Hello, Cardinal News readers. Welcome back to Cardinal Commerce Notes, our regular feature catching you up on recent business news items.
If you missed last week’s edition, check it out here to learn more about the New River Valley passenger train station, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s website refresh and a veterinary practice announcing its closure.
I’m always on the lookout for news tips. Please email me at matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn and message me there.
Manufacturer with Roanoke County site gets $120M Army contract
Elbit Systems of America, which has a manufacturing facility in Roanoke County, has been awarded a $120 million U.S. Army contract to develop a “Soldier Borne Mission Command” system.
The Army seeks systems that use head-worn displays so soldiers can share real-time intelligence and battlefield data, improving their situational awareness and helping them better engage with targets.
Elbit America is working with the technology firm Booz Allen Hamilton to create an artificial intelligence-enabled system with augmented reality, night vision and other features.
“Our Soldier Borne Mission Command is critical to winning on the battlefield. Soldiers need processed data distilled, so they’re more lethal and survivable. They need it at near zero latency and in a manner that enables them to shoot, maneuver, and share instantaneously,” Luke Savoie, president and CEO of Elbit America, said in a March 9 news release.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Elbit Systems of America is a subsidiary of Israel-based Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT).
Contract work will be performed at Elbit America’s Roanoke County site, which company spokesperson Amy Hartley said is “where all of our Night Vision expertise resides, along with the manufacturing of image intensifiers that are used in night vision solutions.”
In November, Elbit America announced it would invest $30 million in that location and add 288 jobs over four years, bringing its total employment there to more than 1,000.
Other companies developing Soldier Borne Missile Command systems for the Army include Washington, D.C.-based Rivet and California-based Anduril.
Appalachian Power to talk energy efficiency, bill assistance at upcoming home shows
Appalachian Power encourages customers to come to upcoming regional home shows in Christiansburg and Salem to learn more about “practical ways customers can reduce energy use and lower monthly electric bills.”
Customers will be able to meet with Appalachian Power representatives to talk about energy efficiency and bill assistance programs, the utility said in a news release.
“At these home shows, customers can talk one-on-one with our energy experts, learn about free home energy assessments, get easy weatherization tips, explore smart thermostat options and see which home upgrades may qualify for APCo rebates,” Tammy Stafford, manager of energy efficiency and consumer programs, said in the release.
The two Virginia home shows are scheduled for March 21 and 22 in Christiansburg and April 18 and 19 in Salem. Three shows will also be in West Virginia. For more information, visit www.appalachianpower.com/community.
Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NASDAQ:AEP), serves about 540,000 customers in Western Virginia.
State has $80 million for coal methane capture projects
Virginia Energy, the state’s energy agency, says it will award $79.5 million in competitive grants for projects that capture and reuse methane from coal mines, with projects in Southwest Virginia taking higher priority.
The Coal Mine Methane Capture and Utilization Program “aims to cut methane emissions by up to 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, while improving air quality and enhancing Virginia’s energy reliability and security,” according to a news release.
The program, which also involves a partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, will run through September 2029.
Grant applications will be accepted through April 10 of this year. More information is available on the program’s website.
That’s a wrap for this week. Do you know of a business expanding or relocating in your town? Excited about a restaurant opening up soon? Maybe you’ve got an update on a story we’ve reported before. Please send me your tips and suggestions: matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn.