Automotive

Odds and Ends

This week: McGeorge Toyota & Scion becomes fourth Certified Toyota Mobility Dealer in U.S. and other tidbits from the world of Richmond business.

Odds and Ends
Richmond.com
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Kent Jennings Brockwell
Richmond.com
Friday, July 20, 2007

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

CRT/tanaka has been retained by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to create and implement a comprehensive branding initiative. The account will be serviced by the agency's health practice. Established in 1921, APTA is a national professional organization that represents and promotes the physical therapy profession. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research and education. Headquartered in Alexandria, APTA represents more than 70,000 members. CRT/tanaka has also been retained by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) to create and execute a national lifestyle public relations campaign -- titled "Life… supplemented" -- to drive awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral part of a proactive personal wellness regimen. The campaign is a three-year program, beginning in the summer of 2007 with the launch of a microsite dedicated to providing consumers with a unique and fun online tool to help them get started on their personal wellness regimen. Budget for the project's first year is just over $1 million.

AUTOMOTIVE

McGeorge Toyota & Scion announced that it has become the fourth Toyota dealership in the nation to become a Certified Toyota Mobility Dealer. The certification reflects McGeorge Toyota's commitment to meeting the mobility needs of both Toyota and Scion owners and/or family members with physical disabilities. As an early-adopter of the Toyota Mobility Assistance Program, McGeorge Toyota has met the certification specifications set forth by Toyota and has made a special commitment to serve its customers with mobility issues and special needs. This commitment includes: A partnership with a mobility equipment dealer who is a specialist at understanding mobility issues and the appropriate adaptive equipment available to meet the transportation needs of persons with a disability; a trained Mobility Champion sales manager at the Certified Toyota Mobility Dealership who will work with their mobility equipment dealer partner to supply the correct transportation solution; and the provision of extended term mobility financing from Toyota Financial Services for purchases of both a new vehicle and the adaptive equipment required. To help offset the intrusive costs of adapting a vehicle, the Toyota Mobility Program provides a cash reimbursement of up to $1,000 of the cost to the vehicle owner for aftermarket adaptive equipment for drivers and/or passengers when installed on any eligible purchased or leased new Toyota or Scion vehicle. Locally, McGeorge has partnered with Ride-Away, America's largest supplier of handicap-modified vehicles. Ride-Away has two locations in Virginia, one of which is in Richmond off of Belt Boulevard.

BENEVOLENCE

CarMax, Inc. announced that Charles Eger of Chester has received the first $5,000 CarMax Math and Science Scholarship. Eger, a 2007 graduate of Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County, plans to major in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University this fall. The CarMax Math and Science scholarship was established to benefit graduating seniors who have tremendous academic skills and plan to attend a four-year university majoring in math, science, computer science, business, economics or another related field. Applicants were expected to have attended an accredited high school in Richmond City, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover or Goochland County. Other requirements include a grade point average of a 3.7 or better, a score of 700 in the math section of the SAT, involvement in extracurricular and volunteer activities, and experience in the work force. Candidates also had to have taken Dual Enrollment or AP courses in his or her desired major, maintaining a "B" average or better.

HEALTHCARE

RediClinic LLC announced that it has expanded coverage at its Richmond clinics to include members of Southern Health's HMO, PPO and POS plans. In addition to Southern Health, a Coventry Health Care plan, RediClinic visits in Virginia are now covered by the four largest commercial health insurance carriers -- CIGNA, Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare -- as well as by Medicare. RediClinics are in-store healthcare facilities that offer consumers easy access to high-quality, routine medical services at affordable prices. The Southern Health agreement covers the RediClinics located in nine Wal-Mart Supercenters in Greater Richmond.

Retreat Hospital will be the site of an hour-long OR Live webcast at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24. The webcast will feature two Richmond area surgeons discussing treatment for a 79-year-old patient with multiple colon and rectal cancers. Medical professionals and other interested viewers will be able to view live online the surgical presentation, which will also include technological advances for treatment of colon and rectal cancers and genetic testing for colon cancer. OR Live is a website that presents live and on-demand surgical webcasts from the top U.S. hospitals, featuring innovative procedures which offer significant advances in patient intervention, pain management and life expectancy. The webcast can be accessed through the OR Live website at www.or-live.com.

