Innovation & Job News

Bexion Pharmaceuticals has been selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for research collaboration to study Bexion's cancer nanotherapy treatment for solid tumors using tiny tubes as a means of delivering medication. The research will be conducted by the NCI's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL), part of a major program, the Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, to advance the medical applications of nanotechnology.

The National Cancer Institute established the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory in 2005 — in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — to perform preclinical efficacy and toxicity testing of nanoparticles.

The initial NCL efforts will focus on the characterization of Bexion's product for its absorption, distribution and toxicity properties in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The intent of these studies is to produce data for Bexion to support its filings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The cost of these studies is paid for by the NCL. The agreement is part of NCI's Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative, which seeks to accelerate the delivery of new products to cancer patients.

"We are very excited by this collaboration with NCL, and hope that we will be able to move more quickly into the clinic and commercialization with their help," said Dr. Ray Takigiku, CEO and president at Bexion Pharmaceuticals. "The primary purpose of this effort is to accomplish the work necessary for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application."

Bexion's technology is Saposin C-dioleoylphosphatidylserine (dubbed "SapC-DOPS").  SapC-DOPS is nanovesicle therapeutic for the treatment of glioblastomas, pancreatic cancers and other solid tumors. "Nanovesicles" are extremely tiny tubes that can deliver medication and therapies within the body without themselves being affected by metabolism or other body functions.

SapC-DOPS nanovesicles have preferential affinity for phosphatidylserine-enriched membrane patches, which appear to be common in many types of tumor cells and tumor neovasculature. Bexion's initial studies of SapC-DOPS have shown that the product induces apoptosis in cancer cell lines  — systematic, planned cell death — and also demonstrates in vivo efficacy in multiple tumor models.

Bexion's product will be tested through NCI's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory's assay cascades for generation of data that may be used in support of an FDA IND submission for SapC-DOPS.

NCL serves as a national resource and knowledge base for all cancer researchers to facilitate the regulatory review of nanotechnologies intended for cancer therapies and diagnostics. NCL, part of NCI's Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, works to accelerate the transition of basic nanoscale particles and devices into clinical applications.

Bexion Pharmaceuticals, based in Covington, Kentucky, is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative cures for cancer. This first product is a platform technology licensed from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. It is a first-in-class biologic with data-driven potential for treatment of a broad range of human cancers.

The speaker line-up for Cincinnati's first TEDx Cincy event reads like a Who's Who in Cincinnati innovation and creativity.

Among the scheduled speakers is Bengals linebacker, entrepreneur and Travel Channel star Dhani Jones. Outside of Cincinnati and football circles Jones is probably best known for his Travel Channel show Dhani Tackles the Globe, where he jets across the world, playing international sports and exploring new cultures. The show is in its second season. Jones will talk about something he knows firsthand: how sports can bridge language and cultural barriers.

Jones is among more than a dozen speakers scheduled to speak at TEDxCincy, including area leaders from the medical, arts, nonprofit and fashion worlds. The theme of the event, set for Oct. 7 at the Aronoff center downtown, is "Passion — The Energy Behind Life’s Most Fearless Pursuits."

TEDx is the moniker for the independently organized events based on the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference in California, which brings together some of the world's most innovative and inspiring speakers. There are hundreds of TEDx events scheduled across the world from Iran and China to Sweden and Argentina.

TEDx Cincy is being organized through a partnership with LPK, the world's largest independently owned design agency, and Procter & Gamble. Tickets are $55 each, $35 for students and can be bought online. A limited number of tickets will be sold, and advanced registration is required.

Following is a partial list of the schedule speakers; you can find a complete list here.

• Grant McCracken, Cultural Anthropologist and Author, will share his point of view on the connection between culture and commerce, how successful big brands rely on cultural factors to build awareness.
• Dr. Victor Garcia, Pediatric Surgeon, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, will deliver a presentation on how individuals, communities and organizations can work together to create a healthy and sustainable world. 
• Claire Thompson, Fashion Designer and graduate from the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program, will deliver a presentation on how her passion for art empowered her to overcome blindness and eventually led her to design a wedding dress featured on Good Morning America.
• Carlton Farmer, Curator of American I Am exhibit, Cincinnati Museum Center, will speak on creating a traveling museum exhibition and the imprint of African American culture on America.
• Herman Mays, Curator of Zoology, Cincinnati Museum Center, will speak on how the evolution of the DNA sequence and its power to change our understanding and experience of life.
• John Eckberg, Director of Media Relations, Cook Medical, will speak on the invention of an antibiotic catheter that could prevent up to 50,000 deaths in the United States each year.
  

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: TEDx Cincy organizers
Photography by Scott Beseler

Looking for a job? Northern Kentucky might have what you're looking for. The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's online job board has recently seen an uptick in postings.

In August, there were more than 70 postings, with several employers looking to hire for multiple positions. The sectors seeing some of the largest growth are nonprofit, sales and marketing. Currently there are just over a dozen nonprofit postings including listings from Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati and the American Red Cross. There are at least eight marketing and 14 sales listings.

The job board has been around since 2002, and has served as a place where Chamber members, and other area employers, can post jobs for free, said Nancy Spivey, the Chamber's senior vice president, Workforce, Education & Health Care Solutions.

"We have been averaging about five new job postings daily, although I spoke with an employer (recently) who is sending me a posting and that employer needs several hundred workers," Spivey said.

There are nearly two dozen job categories on the board, ranging from education and construction to manufacturing and administrative work. There are also part time listings.

The Chamber job board is more than just an online classified department. There's also a student section with internship and co-op postings, information from local employers who offer education assistance, job fair notices and more.

Another handy service the Chamber offers through the site is a resume blast. The Chamber has a relationship with dozens of regional companies who have signed up to receive resumes from potential employees on a regular basis. Job seekers send their resumes to the Chamber, which in turn, sends them along to the companies. This service is also free.

"We find this especially helpful for individuals who may be moving to our region, for those who are seeking a general opportunity (in customer service, retail, etc.), and for employers who hire for various positions on a regular basis," Spivey said.

Both job seekers and employers who want to be included on Resume Email distribution should contact resume@nkychamber.com. You can see the most recent list of interested employers here.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Nancy Spivey, NKY Chamber senior vice president, Workforce, Education & Health Care Solutions

Covington's TiER1, a custom software management solutions company, has recently received a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

This grant will allow TiER1 to help the DHS improve its training programs and the usability of its airport screening systems. TiER1 has received nearly $2 million in funding for similar types of work with grants from NASA, Air Force Research Laboratories, and the National Science Foundation.

"In this kind of high-end research we are looking at adaptive learning environments, reducing the time of training for individuals and making (training) more effective and accessible when they need it," said Normand Desmarais, TiER1 founding partner and chairman of the board.

TiER1, founded in 2002, is a provider of end-to-end online learning and knowledge management solutions. The company works to drive efficiencies and performance in five key areas: People, Process, Sales, Leadership and Structure.

"This win continues to expand TiER1's research capability and the results from this research is used to benefit our commercial and government clients," said Dr. Kevin Moore, TiER1 Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer.  "This is a big win for TiER1 and the DHS."

Clients include commercial, non-profit and government entities including Dell, FedEx, Fidelity Investments, Kraft, Wendy's and Procter & Gamble. Last year the company won a $750,000 research contract from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to develop a training system to detect and prevent insider cyber security threats.

The company's Performance1 software platform provides a single, integrated resource for user assessment, training delivery, usability evaluation, reporting, and tracking. The research and products that come from TiER1's government work also has applications in the private sector, which the company has used to spur growth and competitiveness.

"What this has done for our company in Kentucky puts us on the radar for think tanks and prominent organizations," Desmarais said. "It's given us a lot of credibility and the ability to grow our business."

TiER1 employs 60 people. The bulk of their web-based software development work takes place in Covington, but the company does have a few workers in Dayton and Colorado Springs. TiER1 has a highly specialized workforce, and has hired workers from across the country, but also right here in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky University's new Informatics program is providing the type of workers the company seeks out, Desmarais said.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Desmarais, TiER1 founding partner and chairman of the board

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

Northern Kentucky University has received nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation to attract and keep students who major in the critical Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (or STEM) programs.

It's one of several recent grants the university has received for STEM programs, whose grads are needed if the region wants to keep and create high-paying, high-tech and creative jobs.

"We have a dearth of people with science, technology, engineering or mathematics degrees but we have a lot of companies here who tell us that want more of these majors. This grant is going to help us recruit and retain those students," said Dr. Bethany Bowling, assistant professor of Biology, who helped write the grant proposal.  

NKU was one of 22 schools that received the grant out of 186 proposals submitted.

The NSF grant will be paid out over five years. It will be used to develop programs and a campus community that engages, supports and connects STEM students across disciplines, Bowling said. The university is calling the initiative Focus on Occupations, Recruiting, Role Models, Community and Engagement (or FORCE).

Ten NKU student STEM ambassadors have been chosen to assist with FORCE. Two students from each STEM program  - biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics - will hold study sessions, help with recruitment efforts and more. Each ambassador will be paid a $3,000 stipend for the year. Plans also include offering summer research opportunities. There are also about a dozen STEM-related clubs students will be encouraged to join.

Many students come to campus excited about a STEM program, but often lose enthusiasm as courses get tough or individual students don't have friends to connect to in their programs. This grant will help NKU foster a STEM community, which should give students a better shot at success, Bowling said.

"We want students to meet with people in their own disciplines or in STEM-related disciplines. Maybe they'll meet up with someone in the medical field and decide engineering isn't for them, but maybe they want to be a chemistry or biology major instead. We want to help them makes those connections," she said.

The FORCE program will kickoff Wednesday, Sept. 1, from 4-6 p.m. on the fourth floor of NKU's Dorothy Westerman Herrmann Natural Science Center.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dr. Bethany Bowling, NKU assistant professors of Biology


You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiawrites

KLH Engineers in Fort Thomas, Ky., has won an Autodesk BIM Experience award for its early adoption of Building Information Modeling for more than 35 new construction and renovation projects representing a total construction value of nearly $400 million.

The Autodesk Award goes to companies and educators internationally that are using innovative design techniques through the company's building information modeling (BIM). BIM is a software-based sustainable design technique that seeks to streamline building processes by more easily linking architects, engineers, construction professionals, facility managers, and owners. The process allows them all to explore the physical and functional characteristics of a building project digitally.

KLH Engineers began using the innovative design program in 2006.

"This is really the future of engineering and design, everything is going this way," said KLH Marketing Manager Cynthia Jackson. "This is 3D designing, and it helps eliminate the errors in the designing process ahead of time, as projects are being designed. It eliminates change orders and speeds up the work process."

KLH, founded in 1955, is a consulting engineering firm offering mechanical, electrical, communication and information technology, lighting design services, commissioning, and energy solutions. The company employs 95, and also has offices in Columbus, Ohio, and Dayton, Ohio.

KLH works in the healthcare, civic, institutional, retail, education and commercial markets and has completed more than 10,000 projects throughout the Tri-State and nationally. Among its projects were the IT design and renovation of the Otto M. Budig Theater at NKU, the mechanical, electrical and lighting systems for the 500,000 sq. ft. Fifth Third Bank call center in Madisonville, and the mechanical and electrical systems for Newport on the Levee.

One of KLH's current projects using BIM is NKU's College of Informatics.

The company also has recently been noted for its innovative approach to design by Building Design + Construction Magazine, which named KLH to their 2009 Giants 300 list and named them as one of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms in the U.S. The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce named KLH Engineers as one of its Emerging 30 firms in 2009.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: KLH Engineers Marketing Manager Cynthia Jackson

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

Duro Bag expansion continues throughout the United States and some of it is happening right here in Northern Kentucky. After working with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to secure up to $1 million in tax incentives, Duro will invest up to $2.5 million in its operations in Florence, Kentucky. The investment allows Duro to add production capacity. Additionally, Duro, which has over 2,500 employees working at 10 manufacturing facilities across the country, plans to add up to 130 employees to the facility in Florence.

Always seeking to serve its existing customers better and to add new ones, Duro continues to develop new high quality products that meet these goals as well as make the company a market leader in the paper bag industry. In addition, Duro, the largest bag manufacturer in the world, has continually strived to improve its operating efficiencies and maintain its position as the lowest cost producer in the market.

Duro is a full-service bag manufacturer producing grocery bags and sacks, handle and merchandise bags, paper lawn and leaf bags, lunch bags, and other.

Founded in 1953 by Mr. S. David Shor, Duro Bag Manufacturing Company continues to be privately owned and by the Shor family. His son, Charles Shor, has been President and Chief Executive Officer since 1987.

Family-owned Smith & Schaefer has been in Cincinnati for 60 years, and the regional healthcare and scientific furnishings dealer has just finished one of its most recent high-profile jobs in Covington.

The company, along with Cleveland based Array Healthcare Facilities Solutions, has just finished a design project for  St. Elizabeth Healthcare's Regional Diabetes Center.

The new Center opened in July and houses the single largest number of diabetes specialists and auxiliary services under one roof. It's largest facility of its type east of the Mississippi, the hospital said.

Smith & Schaefer's project head for the Diabetes Center, Leslie Gray, along with an Array designer worked together on space planning, specifications, finishes and design elements.

"For this facility Smith & Schaefer and Array focused on a modern look with tones that will age well with the facility," said Gray. "We chose a color palette that catered well to the end user groups and furniture that functions well within the space and patient use. Since the space is unique in its size and offerings, we wanted to offer a cohesive design with a separation between the educational and treatment spaces."

