial base that balances our residential development and diversifies our tax base,” said Oconee County Chairman Melvin Davis. “With this location, the company will become the largest private employer in Oconee County and an integral part of our community.”

The North American facility will become Caterpillar’s global source for small track-type tractors. For mini hydraulic excavators, the new facility will provide completed machines for customers in North and South America. In addition, the company plans to export partially assembled mini excavator base units to a facility in Europe, where final assembly will take place, improving delivery times for European customers.

“Investments in high output manufacturing operations like the new Caterpillar facility to be built in Athens can be a huge benefit to the local and regional economy,” said Dr. Sharon Younger, President of Younger Associates research firm and faculty member of the Economic Development Institute. “Based on the production capacity of the new plant, I estimate the total economic impact to reach $2.4 billion per year as key suppliers locate in the region and the regional supply chain matures.”

Work at the new plant will include major fabrications, paint and final assembly for both product lines. The company also plans to have an on-site product distribution center for small track-type tractors and mini hydraulic excavators produced at the new facility. These machines are currently made at Caterpillar’s Sagami, Japan, facility. Once the transition to the new facility in Athens is completed, the Sagami plant will continue to serve a key strategic role in Caterpillar’s global growth strategy as a high-tech component facility.

Alpharetta-based Inhibitex is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative products that can treat or prevent serious infections, whose primary focus is on the development of nucleotide/nucleoside analogs for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV).

“The acquisition of Inhibitex builds on Bristol-Myers Squibb’s long history of discovering, developing and delivering innovative new medicines in virology and enriches our portfolio of investigational medicines for hepatitis C,” said Lamberto Andreotti, chief executive officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “There is significant unmet medical need in hepatitis C. This acquisition represents an important investment in the long-term growth of the company.”

“This transaction puts INX-189 and the Company’s other infectious disease assets in the hands of an organization that can more optimally develop them and which believes as strongly as we do in INX-189’s potential in the treatment of chronic HCV,” said Russell Plumb, president and CEO of Inhibitex. “Bristol-Myers Squibb’s expertise in antiviral drug development, and its existing complementary portfolio, will assure that the potential of INX-189 is realized as part of future oral combination therapies for millions of patients in need around the world.”

“Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to drive advances in the field of hepatitis C research and development through internal development and selective partnerships,” said Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, chief scientific officer and president, R&D, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “The addition of Inhibitex’s nucleotide polymerase inhibitor to our own promising portfolio, which includes other direct-acting antivirals, brings additional options to develop all-oral regimens with better cure rates, shorter duration of therapy and lower toxicity than the current standard of care.”

About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.

About Inhibitex
Inhibitex, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing products to prevent and treat serious infectious diseases and its clinical-stage pipeline includes three Phase 2 development programs: INX-189, a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infections, FV-100, a nucleoside inhibitor in development for the reduction of shingles-associated pain, and Aurexis, a humanized monoclonal antibody in development for the treatment of serious S. aureus bloodstream infections. The Company also has other HCV nucleotide polymerase inhibitors in preclinical development and has licensed the use of its proprietary MSCRAMM® protein platform to Pfizer for the development of a staphylococcal vaccine, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

In the past year, over $9 billion has been spent on federal contracts in the state of Georgia, representing 1.9 percent of the total spent on contracts during the past year as reported on the USASpending website.

According to USASpending, over 40 percent of all contracting dollars spent in Georgia during the last year were competed and put out for open bidding by contractors. Small businesses in particular are urged to complete registration and place bids for contracts. Of the 100,866 contracts awarded in Georgia over the past year, over half were awarded to small businesses. Each federal agency is urged by regulations to award at least 23 percent of their contracting dollars to small businesses.

The highest numbers of contracts awarded to small businesses were for Facilities Support Services, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction, Custom Computer Programming Services, Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services and Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing however contracting agencies in Georgia purchased everything from Aircraft Components to Weapons. With the threat of tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters in Georgia, contractors should also be prepared by completing their FEMA Vendor Profile (see related story) which allows them to perform on FEMA disaster relief contracts.

The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center has estimated that nearly 20 percent of CCR records have errors or omissions. It is extremely important that contractors’ CCR and ORCA registration are complete and accurate. Failure to complete and maintain the required government registrations can result in payment delays or disqualification for contract awards. Serious errors may even result in fines or punitive action. To win their first contract, most businesses spend an average of 20 months and $100,000 marketing their business to contracting agencies. If their registration is incomplete or incorrect, all that time and money will have been wasted.

Rendering of Pattillo's new 71,000 s.f. speculative building

Pattillo Industrial Real Estate will begin construction on a new, 77,100-square-foot speculative building in the new Gainesville Business Park in December 2011.  In recent months, the supply of quality buildings in the market has grown scarce, yet a skilled workforce remains plentiful.  The area’s unemployment rate remains between 8-9%, and Gainesville-Hall County remains a regional employment center for workforce in Hall and surrounding counties.

“This is the first speculative building developed in Georgia in almost four years,” said Larry Callahan, CEO, Pattillo Industrial Real Estate.  “Our firm will be making this investment in one of the hottest economic development markets in the Southeast.  The Gainesville-Hall County market has demonstrated that demand by employers to access the skilled workforce drives demand for manufacturing space.  The time is right for additional supply in this size range.”

The building will be located on a prepared, 20-acre site at the park, located at 1845 New Harvest Road, and will be expandable to 140,000 square feet.  This will be the second building developed in the Gainesville Business Park since opening in March 2010.  ZF Wind Power opened a 250,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing space in October 2011.  Additional projects continue in the area of as well.  Hall County is completing a road improvement project on Calvary Church Road that connects Gainesville Business Park to Exit 20 on Interstate 985.

“Our public-private partnership with Pattillo continues to pay dividends for the Gainesville-Hall County Metro Area,” added Tim Evans, Vice President of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce.  “As much as 80% of our new business recruitment activity is focused on finding an existing building.  Our success has left available buildings very scarce in our market.  This new building will enhance our ability to attract needed jobs to the region.”

The 175-acre Gainesville Business Park is a public-partnership between Pattillo Industrial Real Estate, the City of Gainesville, Hall County and the Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority.

“This is a long-term strategic move for our company to relocate our corporate headquarters and the bulk of our operations to Gainesville-Hall County,” said Roger Burgess, co-founder of ProCare Rx. “As a national company, we need to be close to the assets of Metro-Atlanta, however it is important that we be in a community with its own sense of identity and a progressive attitude that supports our business growth.”

Founded in 1987, ProCare Rx administers and manages the prescription drug benefits for millions of members delivering significant cost savings to client groups including self-insured employer groups, hospices, workers comp plans, insurance companies and other managed care organizations.

On hand for the ground breaking ceremony was Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, stating “ProCare Rx is a leading performer in the management of pharmacy benefit programs, and I am excited that the company and its founders are making this renewed long term commitment to doing business in Georgia and their efforts to grow their future in Georgia.”

“Our success is determined by the talents of our people,” said Burgess. “By relocating to Gainesville-Hall County, we are positioning ProCare Rx to retain and recruit the best talent in our industry with the quality of life supported by the lake, the mountains, the schools and the overwhelming sense of kindness we’ve found in being welcomed by community leadership.”

Recruitment effort to bring the company to the area began several years ago through the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Division. During a group meeting, ProCare Rx officials shared their vision, and the City of Gainesville, Hall County, the Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority and the Chamber. The groups worked together to support the creation of the new corporate campus and the jobs and investment it brings to Gainesville-Hall County. “ProCare Rx will be a fine addition to our business community,” said Chairman Tom Oliver, Hall County Commission.

“ProCare Rx is a national leader in its field and will complement the growing healthcare industry in this community,” said Mayor Ruth Bruner, City of Gainesville. “We are excited that ProCare Rx will be a part of the corporate landscape.”

“This is a business that recognizes the importance of people,” said Kit Dunlap, President and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce. “ProCare Rx joins a growing list of national leaders in technology-based businesses that recruit and retain the best talent in Gainesville-Hall County. ProCare Rx will be a company that helps brand this community with a prominent position on one of the most visible sites in this region.”

Please carpool if you can; parking is limited. For more information, call 770.822.7180.