Also, Retreat Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of respiratory care services available in hospitals. About 500 hospitals, or approximately 10 percent of hospitals in the United States, have applied for and received this award. The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

LOGISTICS

Smartbox, a Richmond-based franchisor of storage and moving solutions, announced that it will entering the Los Angeles area. With its entry into L.A., the 11th new franchise opening in the past fourteen months, Smartbox's national footprint now stretches from coast to coast. In the last year, Smartbox has opened or announced franchises in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston (opening in August), Chicago, Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., and San Antonio. The Los Angeles franchise will open in September and service areas from the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County to the Simi Valley and Northern Los Angeles County and points in between. The company was founded in Richmond in 2004.

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

WRVA Richmond has been nominated for a prestigious Marconi Award, the radio industries equivalent to an Academy Award or Emmy, as "Legendary Station" for 2007. The award is presented yearly by the National Association of Broadcasters and is named for Nobel Prize winner and radio patron Guglielmo Marconi. It recognizes radio stations and air personalities on a national basis for excellence in broadcasting. WRVA joins five other legendary stations as finalists for the award. Previous winners include WABC New York, KGO San Francisco and KDKA Pittsburgh. Finalists are selected by an independent panel and winners are voted on by members of the NAB.

NEW BUSINESSES

Moore & Tyler Deli and Ice Cream at 22 W. Brookland Park Boulevard recently celebrated its grand opening. The new business is the collaborative effort of Cloyd Moore and Robert Tyler Jr., with the assistance of the City of Richmond's Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (CARE) program. Moore, a retired Richmond Public Schools employee, also operates a mobile vending operation and Tyler owns Tyler's Automotive at 2001 North Avenue, where they met. The new restaurant will provide full breakfast service with everything from grits to waffles for an average cost of $3, 13 flavors of ice cream, specialty "B&B" milkshakes and gourmet lunch time "MT" burgers. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday though Saturday.

Goodwill of Central Virginia is expanding its education, training, and career services through its new Chesterfield Employment Center. The Employment Center opened July 16 at 1211 Alverser Drive in Midlothian, just west of Chesterfield Towne Center. The facility combines workforce development services, donation collection, processing and retail operations in one location. The retail store and donation drive-thru opened to the public in early June.

PARTNERSHIPS & DEALS

Circuit City Stores Inc., Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Olympus Imaging America Inc. have teamed up to bring new excitement to the annual "ImageMakers National Photography Competition" by introducing the customer choice "Take a Shot" online competition. For the first time since its sponsorship began in 2000, Circuit City will host an additional contest to further recognize the work of the 24 talented youngsters who won the initial ImageMakers contest. Beginning on July 15 and running through Aug. 11, visitors to Circuit City's website, www.circuitcity.com/imagechoice, will be able to view the winning entries from all 24 contestants and vote on their favorite submission. Circuit City and Olympus will award the overall winner's local Boys & Girls Club with a "digital dark room." Setup and training will also be included courtesy of Circuit City's firedog services team.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Liberty Property Trust has recently signed eleven office leases.
  • In Innsbrook Corporate Center:
    -- Averett University has signed a long-term lease for 10,328 square feet of space on the first floor of the 4880 Cox Road building. The company will move into its new premises next month. Bill Reynolds of CBRE represented the tenant in the transaction.
    -- USI Insurance Services has leased 9,160 square feet in the 4880 Cox Road building. Walton Makepeace of CBRE and Justin Hodges of Studley Realty represented the tenant in the transaction.
    -- Snagajob has leased an additional 6,200 square feet of office space in the 4880 Cox Road building. The company will move into its newest location in the building in August, bringing its new total lease commitment in the Cox Road location to 36,735 square feet.
    -- Edgemark Properties LLC has renewed its lease for 5,750 square feet in the Rowe Building, located at 4510 Cox Road.
    -- Sterling Benefits LLC has also signed a lease in the Rowe building. The company has leased 1,294 square feet.
    -- Creative Business Capital LLC/Dave Rudolph has leased 634 square feet of space in the Ace Building, located at 4198 Cox Road.

