News

Idaho Office of Science & Technology August 2005

In this issue:

# Bully Dog Considered Most Promising New Start-Up

# Idaho Legislature Creates Biotechnology Task Force

# Intermountain Venture Forum Seeks Companies Looking for Funding

# Boise Angels Join Highway 12 to Fund Kestrelink

# BodyBuilding.com Ranked Among Top E-commerce Sites

# New Wind Park Planned Near Burley

# ECCO Partners with American Technology Corp.

# HPshopping.com Sales Center Opens in Boise

# UI’s Engineering Outreach Recognized Nationwide

# Premier Technology Starts Blackfoot Facility

# BSU Professor Receives $400k Career Grant

# COMPUSA to Offer DDi’s Home Entertainment Product

# Verizon takes Tamarack Wireless

# Rural Entrepreneurs Can Take Advantage of New Business Training

# International Trade Seminars Hosted Statewide

# Biodiesel Plant Planned for Magic Valley

# AMI Semiconductor Opens India Operation

# UI Named Important Center for National Security Efforts

# ISU Biology Department Focuses on Idaho Wildlife

# News From Elsewhere

Bully Dog Considered Most Promising New Start-up

(Sun Valley, Idaho) When a couple of Idaho farm boys souped up their diesel tractors to race down dirt roads, little did they know they had taken the first step toward launching a multi-million business.

Today, those farm boys from Aberdeen, Idaho have built Bully Dog Technologies from their own patented technology and are selling into the mammoth diesel truck aftermarket.
Bully Dog won top honors and $10,000 at the annual TechLaunch competition in Sun Valley, and is viewed as one of the most promising new technology start-ups in the state.
The company, which makes technology that provides more horsepower to diesel engines, was among seven other Idaho start-ups that presented business plans to a panel of judges and an audience of about 140 attendees.
TechLaunch provides experience in presenting to investors to emerging companies. The competition, started in 2004, is organized by Idaho’s TechConnect offices, the Idaho National Lab, the Idaho Office of Science & Technology, and the Idaho Economic Development Association.

This year, the event also included a college student competition. For more information or entrepreneurial assistance, contact TechConnect representatives:
– William Sellers, TechConnect East: (208) 523-9898
– Rick Ritter, TechConnect West: (208) 426-6613
– Hank Artis, TechConnect North: (208) 262-2039 x1450
More information on Bully Dog is at bullydog.com.

Idaho Legislature Creates Biotechnology Task Force

(Statewide) Biofuels, a potential medical research center, and biotech seed crops all discussed at the first meeting of the Idaho Legislature’s Biotechnology Task Force.
The new task force started its process of determining the role the state should play in this growing industry by hearing reports from the Office of the Governor, the Department of Agriculture, the Office of Science & Technology, a multi-university biomedical research organization and the BioIdaho organization.
The task force will hold its next meeting Sept. 7 in Boise and will continue its information-gathering process. Recommendations for potential legislation will be discussed by the task force later this fall.
Members include state senators Gary Schroeder, Hal Bunderson, Chuck Coiner, Russell Fulcher, Bert Marley, and state representatives Doug Jones, Darrell Bolz, Ann Rydalch, Frank Henderson and Nicole LeFavour.
Biotechnology is a $54.6 billion industry worldwide, and is considered a "core competency" for Idaho.
Minutes of the July 27 meeting will be posted at http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2005/Interim/
interimcommittees.htm#biotech
More information is at bioidaho.org.

Intermountain Venture Forum Seeks Companies Looking for Funds

(Boise, Idaho) The 7th annual Intermountain Venture Forum is set for Oct. 5-6 in Boise and organizers are soliciting proposals from companies interested in presenting to top institutional investors.
The forum brings together some of the region’s most promising companies with prospective investors from across the West. In 2004, the forum featured 14 presenting companies from six Western states with more than 25 of the West’s top institutional investors in attendance.
Hosted by the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, the event also features panels of leading experts in venture funding and angel investment.
Up to 15 companies will be selected in a competitive process to present this year. Companies selected will be assigned a team of experienced mentors to refine each presentation. Applicants not chosen to present will receive free registration to the event and can take advantage of networking and educational opportunities.
For information and an application, go to ivfboise.org/present.

Boise Angels Join Highway 12 to Fund Kestrelink

(Boise, Idaho) The Boise Angel Alliance and Highway 12 Ventures have joined forces to provide funding to local start-up wireless firm Kestrelink.
Kestrelink, which began business in November 2003 in Boise, develops high-performance software that enables WiFi (wireless) media in home and business media-centric devices. These media can range from streaming movie and video downloads to digital photographs, MP3s and other content accessible over home networks or the Internet.
Kestrelink has already landed launch customers for its embedded WiFi software, including sales to LCD TV set manufacturers, wireless router vendors, and digital media player companies.
The investment was part of a $1.95 million funding round for Kestrelink led by Boise-based Highway 12 Ventures.
"The whole idea of the Boise Angel Alliance is to facilitate that access between angels and entrepreneurs," said BAA President Steve Simpson. "Working with Highway 12 just reinforces the cooperative nature of relationships of investment groups in Idaho."
The Boise Angel Alliance, a private nonprofit organization of high-net worth individuals with an interest in investing in companies, was launched in June 2004.
Highway 12 has a $27 million fund and this is its 10th investment.
More information on the Boise Angel Alliance is at boiseangelalliance.com.
More information on Highway 12 is at highway12ventures.com.
More information on Kestrelink is at kestrelink.com.

BodyBuilding.com Listed as Top E-commerce Site

(Boise, Idaho) BodyBuilding.com, a Boise firm that sells health supplements, was ranked the 160th largest retail Web site in the country by Internet Retailer.
Internet Retailer’s annual Top 400 Guide identifies and ranks the 400 largest retail Web sites by their 2004 sales and measures other key statistics for each e-commerce site. The guide provides a profile on each company, covering corporate strategies, and merchandising and market tactics.
Bodybuilding.com also has store locations in Boise and Tallahassee, Fla.
More information is at bodybuilding.com.

New Wind Park Planned Near Burley

(Burley, Idaho) A new 10.5-megawatt wind park is planned for southwest of Burley.
The Burley Butte Wind Park will be Cassia County’s first commercial wind project and it is the first in Idaho to be partially funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Work will begin in October and the wind farm is scheduled to be on-line in December.
Exergy, the same company that brought the Fossil Gulch wind farm on-line earlier this year near Hagerman, will develop the project. Like Fossil Gulch, the Burley Butte facility will feature seven 1.5-megawatt turbines.

ECCO Partners with American Technology Corp.

(Boise, Idaho) ECCO Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of backup alarms for commercial vehicles, may soon provide a new sound to its alarms.
The Boise firm has licensed American Technology Corp.’s technology for directional-focused alarm signals. American Technology makes a technology called SoundVector which directs the alarm signal to the rear of the vehicle, reducing noise and distractions on work sites.
"SoundVector will be the biggest innovation to backup alarms since ECCO introduced the Smart Alarm(R) over 20 years ago," said Ed Zimmer, president and chief executive officer of ECCO Group. "Our first product together will focus the backup alarm sound to the hazard zone at the rear of the vehicle, greatly reducing jobsite noise and driver irritations."
Other vehicle sound shaping applications are expected to quickly follow.
ECCO, based in Boise, has manufacturing plants in Boise, England, Australia and China. For more information on ECCO, go to eccolink.com.

HPshopping.com Sales Center Opens in Boise

(Boise, Idaho) HP officially opened its HPshopping.com sales center in Boise, and expects to staff the online consumer-shopping subsidiary with about 200 employees.
The sales center will serve hpshopping.com’s U.S. consumers with salespeople guiding them through the purchasing process.
"The Boise sales center is a milestone for hpshopping.com," said Pete Appl, general manager, hpshopping.com. "It is especially gratifying that we will be joining the Boise community, a city that holds close ties to HP and a wealth of talent."
HP’s operations in Boise include marketing and customer and sales support. The site is also a major research and development hub for the company.
HPshopping.com primarily will be filling telesales positions and seeking talented candidates who can build brand loyalty and increase sales of HP products. Interested applicants are invited to visit http://www.jobs.hp.com.
HPshopping.com (www.hpshopping.com) offers customers a one-stop shop for HP home and home office products – including customized HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario PCs, handheld devices, digital cameras, printers, printing supplies and digital entertainment products.

PCS Edventures Launches Catalog Sales
((Boise, Idaho) PCS Edventures, which makes engineering, robotics and science learning labs, plans to launch a catalog to expand sales and products.
The firm will sell its own product offerings along with more than 20,000 other educational items, ranging from software to furniture to books.
PCS will begin to offer the expanded product line this fall through internal sales efforts. Custom catalogs integrating existing PCS sales materials will roll off the press in December.
More information is at edventures.com

UI’s Engineering Outreach Recognized Nationwide

(Moscow, Idaho) University of Idaho’s Engineering Outreach program has been ranked 17th in the nation for comprehensive technical programs, which offer master’s in engineering degrees that are delivered online and in other "distance formats."
The ranking, administered by GetEducated.com, compared the 56 accredited distance-learning master’s in engineering programs in the United States. Program comparison factors include technology innovation, comprehensiveness and cost/value to students.
UI’s Engineering Outreach program was the first program of its type in the country to initiate the transition to a DVD, Web-supported delivery format for all 70-some courses it offers each semester. The EO program delivers complete graduate degree programs in nine disciplines, as well as certificate programs in 10 technical areas. The program also offers courses in a number of focus areas including business and statistics.
"The majority of our students are working professionals who need to keep up with coursework while traveling on business," said Barry Willis, head of EO and associate dean for outreach in UI’s College of Engineering. "In the past, travelers had to rely on the bandwidth limitations wherever they traveled. If connections were poor or bandwidth limited, downloading course content or accessing high-bandwidth Web-based courses could be slow and frustrating."
More information is at outreach.uidaho.edu/eo

Premier Technology Starts Blackfoot Facility

(Blackfoot, Idaho) Premier Technology, Inc. has broken ground on its new headquarters, engineering and manufacturing facility in Blackfoot’s Riverview Technology Park.
The Premier Technology facility will be 100,000 square feet in size including 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 20,000 square feet dedicated to engineering and office space. Total cost of the facility will be approximately $7 million. Construction is scheduled to be completed in April 2006. At that time, the company will relocate most of its employees from its current headquarters in Chubbuck while continuing some manufacturing at that location for an indefinite time period.
Premier Technology has grown from 45 employees and less than $5 million in annual sales in 1997 to 178 employees and approximately $30 million in annual sales this year. The company projects that it will create an additional 125 jobs over the next five years. Most new jobs will be engineering, project management, and production positions.
Premier designs and develops products for a wide variety of industries, including the nuclear industry, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the cheese and dairy industry.
Products designed, developed, and manufactured by Premier Technology include isolation barriers, shielding windows and equipment, environmental management systems, storage containers, pressure vessels, and material handling systems.
More information is at ptechnology.net.

BSU Professor Receives $400k Career Grant
(Boise, Idaho) Boise State University physics professor Alex Punnoose has received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award for early career faculty, a $400,000 grant that recognizes his effectiveness at integrating education and research.
The award will support Punnoose’s research and provide funding for as many as 15 Boise State graduate and undergraduate students to work in his lab over the next five years.
Punnoose has more than $2.1 million in current funding from various agencies including four NSF awards. His research involves two of the hottest fields in science and technology today, nanotechnology and spintronics. Punnoose is researching ways to make semiconductors smaller (nanotechnology) and more effective by making use of the magnetic behavior of electrons (spintronics).
His latest award is for a project titled "Development and Investigations of Transition-Metal-Doped Ferromagnetic SnO2 Thin Films and Structures."
As part of the NSF project, Punnoose and his students will collaborate with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory, Micron Technology, the University of Idaho and Argonne National Laboratory.
Punnoose earned a Ph.D. in physics from Aligarh University in Aligarh, India. He previously worked as a postdoctoral associate at West Virginia University.

COMPUSA to Offer DDi’s Home Entertainment Product
(Boise, Idaho) CompUSA, one of North America’s leading retailers and resellers of technology and services, will offer a Boise firm’s brand-new home-entertainment system technology.
Dedicated Devices, Inc., based in Boise, will have its product in CompUSA’s 12 Digital Living Centers across the country and available for installation in production home developments, custom homes and digital home remodeling projects. The product is called the Leviton Entertainment & Applications Platform and is manufactured by the Leviton Manufacturing Company, one of the world’s most extensive and diversified electrical manufacturing firms.
"Builders of new homes have come to rely on CompUSA Digital Living to install and service home networking technologies such as structured wiring and the structured media center cabinets that manage it," said Kevin Burg, National Manager of CompUSA Digital Living. "By featuring LE&AP, CompUSA can provide builders a complete solution to support the digital lifestyles of today’s home buyers."
More information is at dedicateddev.com/products/ddc.

Verizon takes Tamarack wireless
(Donnelly, Idaho) North America’s newest ski resort has gone wireless. The project at Tamarack Resort in Donnelly was part of a $45 million investment in Idaho by Verizon Wireless.
Resort customers – whether they are skiing on Tamarack’s 2,100 acres of terrain, golfing on its Robert Trent Jones II signature golf course or sailing on Lake Cascade – will be able to enjoy wireless service.
"Our goal is to be able to ensure Tamarack homeowners and guests are provided with seamless, wireless coverage throughout the resort at all times," said Tamarack President and CEO Jean Pierre Boespflug.
Tamarack is the first all-season resort to be permitted in the United States in 23 years. More information is at tamarackidaho.com.

Rural Entrepreneurs Can Take Advantage of New Business Training
(Statewide) A training program to help entrepreneurs succeed is now available in many of Idaho’s rural communities.
The Small Business Development Center has partnered with Idaho Commerce & Labor to certify many of the state’s rural economic development professionals to teach the NxLevel entrepreneurial training program.
The NxLevel program is designed to encourage business startups and expansions in a community, which is crucial in Idaho’s rural areas.
"Encouraging entrepreneurial development is a key strategy to provide more job opportunities to Idahoans living in the state’s rural areas," said Wendi Secrist, business development manager with Idaho Commerce & Labor.
Because of the nature of many of Idaho’s rural areas, the bulk of new jobs do not come from new companies relocating to a community.
Secrist said only about 1 percent of the new jobs in rural communities come from relocations while 44 percent are generated by an entrepreneur in the community and 55 percent are the result of expansions of existing businesses.
Katie Sewell, deputy director of the Idaho Small Business Development Center, says the NxLevel course is designed for entrepreneurs who are looking for a step-by-step approach to develop a business plan – either for a new business or for expanding an existing business.
The 10 to 12 week course covers a variety of different subjects, everything from financing to legal issues to how to market a business. The course also provides an opportunity to network with local business leaders, who participate as guest speakers.
"At the end of the course participants will have a thorough understanding of what is involved in starting and running a business," Sewell said.
For more information about the NxLevel program visit the Idaho Small Business Development Center Web site at http://www.idahosbdc.org or call 1-800-225-3815.

International Trade Seminars Hosted Statewide
(Statewide) A series of seminars will be held throughout Idaho in August to help businesses learn more about exporting overseas.
The two-hour seminars, hosted by the International Division of Idaho Commerce & Labor, will cover the basics of exporting, services and programs offered by the state, and how to participate in the Governor’s trade missions.
Seminars will be held in southeastern Idaho Aug. 3 and Aug. 10, in southwestern Idaho Aug. 11, and in northern Idaho Aug. 17 and Aug. 18. Cost is $10.
To register or for more information, go to cl.idaho.gov and follow links to Local Communities/Global Partners Workshops. Contact: Carol Ryan, (800) 842-5858 or (208) 334-2650 ext. 2122.

Biodiesel Plant Planned for Magic Valley
(Twin Falls, Idaho) An Idaho firm plans to turn manure into energy.
Exergy Development Group of Idaho LLC has formed a subsidiary called F2M – or Farm to Market – and plans to convert manure into biodiesel.
The firm plans to use a hydrothermal technology which generates virtually no emissions and the refinery will yield both biodiesel and pharmaceutical-grade glycerin.
The firm is now beginning the process for siting the facility and expects to have the location selected by this fall.

AMI Semiconductor Opens India Operation
(Pocatello, Idaho) AMI Semiconductor has opened an offshore design center in India, expanding its design and development capabilities.
The new design center is based in Bangalore and was established in partnership with Indian product design specialist TATA ELXSI Ltd.
"Choosing to create a new design facility in India gives us access to a large pool of talented resources that can support our growing worldwide design and development requirements," said Tony Denayer, senior vice president of product development for AMIS.
AMIS designs and manufactures integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products for the automotive, medical and industrial industries.
More information is at http://www.amis.com

ISU Biology Department Focuses on Idaho Wildlife
(Pocatello, Idaho) Idaho State University has joined with the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to create a new faculty position in the department of biological sciences that will focus on the study of Idaho wildlife. Dr. John G. Kie, an authority on the ecology of mule deer, has joined the faculty of ISU as a research professor, a position that will allow him to teach graduate courses and conduct research.
Kie’s awards include the O.C. Wallmo Award as distinguished mule-deer biologist, the Arthur S. Einarsen Award from the Northwest Section of the Wildlife Society for his outstanding service to the wildlife profession and dedication to wildlife resources, and the Outstanding Publication Award from the Wildlife Society for a recent paper on the ecology of mule deer.
"My current research interests include looking at how landscape structure influences movements and distributions of large mammals," said Kie. "As a hunter myself, I hope I can provide sound, scientific information to Idaho Department of Fish and Game and other resource managers to enable them to better manage populations of and habitats for deer, elk, and other big game species."
In the past 27 years Kie has been published nearly 100 times in scientific journals, most of which deal with the ecology and management of large mammals, including studies of white-tailed deer, elk, moose, coyote, as well as his research on black-tailed and mule deer. Kie is also a newly elected fellow of the Wildlife Society.

UI named important center for national security efforts
(Moscow, Idaho) A University of Idaho laboratory has once again been designated as one of the nation’s most important centers for computer security and cyber-forensics.
Because of its Center for Secure and Dependable Systems, the University of Idaho is one of just 66 universities to be named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
The UI laboratory is filled with state-of-the-art operating systems for automated controls in avionics, industrial processes and critical infrastructures.
Students assist on such research projects as the Multiple Independent Layers of Security initiative, to build high-assurance controls for systems in which failure can result in loss of life or a breach of national security. They also design an "attack-defend" instructional computing lab and test beds to safeguard supervisory control and data acquisition systems used in industry and critical infrastructures.
Computer science faculty members Jim Alves-Foss, Paul Oman and Scott Harrison have teamed up with AFRL, DARPA, Lockheed-Martin, and NSA to develop new software to avert malicious cyber threats. The direct results will be deployed in military computer systems starting next year, protecting the security of U.S. troops.
The university is one of the original seven universities to receive this designation in 1999.
"The Center of Excellence designation is a prestigious award, putting us on part with such universities as Carnegie Mellon, Stanford and University of Washington," said Alves-Foss. "UI has been working in the area of computer security since 1991, and is pleased to be a leader in this crucial field."

News From Elsewhere
Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that the state would provide a $50 million grant to establish the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine. The nonprofit institute is a collaborative effort between the Texas A&M University System and Lexicon Genetics, a private firm. Lexicon will receive $35 million of the grant to create two copies of its library of 350,000 mouse stem cell lines for use by the institute to identify new drugs for combating human diseases.
The new institute is expected to create 5,000 new jobs over the next decade with an average salary of $60,000, according to a press statement.
More information is at: http://www.tamhsc.edu/news/archives/001914.php

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has approved spending $5 million for two new programs supporting agricultural and forestry bio-based industrial development. Bio-based industries convert the carbohydrates in plants into fuels, polymers, fabrics, and other chemicals.
The new programs include a $1 million grant program that will help entrepreneurs develop ways to use plant and animal resources for no-waste, bio-based energy, fuels or products, and a $4 million grant for research and development of forestry biomass technology.
More information is at: http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?prid=1235

Read More Idaho Technology News
Miss last month’s Science & Technology newsletter? Find the complete newsletter archives at technology.idaho.gov and click on "news."

Have an Idea/Submission for this Newsletter?
Contact Julie Howard at the Idaho Commerce & Labor’s Office of Science & Technology at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2147, or at [email protected]

2005 Events Calendar
July 9-Aug. 20
World Nuclear University Summer Institute
Idaho Falls
75 World Nuclear University Fellows from 33 countries will learn about a wide range of nuclear energy topics. Some programs will be open to the public. Keynote speakers include Hans Blix, former director of the International Atomic Energy Association and the former lead United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq.
More information is at world-nuclear
-university.org.

July 31-Aug. 5
Northwest Economic Development Games
Ellensburg, Wash.
Consultants, practitioners and teachers collaborate on how states and communities can establish a healthy environment for businesses. For information, go online to http://www.cted.
wa.gov/ed/et.

Aug. 7-10
Biomedical Research Conference
Nampa, Idaho
Researchers from Idaho universities will present biomedical research projects at the IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence conference.
Contact Lodi Price, (208) 885-5373.

August 8
Legislative Interim Committee on Energy, Environment & Technology
Boise, Idaho
The interim legislative committee will host its second meeting Aug. 8 in Boise. For details, go to http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/
sessioninfo/2005/Interim/interim
committees.htm#energy

August 18
Boise Angel Alliance
Boise, Idaho
This private non-profit investing group hosts its quarterly meeting. For information about this organization, go to boiseangelalliance.com.

August 22-23
Northwest Energy Symposium
Portland, Ore.
This energy technology event brings together entrepreneurs, utilities, investors, research organizations, academia, and government officials involved with the region’s emerging energy sector.
For more information, go to http://www.nwetc.com

September 15-16
Biodiesel Utilization Workshop
Boise, Idaho
A series of workshops will provide information about this alternative fuel technology.
For more information, go to biodieseleducation.org.

September 22-23
Sustainable Transportation Conference
Moscow, Idaho
Topics range from biodiesel fuel production to land use and sustainable communities.
Registration and information is at http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/ sustainable_transportation

September 28-30
Venture Capital Conference
Philadelphia
The National Association of Seed and Venture Funds provides education to investors and economic developers on expanding funding sources for entrepreneurs.
More information is at http://www.nasvf.org.

October 5-6
Idaho Intermountain Venture Forum
Boise
Emerging companies from throughout the region present their innovations to potential investors.
For information, go to http://www.ivf.org.

October 13-14
Idaho Manufacturing & Innovation Conference
Boise
Idaho’s second annual manufacturing conference is produced by TechHelp. Keynote speaker Ken Schmidt, of Harley Davidson, will be featured. Cost is $250; $35 for keynote luncheon only.
Register at http://www.techhelp.org, or call Melissa Jensen at (208) 426-3767.

For more calendar information, visit Conferences and Events at cl.idaho.gov

"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."

IDAHO COMMERCE & LABOR
PO Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0093
Tel: 208-334-2470; Fax: 208-334-2631
Web: cl.idaho.gov
05-62000-250

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, GOVERNOR
ROGER B. MADSEN, DIRECTOR
KARL TUELLER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR & OST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Idaho Commerce & Labor is an equal opportunity employer.
This document is available upon request in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities.
[email protected] • Idaho Commerce & Labor

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