By Frances Peyton, WVVA Multimedia Journalist

A boost for economic development was announced on Thursday at the Commercialization Station in Bluefield, WV.
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins teamed-up with local leaders to present a $2,040,000 grant to create an incubator for manufacturing companies.

"People just need a place to get started and we are creating that opportunity," says U.S. Rep Evan Jenkins.

Bluefield Economic Director Jim Spencer explains what this means for the community.

“It's almost like when a child is learning to ride a bicycle. Our incubator is just the same principle. To support small business tied to manufacturing and technology until they are ready to move out to their own facilities. So we want to grow jobs here,” says Spencer.

If you're a small business owner or someone with a great idea looking to get off the ground, visit the website mybluefield.org. Navigate to the business section, click on the tab that reads“Commercialization Station,” and fill out an application.

Joining leaders & neighbors in Bluefield to celebrate a $2M EDA grant for the Commercialization Center.

pic.twitter.com/5uUvzwtRaC
— Rep. Evan Jenkins (@RepEvanJenkins) October 20, 2016

Tuesday, 22 March 2016

BLUEFIELD — A remote controlled lawnmower put through its paces Tuesday demonstrated just one of the many manufacturing activities that could call the city of Bluefield home.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., visited the Center for Applied Research and Technology Inc. (CART) off Bluefield Avenue. Located in the former headquarters of the Bluefield Regional Transit Authority, the building provides space for manufacturing entrepreneurs. 

“The center is called the Bluefield Commercialization Center,” Jim Spencer, community & economic development director for the city of Bluefield, said later. “The goal for the center is to move ideas and innovations into the marketplace. It is owned by the city and CART is one of our partners. Derek Dotson with Autonomous Radio Controlled Equipment did a demonstration of his radio controlled mower and even let Senator Capito drive the unit,” Spencer said. “We have two other bays that are earmarked as space for other startup tenants.”

During her visit, Capito tried the controls of the radio-controlled vehicle that its makers said could be used by wounded veterans, the elderly, and others for tasks such as mowing their lawns and snow removal.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” she said as she watched the television screen that let her see what was around the mower. “I’m getting a little dizzy doing this, but it feels great.”
The 60,000 square foot facility offers space for manufacturing businesses ranging from welding, wood industries, and more.

“I’m just impressed by how the community has come together to utilize an elderly resource,” she said of the facility, adding that many young people were leaving the state to search for work. “We’ve got to create more jobs. With the downturn in the coal industry, we need to become creative and be entrepreneurs,” she said.

Part of the funding the commercialization center is seeking is federal funds, Capito said, adding that her office could help the center with applications and learning what funds are available.

“It’s all about finding new jobs and regaining the jobs we have lost,” Capito said.
Autonomous Radio-Controlled Equipment is raising funds through Kickstarter to get the funding needed to build other units, Dotson said.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

By CHARLES BOOTHE Bluefield Daily Telegraph 22 May 2017

BLUEFIELD — Plans are on track to soon start renovation work on the commercialization station in Bluefield, and the city is busy working to recruit tenants.
“We met with the engineering folks (recently) and we are about 90 percent done on the plan (for the renovations),” said Jim Spencer, economic development director for the city. “We will submit the final plans to the EDA (federal Economic Development Administration) in June for approval.”

The EDA grant for the project is just over $2 million with $510,000 from the Shott Foundation.

Spencer said work will include electrical upgrades, new lighting, doors and windows, among other upgrades.

The station is located in the old freight station on Bluefield Avenue and the grants were announced in October 2016.

Once final plans for the renovation are approved, work can start, he said.

“We have to submit the plans to them (the EDA) and then (once approved) the work can go out to bid,” Spencer said.

The money for the project is ready to be used, he added, and the city is busy making plans for the station’s future.

“We continue to market the facility and we are talking to a couple of potential tenants,” he said. “We are also continuing to finalize our operational policies and procedures to operate the incubator.”

The city has already been offering classes for entrepreneurs as part of its CREATE (Creating Resilient Economies by Assisting Transforming Entrepreneurs) Opportunities Initiative and continues to do so, he said, with a class on copyright rights set for June 13.

Spencer said in October when the grants were announced that many partners are involved in helping not only bring the station to fruition, but to provide the resources necessary to make it work.