  • Westerre Office Park:
    -- Business Suites has signed a long-term lease for 13,017 square feet in the Westerre III building, located at 3900 Westerre Parkway. The company will move into its new location in September.
    -- Second Bank & Trust has also signed a long-term lease for 3,894 square feet in the Westerre III building.

  • Boulders Office Park:
    -- Vitas Healthcare Corporation Atlantic has leased 5,076 square feet of space in the Boulders III building, located at 1100 Boulders Parkway. Austin Newman of Thalhimer represented the tenant in the transaction.
    -- Crawford & Company has also signed a new lease at the Boulders III building. The company has leased 3,209 square feet and will move into its new location in August.
    -- Reynolds, Smith & Hills has leased 1,198 square feet of office space in the Boulders III building. The company will move into its new location in August.


    • Thalhimer/Cushman & Wakefield recently announced a handful of recent property transaction and company news including:
  • The sale of 2.239 acres of land located at the intersection of Hull Street Road and Price Club Blvd. in Chesterfield County. New River Hull, LLC purchased the acreage from GVP, LLC for $702,606 and plans to build a hotel on the site. Richard L. Thalhimer and Gregg W. Beck handled the sale negotiations.

  • The sale of an office condominium at Westerre Commons Condominiums located at 3741 Westerre Pkwy. in Henrico County. Zytus, LLC purchased the 1,780 square-foot condo unit from Westerre Commons, LLC for $219,310 and plans to operate a technology business solutions office at this location. Mark E. Douglas handled the sale negotiations.

  • The sale of an office condominium in Shrader Commons located at 7824-26 Shrader Road in Richmond. Aces Properties, Series 7826 Shrader Road purchased the 3,000 square-foot unit from Shrader Road Commons, LLC for $315,225 and plan to relocate their law practice from downtown. Evan M. Magrill and N. Dean Meyer handled the sale negotiations.

  • The sale of condo Unit 3, Building 8 at Colony Crossing in Midlothian. VFP Properties, LLC purchased the 5,193 square-foot medical condo unit from Watercross Development, Inc. for $778,950 as the new location for a family practice. L. Birck Turnbull handled the sale negotiations.

  • The sale of approximately 24.13 acres of land in Louisa County at Zion Crossroads. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. purchased the acreage from The Rebkee Company for $8.1 million and plans to develop a 184,000 square-foot Walmart SuperCenter at the site. Lee Warfield and Pete Waldbauer handled the negotiations for Wal-Mart.

  • The company has been selected by Spectrum 1 Merchants, LLC for the property management of Merchants Walk Shopping Center located at 7508-80 West Broad Street in Henrico County. The 220,000 square-foot shopping center is anchored by Food Lion, A.J. Wright, PetSmart and Marshall's. Wendy Figg is the portfolio manager for this property.


    • PUBLIC RELATIONS

    EndGame Public Relations announced that the Richmond-based firm has been retained by Sheltering Arms, a physical rehabilitation hospital with nine inpatient and outpatient facilities in Metro Richmond. EndGame PR will provide media relations support for two projects. The first involves a new rehabilitation technology acquired by Sheltering Arms that will enhance treatment for patients. The second will promote planned events surrounding Sheltering Arms' celebration of National Rehabilitation Awareness Week by promoting health and awareness for Virginians during the week of Sept. 16-23. Work on both projects is already underway.

    REAL ESTATE

    Oakbridge Partners, LLC is nearing completion of a second building in a combination office-warehouse condominium complex valued at more than $5 million in eastern Powhatan County's Oakbridge Industrial Park. The Oakbridge project was one of the first in Powhatan County to receive approval for a commercial condominium association and is located just off Rt. 60 near its intersection with Rt. 288. The second building brings the development's total square footage to nearly 60,000 square feet. The new two-story brick structure will be adjacent to the project's first single-story building on Oakbridge Drive. Available space is sub-dividable into 3,000-foot condominium units in both buildings.

  • Do you have some new company information you would like to share with the Richmond business world? Drop me a line here.
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