There's still time to join our celebration of making, win prizes! |
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---Enter the Tri-State Makes Festival's Design Challenge to earn a share of $5,000 in cash and other prizes. Develop a unique creation, shoot a short video explaining your innovation and the making process, then submit it to enter. The deadline is Dec. 2.
---Also sign up for our hands-on, in-person making classes: 3D Design & Printing on Nov. 30 or 2D Design & Laser Cutting on Dec. 4.
---Then, join us Dec. 9 for an Introduction to Design Thinking and the live presentation of awards. Details and registration at www.rcbi.org/makesfest2021.
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Aerospace initiative could bring
millions of dollars to West Virginia
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---RCBI and a coalition of statewide partners are banking on a multifaceted aerospace proposal to land a share of $1 billion in federal economic development funding.
---To accelerate economic recovery from the pandemic and build regional economies less susceptible to major disruptions, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) launched the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
---The agency will award 50 to 60 Phase I proposals up to $500,000 each to develop and support regional growth clusters. Under Phase II, 20 to 30 of these projects will receive between $25 million and $100 million to fully implement their transformational initiatives. EDA has committed to awarding at least $100 million of the $1 billion to communities heavily impacted by the decline of coal mining and related industries.
---RCBI’s is one of 10 Phase I proposals submitted by West Virginia groups.
---“Our proposal would provide direct support to West Virginia’s already robust aerospace sector and airports as well as attract private investment that focuses on new and emerging technologies,” said Charlotte Weber, RCBI director & CEO. “This initiative includes renovation of facilities and expansion of infrastructure at airports across the state to support
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aerospace-related manufacturing, workforce development and maintenance operations.
---“Our goal is to create additional high-wage jobs in this growing sector,” she said.
---A key component of the RCBI-led proposal is the establishment of and support for an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft system in West Virginia. Because of advances in electric propulsion systems and battery technology, this emerging industry is developing rapidly as a cost-effective alternative, especially in areas where traditional air service is limited.
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Infrastructure bill allocates billions
for high-tech West Virginia projects
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---The massive $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill passed by Congress and signed into law this month by President Joe Biden included billions for West Virginia projects, including funding for cutting-edge transportation initiatives fueled by emerging technologies.
---Marshall University’s Appalachian Transportation Institute, RCBI and others will compete for infrastructure monies to help bring the emerging technologies to West Virginia.
---An important project to West Virginia is the Virgin Hyperloop Certification Center announced in October 2020 by Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; state native John Chambers; and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The $500 million testing center is to be built on 800 acres in Grant and Tucker counties.
---Marshall, West Virginia University and others have submitted a grant that will help advance the state as the place where advanced transportation opportunities have a home. This project provides learning and workforce opportunities for West Virginians, as well as students enrolled at Marshall and WVU.
---The infrastructure bill also includes funding for emerging
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“green” technologies known as eVTOL, electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles that ferry people and cargo up to 250 miles on a single charge.
---RCBI and a statewide coalition, including many private business partners, have applied for Phase I Build Back Better grant funding to continue to build upon West Virginia’s rich history of aviation and aerospace manufacturing as well develop the new workforce needed to propel the eVTOL industry in the Mountain State.
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New machining, welding classes
begin January 10 in Huntington-
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---No need to wait until fall to begin your career journey. RCBI is launching new Machinist Technology/CNC and Welding Technology classes beginning Jan. 10 in Huntington.
---Better hurry! Only a few seats remain.
---RCBI, in conjunction with Mountwest Community & Technical College, recently announced that it would offer a new Machinist Technology/CNC class in January to increase the number of students training for available manufacturing jobs in West Virginia and the surrounding region. Prospective students looking to start their career journey or embark on a new path can get started early rather than waiting until fall 2022, said Charlotte Weber, RCBI director & CEO.
---“Our machining and welding graduates are in high demand, with many securing jobs even before they graduate,” Weber said. “These new mid-year classes will increase the availability of skilled talent our region’s manufacturers depend on.”
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---In addition to industry recognized credentials, students in the Machinist Technology/CNC and Welding Technology programs can earn either a one-year certificate or a two-year associate of applied science degree.
---Financial aid and scholarships are available. Mountain State residents may qualify for free tuition under the West Virginia Invests program, a state initiative to increase the number of young people pursuing careers in key in-demand fields.
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Learn how your small business
can compete for military contracts
---You don’t have to be a large manufacturer or produce weapons systems to become a supplier to the U.S. military. In fact, in 2020 the U.S. Department of Defense awarded small businesses more than $135 billion in prime and subcontracts to provide a wide array of goods and services.
---Learn how your small businesses can become part of the military supply chain during a free virtual workshop Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. hosted by RCBI.
---Doing Business with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, featuring presentations by the Department of the Navy Office of Small Business Programs, the Regional Contracting Assistance Center (RCAC) and West Virginia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is designed to educate small business owners and employees about procedures and guidelines for conducting business with these military branches and explain how to find upcoming contracting opportunities.
---“Only a small fraction of this $135 billion went to small businesses in West Virginia and the central Appalachian region,” said Derek Scarbro, RCBI deputy director. “We want to change that. This is a great opportunity to learn about available
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contracting opportunities, how to become a vendor and what resources are available to help navigate the process.”