Those partners include the Center for Applied Research & Technology (CART), Bluefield State College, TechConnect West Virginia, Concord University, American National University, AEP, Mercer County Technical Education Center, the Development Authority of the Great Bluefield Area, the Robert C. Byrd Institute, E.L. Robinson Engineering and others.

“It’s all of us working together,” he said. “It’s a manufacturing and technology center,” with the overall purpose of moving ideas and innovations into the marketplace.
One start-up business, Autonomous Radio Controlled Equipment, is already operational inside of the center.

Spencer said when the renovations are finished, other businesses will hopefully be ready to move in.
 
By CHARLES BOOTHE Bluefield Daily Telegraph
May 22, 2017

By Courtney Davis, WVVA Multimedia Journalist - Bluefield newsroom Monday, 19 October 2015

BLUEFIELD, WV (WVVA) The City of Bluefield Board of Directors announced today that three new businesses will be coming in to town.

The new arrivals include a barbecue restaurant, a craft and home décor store, and a manufacturing business for a prototype lawn mower company.
All three small business owners agree their dreams would have never been met without the help of the City of Bluefield.

"A lot of times when you're starting a business you don't know who to contact, you don't know where to go, you don't understand the permitting process and things like that,” says Community and Economic Development Director Jim Spencer. “That's why the City of Bluefield's goal is to assist business. To partner with them to help them through the process."

Spencer says the Board of Directors are hoping to help mentor the new business owners and help them be successful, anyway they can.

Derek Dotson, an engineer on the Bluefield State College Robotics team, is one of the new business owners. His company, Autonomous and Radio Controlled Equipment, will build remote controlled lawn mowers and he hopes to manufacture them here in the city.

"They've been a huge help,” says Dotson. “Any time you have any questions, I mean you name it they know it. You come to them and they're willing to help anytime."
But Dotson is not alone. The city also helped The Big Whiskey Barbecue owner Travis Harry find a convenient spot for his new location.

"I think it's great, I think it's great we're not only having multiple businesses open in downtown, but you're having the already successful businesses stepping in to help support the idea of these new businesses coming in," says Harry.

The craft store, Blue Mountain Mercantile, will be located at 320 Federal Street in the old Wells Fargo Building. They plan to open November 2, 2015. The Big Whiskey Barbecue plans to open at 704 Bland Street in early December and Autonomous and Radio Controlled Equipment plans on opening by April 2016 on Bluefield Avenue.

Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2015, 2:11 pm
By CHARLES OWENS Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — The Bluefield Board of Directors celebrated Tuesday the arrival of four new businesses in the city while also planning for future economic development.

Jim Spencer, the city’s community and economic development coordinator, announced that the Big Whiskey BBQ Company will be opening inside of the existing Bluefield State College Research and Development building, Blue Mountain Mercantile will be opening on the first floor of the old Wells Fargo Building and that Autonomous and Radio Controlled Equipment will be moving into the old freight station building on Bluefield Avenue.

Spencer said a ribbon cutting also is planned soon for the new Blue Spoon Cafe on Commerce Street in the city’s historic Depot District.

The city board also voted Tuesday to acquire property adjacent to the existing Bluefield Area Transit facility on John Nash Boulevard at a cost of $260,000 for future economic development purposes. City Manager Dane Rideout said the land is not currently located in the city limits of Bluefield, but said the board will propose a friendly annexation request to bring the property into the city limits of Bluefield. Rideout said the property located near Exit 1 on Interstate 77 would be an ideal location for a motel, truck stop or related development.

The board also voted to declare November 28 as Business Appreciation Day in the city of Bluefield.

Art Riley, head of the Downtown Merchants Association, said Tuesday’s meeting was one of the most positive he had seen in 25 years.

“This is one of the most encouraging board meetings I’ve been to in 25 years,” Riley said. “Being a business person for 28 years in downtown Bluefield, and hearing of four new businesses coming to Bluefield in one day is certainly heartening to all of us.”

October 1, 2015 TechConnect West Virginia

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced on September 29 that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award $500,000 to TechConnect’s ScaleUp West Virginia initiative to bring together the public and private sectors to spur innovation and entrepreneurship, long-term competitiveness and diversification and job creation across West Virginia. 

