Dominion Acquires 50 Percent Interest in West Virginia Wind-Power Facility
RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dominion (NYSE: D),one of the nation's largest energy producers, announced Monday that it will acquire a 50 percent interest in a wind-turbine facility being developed by a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc in Grant County, West Virginia. Under terms of the agreement, Dominion will enter a joint venture agreement with Shell WindEnergy Inc. to develop the first phase of a wind facility near Dominion's Mt. Storm Power Station that will produce 164 megawatts of electricity. All regulatory and environmental permits required to begin construction are in place. Also completed is the transmission interconnection application and approval process with the PJM wholesale power market. Tom Farrell, president and chief executive officer, said: "This is a great opportunity for Dominion to increase its renewable energy portfolioas the industry looks for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our venture into the wind-energy market is another step we are taking to improve the region's environment. Emission-free generation produced by these wind turbines is a good fit with our other renewable and traditional generation sources. We are also pleased that this will contribute to the tax base of Grant County." The project will consist of 82 wind turbines producing 2 megawatts each. The turbines will be constructed on the Allegheny Front, which has an average elevation of 3,100 feet at the project site. The region around Dominion's Mt. Storm Power Station has been identified as one of the best wind turbine locations on the East Coast. Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of about 28,000 megawatts of generation, about 6.6 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves and 7,800 miles of natural gas transmission pipeline. Dominion also operates one of the nation's largest underground natural gas storage systems with about 950 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 11 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com/.
Since everybody's "going green," it's good to see some of our local Richmond businesses moving in the same direction. And it's not like there's no profit in it - Dominion is deciding to diversify to ensure a competitive edge in the national market, and making moves like this can ensure that some of our most successful interests will stay successful for decades in the future. There are even ways that small businesses can "go green" in very conspicuous ways (and therefore appeal to environmentally conscious customers) - you can convert to a paperless office, send invoices by email only, begin a recycling program, or get involved with a environmentally conscious non-profit organization. If you're considering the paperless office idea, we can help - get in touch at www.wheatsystems.com and we can explain what's involved. If you get involved with a third party organization, make sure that you invite your clients to take part with you, side by side.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Richmond man chosen as Maytag repairman the man nobody needs
BY JEFFREY KELLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Apr 3, 2007
Richmonder Clay Jackson is a former stage and commercial actor who, up until this week, was a Realtor.
Ol' Lonely isn't so ol' anymore.
Richmond resident Clay Jackson was named the new Maytag repairman yesterday, and at age 33 is a young'un compared to his three predecessors.
The avid tennis player and North Carolina-style pork barbecue lover was chosen after a nationwide audition that drew more than 1,500 folks vying to wear the iconic uniform.
Since 1967, that role has been played by an older gent who is always on call to fix broken Maytag appliances. But his services are never needed because of the brand's professed reliability, so he waits around by himself in a job that earned him the nickname Ol' Lonely.
Jackson -- a former stage and commercial actor who until this week was a Realtor -- will don a blue repairman uniform to go with his affable attitude.
"It's just an amazing opportunity. This doesn't happen every day," Jackson said in a phone interview yesterday from Caroline's comedy nightclub in New York, where he had just finished a news conference.
Jackson, who lives in Westover Hills, wouldn't disclose what a Maytag repairman can expect to make these days.
"I was actually surprised they were going to pay me," he said, but noted wages are plenty to support his wife and soon-to-be two children. "We definitely took the job. . . . It's a dream come true."
Unlike the Maytag repairman, it appears Jackson will certainly have something to do with his days.
As the face and spokesman for Maytag, Jackson will appear in TV, print, Web and radio commercials in a campaign that will begin next month.
The Trinity Episcopal School graduate is also expected to make more than 100 appearances a year as the Maytag man across the country. Such events could include stops at company plants to speak to employees, visiting appliance retailers such as Home Depot or being the honorary guest at trade shows.
"I'll be getting to know the Richmond airport very well," he said, but "the best thing [about the job] is I still get to live in Richmond."
Jackson said he's fit to reprise the repairman role because Maytag was searching for someone who was honest and well-grounded in family values, yet had the ability to relate to customers, which was something he learned in the real-estate business.
"We're proud of him and realizing it's a change in his life, but we think it's a good opportunity," said proud pop Earl Jackson, who this week gained a celebrity son but lost an employee. The younger Jackson joined his father's real estate firm, Prudential Slater James River, in 2004 as a mortgage lender before moving to sales.
Jackson heard about the auditions while vacationing in New York a few weeks ago.
He tried out and was one of 80 to be called back in early March. Those finalists narrowed to six in the last round of interviews during the week of March 12.
Jeff Davidoff, vice president of brand marketing and communications at Maytag, said in a company statement that Jackson was chosen because he was young-at-heart and energetic.
Officials at Maytag, a brand owned by manufacturer Whirlpool Corp., were looking for someone with acting talent but who had the ability to personify the company's tradition of advertising that it makes high-quality products.
Maytag has work to do to revive a brand that has been off of consumers' radar for years, said Kelly O'Keefe, executive education director at Virginia Commonwealth University's Adcenter.
"It's an interesting move on their part to . . . repack something that has worked in their past," he said. Sometimes such campaigns are successful, other times they are not.
But the repairman has been a familiar icon to previous generations, and consumers enjoy familiarity in their brands, O'Keefe said.