---RCBI is presenting Doing Business with the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps as part of the AIM Higher Consortium, a strategic initiative to strengthen the Defense supply chain in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit www.aimhigherconsortium.org.
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RCBI makes 5-axis machining
available, affordable to clients
---Five-axis machining centers at RCBI are prime examples of how we make high-tech equipment available and affordable for use by small- and medium-size manufacturers.
---Many companies can benefit from the precision, speed and versatility of 5-axis machines, but few can afford to invest in such large capital expenditures before proving their cost-effectiveness. That’s because new, industrial-grade 5-axis machines can cost upward of $500,000!
---At RCBI, manufacturers and individuals can spend as little as a few hours and a few hundred dollars leasing time to produce complex parts on the 5-axis, while receiving assistance from RCBI’s experience staff in programming and operating these computerized machines.
---Five-axis machines offer several advantages over traditional mills, lathes and 3-axis machining. Because they machine on multi-axes simultaneously, doing the work of two, three – or more – machines at once, they reduce the need for multiple setups and computer programs.
---This, in turn, leads to more precise machining because the part doesn’t have to be repositioned to perform additional work. This also saves time and money and reduces raw material waste. And it virtually eliminates the need for post-processing or deburring.
---Its ability to produce ultra-high precision parts make the 5-axis a go-to tool of the aerospace and aviation industries because it is capable of manufacturing turbines, impellers and bladed rotors to the extremely tight tolerances required to meet
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quality standards. Five-axis machining also is used extensively in mold making because of its ability to produce complex geometries with very smooth surfaces, in some circumstances replacing the expensive and lengthy process of casting molds.
---Clients have used RCBI’s 5-axis machining, available at its Huntington and Charleston Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers, to create everything from mining equipment and freezer door hinges to compound bow stabilizers.
---“Our machinists, engineers and manufacturing technicians assess and determine whether clients can benefit from using the 5-axis or whether a 3-axis machine or other equipment is sufficient to produce their parts,” said Eddie Webb, RCBI director of manufacturing services.
---To learn more about RCBI’s 5-axis technology, contact Webb at ewebb@rcbi.org or 304.720.7738.
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West Virginia loses long-time enterpreneurial visionary Peduto
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---Guy Peduto III of Fairmont, director of the INNOVA Commercialization Group at the High Technology Foundation of West Virginia and an architect of the state’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, passed away October 30.
---Peduto joined INNOVA in 2006. The venture development group provides business support, commercialization services and early-stage investment capital dedicated to developing new technology ventures in West Virginia. Under his leadership, INNOVA worked with more than 500 companies and entrepreneurs seeking professional and/or financial assistance and facilitated more than $3.5 million of direct investment in 28 West Virginia companies.
---“Guy was an early advocate for creating a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in West Virginia,” said Charlotte Weber, RCBI director & CEO. “Guy cared deeply and worked tirelessly to make his adopted state a better place to live and work. We at RCBI were fortunate to partner with Guy on several economic development projects and evermore so to call him
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our friend. He we will be missed, but his many accomplishments will continue to benefit West Virginia for years to come.
---“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife of forty years, Donna Hoylman Peduto, an educational and economic team builder in her own right."
---To view Peduto's obituary, visit the Times-West Virginian website here.
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Nominations are open for Small Business of the Year Awards |
---The West Virginia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for the 2022 National and West Virginia Small Business Week Awards, including the Small Business Person of the Year.
---The SBA Awards, given in celebration of National and District Small Business Week, include the following categories:
- Small Business Person of the Year (National and District)
- Small Business Exporter (National and District)
- WV Family-Owned Small Business of the Year
- WV Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year
- WV Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year
---“We are looking forward to celebrating our Mountain State small businesses for National Small Business Week in 2022,” said SBA West Virginia District Director Karen Friel.
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Huntington's Level 1 Fasteners, owned by the Bourdelais family, was named West Virginia Family-Owned Small Business of the Year in 2020. Level 1 was nominated for the award by RCBI.
--Visit SBA’s www.sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria, and guidelines for submitting a nomination. West Virginia District nomination guidelines and district awards categories can be found on the district’s website here.
---All nominations must be submitted electronically here to the District Office no later than Jan. 11, 2022, at 3 p.m.
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U P C O M I N G-- E V E N T S
Nov. 30: 3D Design & 3D Printing Workshop, RCBI Huntington, 6-8 pm. More information
Dec. 1: Getting SBA Women-Owned Small Business Certified, webinar, 5-6 pm. More information
Dec 2: Deadline to enter Tri-State Makes Festival Design Challenge. More information
Dec 2: SBIR-STTR Bootcamp, online TechConnect WV workshop, 3-5 pm. More information
Dec. 4: 2D Design & Laser Cutting Workshop, RCBI Huntington, 10 am-noon. More information
Dec. 7: Applying for Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans, online event, 2-2:30 pm. More information
Dec. 7: Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Reconsideration, online event, 3-3:30 pm. More information
Dec. 8: Doing Business with the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps, online event, 1-3 pm. More information
Dec. 9: Intro to Design Thinking & Tri-State Makes Fest awards presentation, online event, 10-11 am. More information
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Robert C. Byrd Institute | 304.781.1625 | 1050 Fourth Ave., Huntington, WV | www.rcbi.org |
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