“In order to improve West Virginia’s economic success and boost our economy, we need to ensure our public and private sectors work together,” Senator Manchin said. “The strategies created and implemented with this funding will coordinate our resources efficiently to overcome our economic challenges and spur our economic growth and develop new opportunities across West Virginia.”

ScaleUp West Virginia is a two-year suite of programs designed to accelerate the states’ capacity to diversify its economy in a 40-county region of West Virginia.
Anne Barth, executive director of TechConnect, said, “The EDA funding will support programs designed to accelerate the commercialization of new products and technologies, leading to the creation and expansion of small businesses and jobs.

“With EDA’s support, ScaleUp West Virginia will also foster advanced manufacturing and support small manufacturers in the state by working with proven service providers to catalyze the creation and retention of jobs and improve economic opportunities,” she added.

In addition, ScaleUp West Virginia will work to develop the next generation of entrepreneurship in West Virginia.
The scope of work includes:

• Promotion of SBIR/STTR programs in the state;
• ScaleUp WV Venture, in partnership with The INNOVA Commercialization Group at the High Technology Foundation;
• ScaleUp WV Advanced Manufacturing, in partnership with the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing at Marshall University;
• ScaleUp WV Design for Manufacturing, in partnership with the Center for Applied Research & Technology at Bluefield State College;
• ScaleUp WV Transformational Manufacturing, in partnership with the WV Manufacturing Extension Partnership at the WVU Industrial Extension;
• ChemAssist, in partnership with ChemCeption and the Chemical Alliance Zone;
• A variety of programs designed to spur the next generation of entrepreneurship in communities and schools.
  

Counties included in the service area include Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Nicholas, Ohio, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Roane, Taylor, Tyler, Tucker, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt and Wyoming.

ScaleUp West Virginia will accelerate the state’s capacity to foster business formation through programs designed to encourage entrepreneurship, help startups find the assistance needed to successfully launch, and support existing businesses in devising strategies for growing and adapting to new markets. It will accelerate opportunities for small manufacturers to create and retain jobs by helping them explore new and cutting edge innovations in products, process, and services leading to new and expanded markets opportunities. A new generation of entrepreneurs will be connected with mentors, investors and the resources needed to accelerate the launch of startup businesses.  Through fostering this economic diversification, the region’s tax base will be expanded, private sector investment will be more easily attracted, and these programs will greatly advance the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region by building the foundation for a cycle of growth to replace a cycle of decline.

TechConnect aims to diversify West Virginia’s economy through innovations in advanced energy, chemicals and advanced materials, biometrics, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing. TechConnect works to build a culture that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, access to capital, and a proactive business climate with incentives for innovation-based start-ups.

- See more at: http://techconnectwv.org/techconnect-awarded-500000-grant-from-u-s-eda-for-scaleup-west-virginia-initiative/#sthash.w6LvqqLk.dpuf

By BILL ARCHER Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — Say good-bye to carbide lamps and canaries. The 21st Century has arrived in the underground coal industry, and mine rescue teams are incorporating more technologically advanced practices into their competitions in order to prepare for a world where real-time responses can be immediately evaluated to help rescue teams save lives.

This year marks the ninth year that Welch Post No. 1, “Smoke Eaters” have teamed up with Bluefield State College to host a Mine Rescue Team competition. Thirteen teams from throughout the coalfields region came out on a hot day in May to test their skills at the Higginbotham Sportsplex and in Dickason Hall as personnel from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training Office.

“We are trying to make an effort to help these teams use more technology in competition,” Mike Plumley of Welch Post No. 1 said. “MSHA is leading the way for us. For the first time this year, we are doing digital mapping from a command center. We’re still making adjustments as we adapt these changes into our existing technology.

“This year is orientation to the new technology,” Plumley said. “Actually, MSHA and West Virginia both brought their mobile command centers here for us to use. The command centers have the ability to get set up at a remote site and deploy their own tower so they can get cell service. The command centers provide us with anything we would need in the event of a real emergency situation.”

While Plumley was discussing the changing nature of the competition, Dave Green and Grayson Cox of Alpha Natural Resources’ Coal River East mine rescue team were inside MSHA’s command center, communicating step-by-step with their team members as they tackled the challenge prepared by the Welch Post No. 1. Alpha’s Coal River East mine rescue team was the over-all champions in last year’s national mine rescue competition.

While team members examined the diagram of the mine laid out on the baseball field in the Sportsplex, Green and Cox were in wireless radio contact with each team member. One team member in the field mapped out the team’s actions while Green placed the same notations and indicators on a paper map.

At the same time, Cox used an MS Vizio screen to drop-and-drag symbols into the same map on display. Although the screen Cox was using was in an 11X7 inch format, the same technology can be instantly transmitted to a 54-inch screen at MSHA Headquarters in Arlington, Va., or to Charleston, according to one of the MSHA observers watching the teams approach the challenges.

“We have the capability of tracking the hand-held radios of each team member , and to send real time gas readings to the command center,” he said. “Instead of practicing one thing and going out and doing something different when a real emergency comes up, they’re training on what they would actually do in the event of an emergency. The technology is out there. We need to use it to save lives.”

The Smoke Eaters have teamed up with the BSC Center for Applied Research & Technology for the past nine years to make the competitions operate more smoothly, but while the mine rescue teams are practicing their skills, Bruce Mutter, CART director, his staff and volunteers have been working to make the experience more beneficial.

“It’s hot out there today, but it can be hot if they’re working in a mine that’s on fire,” one of the Smoke Eaters volunteers said. “They never know what conditions to expect.”

The MSHA representative said that the radio tracking capability that will go 1,000 feet between repeaters may soon able to change how rescue teams enter mines to conduct a search. “If we know where everyone is, we could do a two-two and two search at each mine entry,” he said. “Until this year, that wouldn’t have been a consideration.”

Plumley said that the Smoke Eaters are working to update the technology in the competition to help the mine rescuers when they are sent to respond to an emergency situation.

The winner of this year’s mine rescue competition was Team Maxxim Shared Blue from Alpha Natural Resources.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

 By ANNE ELGIN  Bluefield Daily Telegraph  1 June 2014

BLUEFIELD — Mine rescue teams competed at Bluefield State College Saturday for the Eighth annual Mine Rescue Competition sponsored by Center for Applied Research and Technology (CART) along with Welch Post No. 1 of the National Mine Rescue Association, “the Smoke Eaters.”

Mine rescue teams from throughout the region compete in the annual exercise to learn from one another and to hone critical skills that will be put to the test when disaster strikes.

This year 14 teams competed in the competition. Teams are given a timed scenario and judged on how well they perform. Teams will be docked for their mistakes and the team with the best time and least amount of mistakes is the winner, CART CEO Bruce Mutter explained.

“This competition allows them to practice and apply what they have learned and be able to provide safety to the mining industry,” Mutter explained. “The teams will experience real-life situations just as if there was a real emergency.”

The team that wins will take home a trophy and the bragging rights, Mutter said.
The teams that competed in the competition included Mountain Laurel Green from Mountain Laurel Coal, Leer Mine White from ACI Tygart Valley/Leer Mine, Sentinel Mine Blue from Arch Coal Sentinel Complex, Tri-State A and Tri-State B from Tri-State Coal Operators, Buchanan Red and Buchanan Black from Consol Buchanan Mining Co., Pinnacle Blue and Pinnacle White from Cliffs Natural Resources, Pocahontas Mine Rescue from Pocahontas Coal Company, Coal River from Coal River Energy, Southern West Virginia from Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal Blue Team and Gold Team from Arch Coal Beckley.

The first-place winner of this year’s mine rescue competition was Cliffs Natural Resources’ Pinnacle White team. Second place went to Cliffs Natural Resources’ Pinnacle Blue team and third place was awarded to Consol Buchanan Mining Co., LLC Buchanan Black team.

Pictured above: Members of Consol Energy’s Buchanan Black team enter a taped-off chamber of ‘Mine 1’ during a simulated mine rescue situation Saturday afternoon. Teams competed against one another as they completed various scenarios analogous to possible real-life disaster situations. Buchanan Black finished the contest in third place.

-Contact Anne Elgin aelgin@bdtonline.com

Not Pictured: Cliffs Natural Resources’ Pinnacle White team took first place in the Mine Rescue Competition. The team includes Captain Nick Colucci, Cody Bailey, Mike Short, Preston Kennedy, Solomon Carroll, Briefing Officer Dave Meadows, patient Derek Altabright, alternate Mike P. Vickers, alternate Josh Sizemore and alternate Dave Jackson.

