January 24, 2011
AIRPORT
TRAFFIC INCREASES AS RUNWAY RECONSTRUCTION PROCEEDS – Passenger
traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 27 percent in
December over December 2009. Delta and U.S. Airways have increased the
number of available seats over the prior year and both carriers achieved
strong passenger loads with the added capacity. This year, Delta plans
to upsize to Boeing 757 aircraft and will increase service to five
flights per day with the larger aircraft. Both Delta and U.S. Airways
have maintained their flights while the airport’s $20-million
reconstruction and repaving of the main runway proceeds on schedule.
Currently, the contractor is completing the pouring of a new concrete
“keel” at the west end of the runway to overcome the naturally wet soil
conditions. The keel is 50 feet wide, two feet thick and more than 2,500
feet long. The runway project is almost entirely funded with federal and
state grants. The airport finished 2010 with in excess of 500,000
passengers.
WEBINARS
ON GOVERNMENT GRANTS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION -- The Florida
Economic Gardening Institute is providing free online webinars about
SBIR/STTR funding opportunities. Six sessions cover how research
faculty, students, and technology entrepreneurs can access government
grants for technology commercialization by working closely with small
technology firms that are seeking universities and their research
faculty as SBIR partners. The webinars start February 7. For local
support in preparing an application, contact John Kizer or Paul Mitchell
at 386-248-8048 or
jkizer@co.volusia.fl.us. For more information about the webinars go
to: tinyurl.com/4nfmyla.
SCORE TO
PRESENT FREE SESSION ON DEVELOPING A BUSINESS PLAN – A business plan
is the map to success. Why you need one and what is included in a
successful plan are covered in a free workshop presented by the
Volusia/Flagler SCORE chapter at the Daytona Beach International Airport
February 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. Reservations are required and include free
parking. To register, call 386-255-6889 or go to:
score87.org.
WEBINAR
FOCUSES ON EXPORTING TO CANADA -- The U.S. Commercial Service Global
Energy Team will present a webinar market update on the energy and
environment sectors in Canada. This event, February 8 at 2 p.m., will
provide participants with an overview on the energy and environment
sectors in Canada; a sampling of the latest developments in the Canadian
market; a list of best prospects for U.S. companies wishing to export to
Canada, and an overview of the Americana 2011 renewable energy trade
show and the upcoming North American clean energy trade mission. The
registration fee for the webinar is $40. For information contact:
Cynthia Torres at 310- 882-1043 or email:
Cynthia.Torres@trade.gov.
HEALTH
CARE CREDIT FOR SMALL BUSINESS -- Included in the Affordable Care
Act enacted last March, the small business health care tax credit is
designed to encourage small businesses and small tax-exempt
organizations to offer health insurance coverage to their employees for
the first time or maintain coverage they have. The IRS has released the
form and instructions on how to claim this credit for the 2010 tax year.
It’s available at: tinyurl.com/2cxjp41.
NEED TO
SEARCH FOR PATENTS? – The PatentStorm website offers full-text U.S.
patents and patent applications from the U.S. Patent Office. The site
provides advanced search capabilities and full image retrieval. The site
is ideal for inventors, patent attorneys or agents, or people who are
curious about how things work. The database contains issued patents
(including utility, design and plant patents) back to 1976, and
yet-to-be approved patent applications back to 2005. Content is updated
weekly at the same time the U.S. Patent Office updates theirs. The
website is: patentstorm.us.
QUOTE OF
THE WEEK -- "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is
the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst
thing you can do is nothing." -- Theodore Roosevelt
NEWS
ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Dave Byron,
Volusia County Community Information Director, 123 W. Indiana Ave.,
DeLand, 32720-4612, by fax at (386) 822-5072 or by e-mail at
dbyron@co.volusia.fl.us.
