Greenwood Genetic Center unveils the Gene Machine, a mobile science laboratory
June 28, 2010
The Greenwood Genetic Center has long been a popular destination for high school science class field trips and community group tours. However for some schools and students across South Carolina, travel to Greenwood is impractical or impossible. On Wednesday, the Greenwood Genetic Center unveiled a 41-foot solution to this problem – a custom bus equipped as a state-of-the-art genetics laboratory called the Gene Machine.
Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, the mobile science laboratory will be available to travel to high schools across South Carolina to provide laboratory-based activities and instruction facilitated by employees of the Greenwood Genetic Center. This opportunity is provided at no cost to the school.
“We are so thrilled to be able to provide this genetics laboratory experience to students all across South Carolina,” said Leta Tribble, PhD, Director of Education at the Center. “Genetics and biotechnology are rapidly growing fields of study. With this mobile laboratory, we can provide the opportunity to students in our state to have first-hand exposure to the vast technologies used in the medical genetics arena.”
The Greenwood Genetic Center was awarded a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2009 which allowed the Center to acquire the mobile science laboratory. This grant also provided funding to convert existing space on the Greenwood campus into a Genetic Education Center. This refurbished space, which has been in use since May, provides a dedicated site for visiting groups to attend lectures as well as participate in laboratory and computer-based genetics activities.
Teachers who schedule a mobile laboratory visit or bring their students for a tour of the Greenwood campus will be able to select from multiple laboratory modules or ‘cases’ for their students to complete. Each module includes a real-world scenario, laboratory techniques and genetic testing activities as well as consideration of ethical implications. Students will also be exposed to various career opportunities in the biotechnology and genetics fields. Educators can schedule a visit from the mobile laboratory or a tour of the Greenwood campus by contacting Dr. Tribble at (864) 943-4170 or toll free at (888)442-4363. Additional information is also available at www.ggc.org. The mobile laboratory is also available to exhibit at educational conferences and meetings.
About Greenwood Genetic Center
The Greenwood Genetic Center is a nonprofit institute, organized to provide clinical genetic services and laboratory testing, to develop educational programs and materials, and to conduct research in the field of medical genetics. The Center focuses on identifying the causes of birth defects and intellectual disabilities with a special interest in X-linked intellectual disabilities. The Greenwood Genetic Center also operates South Carolina’s only postgraduate Medical Genetics training program and is one of 43 accredited programs in the nation to offer training in four or more specialty areas. The Greenwood Genetic Center has clinical offices in Greenville, Columbia, Florence and Charleston in addition to the main campus in Greenwood. For more information, visit www.ggc.org.
Demuth wants to bring in new, help established businesses in Greenwood
June 15, 2010
By CHRIS TRAINOR/ ctrainor@indexjournal.com
Bringing in new businesses and helping previously established businesses.
In economic development, that’s the name of the game.
In Greenwood, Bill Demuth is looking to bolster both aspects.
Demuth recently joined Greenwood economic development firm Partnership Alliance as the organization’s director of new business. Demuth joins Partnership after a long stint working in economic development in Iowa.
Demuth said he will have a number of roles with Partnership.
“My role here in Greenwood County is to recruit business to the area, but at the same time never lose sight of what is already here,” Demuth said. “It is a lot easier to keep someone than recruit someone. When I refer to recruiting, it’s not just me doing the recruiting. It’s the Partnership Alliance, it’s the community and it’s the county. All of those that are here, because that is what gets evaluated.”
Demuth has been in economic development for about 21 years. He is a native of Iowa and said he “grew up on a farm.” He worked at the Iowa Department of Economic Development from 1989 until he recently joined the Partnership.
When working with the Iowa firm, his role was in project management and he often worked with existing industries, recruited companies from across the nation and also worked on insurance development initiatives, among other tasks.
Demuth said his role in Iowa will translate well to his new job in Greenwood.
“I saw (Partnership) wasn’t looking for someone to run the organization, they were looking for someone to do the business recruitment and work with existing business,” he said. “I’m very comfortable in that role.”
Demuth said, as he was investigating a move to Greenwood, he was impressed with the county’s industrial growth, population growth and proximity to mountains and oceans. He said he also was greatly impressed with the Greenwood Genetic Center and its campus, as well as the local medical community.
“I said to myself in the beginning, ‘I’m not going to go someplace that I know I can’t either turn it around or sell it,’” Demuth said.
Piedmont Tech’s ‘Project Lead the Way’ receives certification
June 1, 2010
As part of its continuing efforts to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the seven-county region, Piedmont Technical College has completed the requirements for certification to continue to offer Project Lead the Way, (PLTW), a national non-profit program that provides engineering and technology education curricula for teachers in middle and high schools.
“Project Lead the Way meshes with the goals of the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) of 2005,” said Sandy Warner, department head for engineering technology. “Piedmont Tech was the first technical college in South Carolina to be involved in this project.”
The law calls for the creation of clusters in schools to provide a well-rounded education for students by fostering artistic creativity, critical thinking, and self-discipline through the teaching of academic content, knowledge and skills that students will use in the workplace, further education and life.
The certification process begins as a self assessment, says Warner. This process requires schools to demonstrate they meet PLTW’s quality standards in professional development of teachers and counselors; the implementation of curriculum using required equipment and software; the formation of a Partnership Team, and demonstrate fulfillment of several additional aspects of the PLTW program. Then the program is evaluated by a team of experts.
“The self assessment gives us the opportunity to examine what we are doing and look at ways we can improve our program, not just for Project Lead the Way, but for the students enrolled in the engineering technology program at Piedmont Tech,” Warner said.
The primary purposes of the PLTW Certification Program are to recognize schools which have successfully initiated the PLTW program and to provide an opportunity for students to apply for college credit for selected PLTW courses.