“Casey, Mauricio, Amit and Prasanth bring valuable experience and knowledge to the Genesis operational and technical teams, and we will look to them as we continue to develop high-quality, environmentally preferred chemical, fermentation and microbial-based solutions for our customers,” stated Conrad Mielcuszny, president and chief executive officer of Genesis Biosciences.

Casey Smallwood, Vice President of Operations

Casey Smallwood brings to Genesis more than 20 years of chemical development and production management  experience in the household and institutional as well as janitorial and sanitation arenas. In his role as vice president of operations, Smallwood will oversee all manufacturing and production, customer service, telesales and equipment engineering/maintenance at Genesis. Smallwood joined Genesis Biosciences (formerly Genesis Technologies) in 2000, and he has held the positions of operations manager, production manager and customer service manager. Prior to joining Genesis, Smallwood served as operations manager at Harvard Chemical Research, a chemical manufacturer of institutional and household compounds specializing in carpet care and the primary chemical manufacturer for professional carpet systems franchises. Smallwood attended Clayton State University.

Mauricio Amaya, Laboratory Manager

Mauricio Amaya has more than 17 years of experience in formulation, research and development and regulatory experience in the microbial and specialty chemicals industries. As laboratory manager, Amaya will oversee all aspects of the Genesis’ laboratory, including overall microbiological quality control for production and fermentation, chemical quality control, research and product development and customer technical support. Amaya was previously chief chemist at Genesis. Prior to joining the company, Amaya was the director of technical services at Atco International where he managed the Technical Department, which included duties such as quality control, product research and development and regulatory affairs. Amaya received a B.S. in chemistry from Oglethorpe University and an M.S. in technology management from Mercer University.

Amit Choksi, Fermentation Manager

Amit Choksi brings a breadth of laboratory and bacteria fermentation training and experience to Genesis. As fermentation manager, Choksi oversees a team of scientist and operators that manage the research, design, planning and execution of laboratory and large-scale fermentation studies of bacteria in adherence with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Prior to joining Genesis, Choksi was a fermentation microbiologist at Merial Limited, a research –based veterinary pharmaceutical division of Merck. In this role, he designed planned and carried out laboratory studies in bacteria, developed upstream fermentation methods using bench scale and pilot scale fermentors and helped develop a new canine vaccine. Prior to that, Choksi was a scientist at Fort Dodge Animal Health, a research-based veterinary pharmaceutical division of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and a laboratory technician at Severn Trent Laboratory. Choksi received a B.S. in biology from The Ohio State University.

Prasanth Maddipati, Fermentation Scientist

Prasanth Maddipati joins Genesis with a solid background in bioprocess engineering, including the design and execution of microbial fermentation processes. At Genesis, he plays an important role in the monitoring and optimization of the company’s fermentors and fermentation operations to help ensure accuracy and quality control. Prior to joining Genesis, Maddipati was a graduate research assistant at Oklahoma State University where he worked on fermentation of syngas to ethanol and other value-added products using a novel microbial catalyst. Maddipati has authored several publications in Bioresource Technology and has served as a panel speaker at leading biotechnology and bioengineering conferences. Maddipati received a B.Tech in industrial biotechnology from Anna University in India and an M.S. in biosystems engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Genesis Biosciences was formed in 2009 when United Kingdom-based Biotal Technologies and Lawrenceville, Georgia-based Genesis Technologies were first acquired and then merged by the CKM Group. Genesis Biosciences is a market leader in bacteria fermentation and is the first company to develop, manufacture and offer both microbial and antimicrobial products. Based on the knowledge and experience of the company’s scientists and lab technicians, the company utilizes its in-house fermentation equipment and facilities to grow bacteria to the highest quality known in the marketplace. Additionally, Genesis creates solutions for the safe and natural eradication of bacteria using plant oils, essential oils and green chemistry.

About Genesis Biosciences

Genesis Biosciences is a biotechnology company specializing in bacteria fermentation, microbial, antimicrobial and environmentally preferred products and services. The company focuses its efforts on the development of diverse quality-assured products and solutions for a wide range of markets and applications. Genesis Biosciences emphasizes quality in every aspect of its business to ensure the most efficient solutions to meet customers’ needs. Genesis Biosciences’ U.S. facility is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and its European facility is in Cardiff, Wales. For more information, please visit www.genesisbiosciences.com.