Posted: May 31, 2014 5:12 PM EST
 
By Brandon Bates
 
For the 8th consecutive year, the "best of the best" in mine rescue teams gathered to take part in mine rescue training.

MichaelPlumley, director of the mine rescue, said that with so many mines in West Virginia, accidents are bound to happen. "You hope a disaster never happens but unfortunately it does happen and we have gentleman who are prepared in case of an emergency," Plumley said.

14 different rescue teams filled the field and went through simulated mine disasters. With an 80 minute time limit, they had to figure out how to save people who were trapped. They used extensive communication skills and worked as a team to complete the goal.

With such a dangerous job, family members are left hoping that the phone call to respond to a disaster never comes. Chris Orrin's dad is a coal miner and Chris said it's not easy being the son of a father with such a scary job.  "I kind of get scared, because I don't want him to die. I hope he calls me when he come in to tell me he's okay," Orrin said.  
Stacie smith's husband is one of the thousands of people who are counted on in the time of a mine disaster.  She says, it's a good feeling to know that someone would risk their life for another.  "It honestly makes me feel proud to know that he would risk his life to save someone else's father," Smith said.  Officials say the whole point of this is to be able to execute a rescue mission as safe as possible.

-Contact Brandon Bates

By BILL ARCHER Bluefield Daily Telegraph BLUEFIELD 26 May 2013

Kambri Richardson carries the first place trophy to her daddy; Keith Richardson, captain of the Consol Energy Buchanan Red Team. SunCoke Energy Black Team earned second place; and the Pinnacle Mining Co. Pinnacle Blue Team earned third place honors.

As seniors at Bluefield State College were busy receiving their diplomas during the college's commencement exercises last weekend, part of Dickason Hall as well as the Dr. P.R. Higginbotham Field at the June 0. Shott Sports Complex was a beehive of activity as mine rescue teams competed in the 7th Annual Mine Rescue Competition The competition is jointly sponsored by CART (Center for Applied Research & Technology) Inc., and Welch Post· No. l of the National Mine Rescue Association, the  "Smoke Eaters." A record number of 19 teams competed in this year's event, with Consol Energy's Buchanan Red Team earning first place honors; the SunCoke Energy Black Team earned second place; and the pinnacle Mining Co. Pinnacle Blue Team earned third place honors.

"We had 19 teams this year which was the most we've ever had before," Mike Plumley, director of the competition said. "That's seven more teams than we have ever had before."

"The coal miners who are on these mine rescue teams are the best of the best," Plumley said. "The teams typically include mine foremen and other key employees in any coal operation. We arrange our competition so it can be a practice session, and we hold it on a Saturday so employers can release these coal miners when production at the mines is a little slower than it is at mid-week."

Plumley holds an undergraduate degree from BSC as well as both master’s degree in mining engineering and an MBA from Marshall University.  When he was working at the Pinnacle Mine, he was part of the 2005 mine rescue team that won a national championship. 

“Training is a key resource to any mining operation, but we also want to make our competition a place where more experienced mine rescue team members can work with mine rescue team members with less experience to help them improve their skills,” Plumley said. “It’s a competition but it’s also a networking opportunity for these team members.”

Bruce Mutter, chief executive officer of CART, Inc., said he is honored to work with the Welch Post No. 1 Smoke Eaters to host the competition.

“Assisting with the annual mine rescue competition is particularly appropriate because of our school’s commitment to our mining engineering technology program at BSC, industry participation in our mine safety related research initiatives and the fact that so many of our graduates work in the mining industry and have been so good about coming back to help BSC and CART,” Mutter said

Heather Williams, CART administrative assistant said that the teams in the competition included: Alpha Performance; Alpha -Southern WV; Arch Coal -. Black; Arch Coal -Gold; Coal River -Coal River; Coal River -Fork Creek; Consol Energy-Black; Consol Energy -Red; Mingo Logan Coal; Pinnacle -Blue; .Pinnacle -White; Pocahontas Coal; Southern Coalfield -Blue; Southern Coalfield Red; SunCoke Energy - Black; SunCoke Energy -Orange; Tri-state -A; Tri-State -B; and Wolf Run -Blue: For a complete group of photographs and names of competing teams, visit www.cartinc.com/Events/Mine Rescue

-Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com