Maytag has "a pretty good chance of being able to bring [the repairman] back to life in a way that is both consistent with the past and also a fresher approach that's more relevant today. I think it's probably a very good move on their part."
Although I'm not sure that having a Richmond native as the new Maytag repairman will necessarily drive any business to Richmond, it is a friendly nod to Richmond's image on the national stage. It seems that between Elliot Yamin and Clay Jackson, we've at least presented to the world at large an image that has very little to do with the South, and a lot to do with a sense of warmth, friendliness, and down-to-earth people. That in itself makes Richmond seem a lot more welcoming to all the northern transplants considering a new place to live - as well as businesses who may be considering relocation. In addition to the Commonwealth's many tax breaks, legal tendencies to favor the employer, relatively sparse traffic, and lower cost of living, portraying an image of everyday friendly people is just another boon to bringing in large corporations like MeadWestVaCo and Northrup Grummond. For those considering Richmond, Wheat Systems has a full team of wiring and networking professionals who can help any size business in setting up a new location. Check us out if you are investigating Richmond for your business: http://www.wheatsystems.com
BY JEFFREY KELLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Apr 3, 2007
Richmonder Clay Jackson is a former stage and commercial actor who, up until this week, was a Realtor.
Ol' Lonely isn't so ol' anymore.
Richmond resident Clay Jackson was named the new Maytag repairman yesterday, and at age 33 is a young'un compared to his three predecessors.
The avid tennis player and North Carolina-style pork barbecue lover was chosen after a nationwide audition that drew more than 1,500 folks vying to wear the iconic uniform.
Since 1967, that role has been played by an older gent who is always on call to fix broken Maytag appliances. But his services are never needed because of the brand's professed reliability, so he waits around by himself in a job that earned him the nickname Ol' Lonely.
Jackson -- a former stage and commercial actor who until this week was a Realtor -- will don a blue repairman uniform to go with his affable attitude.
"It's just an amazing opportunity. This doesn't happen every day," Jackson said in a phone interview yesterday from Caroline's comedy nightclub in New York, where he had just finished a news conference.
Jackson, who lives in Westover Hills, wouldn't disclose what a Maytag repairman can expect to make these days.
"I was actually surprised they were going to pay me," he said, but noted wages are plenty to support his wife and soon-to-be two children. "We definitely took the job. . . . It's a dream come true."
Unlike the Maytag repairman, it appears Jackson will certainly have something to do with his days.
As the face and spokesman for Maytag, Jackson will appear in TV, print, Web and radio commercials in a campaign that will begin next month.
The Trinity Episcopal School graduate is also expected to make more than 100 appearances a year as the Maytag man across the country. Such events could include stops at company plants to speak to employees, visiting appliance retailers such as Home Depot or being the honorary guest at trade shows.
"I'll be getting to know the Richmond airport very well," he said, but "the best thing [about the job] is I still get to live in Richmond."
Jackson said he's fit to reprise the repairman role because Maytag was searching for someone who was honest and well-grounded in family values, yet had the ability to relate to customers, which was something he learned in the real-estate business.
"We're proud of him and realizing it's a change in his life, but we think it's a good opportunity," said proud pop Earl Jackson, who this week gained a celebrity son but lost an employee. The younger Jackson joined his father's real estate firm, Prudential Slater James River, in 2004 as a mortgage lender before moving to sales.
Jackson heard about the auditions while vacationing in New York a few weeks ago.
He tried out and was one of 80 to be called back in early March. Those finalists narrowed to six in the last round of interviews during the week of March 12.
Jeff Davidoff, vice president of brand marketing and communications at Maytag, said in a company statement that Jackson was chosen because he was young-at-heart and energetic.
Officials at Maytag, a brand owned by manufacturer Whirlpool Corp., were looking for someone with acting talent but who had the ability to personify the company's tradition of advertising that it makes high-quality products.
Maytag has work to do to revive a brand that has been off of consumers' radar for years, said Kelly O'Keefe, executive education director at Virginia Commonwealth University's Adcenter.
"It's an interesting move on their part to . . . repack something that has worked in their past," he said. Sometimes such campaigns are successful, other times they are not.
But the repairman has been a familiar icon to previous generations, and consumers enjoy familiarity in their brands, O'Keefe said.
Maytag has "a pretty good chance of being able to bring [the repairman] back to life in a way that is both consistent with the past and also a fresher approach that's more relevant today. I think it's probably a very good move on their part."
Although I'm not sure that having a Richmond native as the new Maytag repairman will necessarily drive any business to Richmond, it is a friendly nod to Richmond's image on the national stage. It seems that between Elliot Yamin and Clay Jackson, we've at least presented to the world at large an image that has very little to do with the South, and a lot to do with a sense of warmth, friendliness, and down-to-earth people. That in itself makes Richmond seem a lot more welcoming to all the northern transplants considering a new place to live - as well as businesses who may be considering relocation. In addition to the Commonwealth's many tax breaks, legal tendencies to favor the employer, relatively sparse traffic, and lower cost of living, portraying an image of everyday friendly people is just another boon to bringing in large corporations like MeadWestVaCo and Northrup Grummond. For those considering Richmond, Wheat Systems has a full team of wiring and networking professionals who can help any size business in setting up a new location. Check us out if you are investigating Richmond for your business: http://www.wheatsystems.com
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