“Piedmont Tech has always been a great supporter of Project Lead the Way,” said B.T. Martin, South Carolina state leader for PLTW. “They have shown an outstanding effort in supporting secondary PLTW programs in the region by forming a Memorandum of Understanding with many area high schools.”
For more information about Project Lead the Way, contact Warner at (864) 941-8466 or warner.s@ptc.edu.
Fujifilm opens inkjet photo manufacturing plant in Greenwood, SC
June 1, 2010
FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., said today that it will start producing a new inkjet photo paper at its Greenwood, SC, campus.
“We are proud to announce that we will start to produce a new inkjet photo paper in the U.S. to meet the growing demand generated by our customers’ adoption of our dry printing solutions,” said Ryutaro Hosoda, President and CEO, FUJIFILM North America Corporation and President, FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation. “We have been producing color photo paper here in the US that has built our reputation for quality through many years. In addition to that, we will begin the production of inkjet photo paper that illustrates our commitment to the industry and our belief in its continued promise.”
Fujifilm inkjet photo paper will be produced for use with Fujifilm’s Frontier Dry Inkjet Minilabs as well as its wide format inkjet printer solutions for retail customers. Fujifilm’s inkjet photo paper achieves vivid colors, high black density and pure whites. In addition, it delivers excellent image clarity enabling the highest quality prints with outstanding glossiness and sharpness.
“The Greenwood factory began manufacturing operations in South Carolina in 1988. Now Fujifilm is leading the way in digital print systems and is investing an additional $25 million to produce this new line of high quality inkjet paper,” said Shinji Kataoka, President, FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. “We are pleased that the company can accommodate this product expansion right here in Greenwood and continue to grow as a strong member of the local business community.”
The Science of Manufacturing at Fujifilm
The inkjet photo manufacturing process employs Fujifilm’s decades of technical advances in materials science and precision thin-layer film coating manufacturing, a technically demanding process discipline. Over the last seven decades, Fujifilm has invested billions of dollars in research and development to create superior coating technology – giving the company a competitive edge in the creation of high performance films, photo papers, and data tape storage media, among other high-growth products areas.
The recent introduction of inkjet photo paper by Fujifilm represents the latest application of this advanced manufacturing technique. Just as traditional silver-halide photography paper utilized color sensitive photochemical layers, Fujifilm engineers have applied this knowledge to inkjet printer photo paper – applying more layers to create more saturated, rich colors.
About FUJIFILM
FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. began manufacturing operations in South Carolina in 1988. The Greenwood manufacturing complex is currently comprised of five high technology manufacturing plants, the Greenwood Research Laboratories, and the largest Fujifilm distribution center in the world. The 500-acre complex is home to manufacturing for ink jet photo paper, digital and conventional pre-sensitized printing plates, QuickSnap one-time-use recyclable cameras, and color photographic paper. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.
* At an exchange rate of 93 yen to the dollar.
Partnership outlines $4.5 million fundraising goal in campaign
June 1, 2010
Chris Trainor/ Index Journal
Raising $4.5 million in five years — a lofty goal, particularly in this economy.
However, that is the goal Greenwood economic development firm Partnership Alliance has set for itself as it officially embarks on its Partnership for Tomorrow capital campaign. Partnership is looking to raise the $4.5 million by 2015 and put it toward five strategic economic development initiatives.
The Partnership for Tomorrow campaign had its official kickoff Tuesday afternoon on the campus of the Greenwood Genetic Center. The event featured speeches from Partnership CEO Mark Warner, Partnership board chairman R. Thornwell Dunlap III and Clemson University vice president of research and economic development Christian Przirembel, along with a taped address from Clemson president James Barker.
Numerous elected and public officials attended the conference.
The five initiatives Partnership seeks to address over the course of the capital campaign include:
- Business retention and expansion — Partnership would be the preferred partner for existing businesses and employers to create wealth and recruit and retain talent. The five-year investment would be $100,000.
- New business recruitment — Partnership would execute a recruiting strategy to capitalize on the strength of the Greenwood community, with a five-year goal of creating 1,000 jobs and $400 million in capital investments. The five-year investment would be $1,012,500.
- Talent recruitment and retention — Under this goal, Partnership would be the “collaborative focus point” between the local education community and Greenwood County employers. Efforts would be made to develop education and training systems that would support employers in Greenwood County.
The five-year investment would be $850,000.
- Community development — The focal point of this goal would be to continue to develop communities and neighborhoods in Greenwood that would provide entertainment, shopping, quality health care and quality education, along with attracting young professionals and retirees.
The five year investment would be $500,000.
- Greenwood Genetic Center — Partnership would partner with the Greenwood Genetic Center, the Genetic Endowment of South Carolina and Clemson University to develop and market the Greenwood Research park as the top location in North America for bio-science research, treatment and commerce. The five-year investment would be a minimum of $2 million.
The Partnership for Tomorrow campaign has received $1.28 million in pledges to date.
“We named the campaign the ‘Partnership for Tomorrow: An Innovative Past and a Bold Future’ because we wanted to honor the efforts that have been made over the years by people — a lot of whom are sitting in this room (Tuesday) — to get us where we are,” Warner said. “We also recognize, in these economic times, we are going to have to make some bold moves and be strong and innovative to win the economic development game in the future.”
In his videotaped address, Barker said Clemson is pleased to be a part of the campaign.
“Clemson University is proud to be a part of this economic and community development effort,” Barker said. “It’s compatible with the very essence of Clemson’s heritage and our mission as a public research university. Our founder, Thomas Green Clemson, envisioned a high seminary of learning, where intellectual development and economic development would go hand in hand. Today, this 19th century dream is a 21st century reality.
“The entire state of South Carolina is our campus and it always has been.”