The Diabetes Center has 24 exam rooms, nine offices, a reception center, several patient waiting areas and an educational center for group classes and conferences.

Smith & Schaefer is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with a satellite office in Cleveland and services Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Western Pennsylvania, and now, West Virginia with resident sales personnel in Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Marietta.

The company was founded in 1950 as a regional dealer and manufacturer representative for many nationally known companies specializing in furnishings, equipment, and design, for laboratory research, healthcare, governmental and educational environments.

The company has sold over $250 million of laboratory casework, healthcare furniture and equipment.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: The Eisen Agency

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

If you're looking for Greater Cincinnati's creative class, hop on over to the ongoing Cincinnati Innovates contest where more than 120 people have submitted a wide variety of innovative concepts for businesses, products and nonprofits.

Cincinnati Innovates 2010 is offering Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky entrepreneurs and inventors more chances at start-up prize money this year, with more than $80,000 in awards.

The second annual competition is open to anyone now or originally from the 15-county area of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. It has a broad reach and can include innovative products, devices, business processes and more.  The top prize of $25,000 is sponsored by CincyTech.

This year's competition ups the stakes and opportunities for innovators. There are several new prize categories including a $5,000 web development award sponsored by CoStrategix, a $10,000 award in branding and design services from LPK, and a $10,000 commercialization award to a Kentucky-based company sponsored by The Northern Kentucky eZone, Tri-Ed, Vision 2015, and  Biologic.

Have an idea to add? You can submit them through Sept. 1. Winners of a total of 10 prizes - including a community choice award picked by online voters - will be announced September 22 at the Cincinnati National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Entries will be judged by investors and other industry experts from a wide variety of backgrounds.

So far about 124 entries have been submitted, said Cincinnati Innovates founder and organizer Elizabeth Edwards.

"This is just a bit less than we saw this time last year, but the quality is much better this year.  I think after seeing the caliber of last year's winners, people now know the level of quality the judges are looking for," Edwards said.

Following is just a sampling of this year's ideas in the entrants own words. You can browse through them all and vote for your favorite at the Cincinnati Innovates website.

FRE Snowboarder Protection System: "Fre is a protective system for beginner snowboarders to rent from mountain resorts. This concept uses high-impact, smart materials in areas prone to injury, which are flexible to the touch and harden upon sudden impact. The key areas of protection are the hips, spine and wrists. Combining this with performance textiles creates a protective system in the otherwise male-dominated market of snowboard gear [and] keeps riders both safe and comfortable."

Complete composting portable restroom: "Complete's waste tank is located beneath the floor of the restroom instead of under a bench-style seat. This opens up more room within the restroom, resulting in a more comfortable user experience. Sawdust is dumped into the tank after each use of the restroom. The sawdust primes the waste for composting and minimizes odor within the restroom. Periodically, the waste and sawdust are pumped out of the tank and transported to a municipal composting facility. At the composting facility, the waste can be processed and will eventually yield healthy, sterile, fertile planting soil."

Doggie Discrimination: "a heart-breaking phenomenon has swept through rescue shelters across the nation; it has been labeled the "Black Dog Syndrome." Unfortunately, a fur color bias has been identified in shelter adoptions - meaning that dark colored dogs, especially large black dogs, seem to be the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. My idea is to spread the word about the "Black Dog Syndrome". I would like to organize a "Black Dog Walk" for the community, where current owners and local shelters can come out and show off their black beauties!"

Digital Menus: "My device would basically eliminate the middle man (server) and would directly send over the order to the computer screens in the back by the cooks. All the restaurants are going to need is a few food runners to get the food and drinks to the tables. This menu will also have facilities like refills buttons, or a customer assistance button, in case of additional service assistance."

Ergonomic Crutch: "A pateted shock absorption technology device is seamlessly incorporated in the support leg to absorb the weight of the patient and reduce exertion, resulting in decreased impact stress on the supporting shoulders as well as reduced weight load on the injured leg. The end result is a much more comfortable and expedited recovery process and a cost savings of millions of dollars annually to the healthcare providers and insurance companies."

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Elizabeth Edwards, Cincinnati Innovates founder

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

An iPhone application designed by Northern Kentucky University students is being used by West Coast residents to track emergency activity as it happens in their community.

Students in the Infrastructure Management Institute at NKU's College of Informatics worked on an app for California's San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District over the course of several months, said Chris Rider, senior technology architect for the institute.

The app, which is called "Fire Department," is free at Apple's App Store. It provides a "virtual window" into the district's 911 dispatch center, according to www.firedepartment.org. iPhone users can see the current response status of the area's dispatched units and are able to "instantly pinpoint incident locations on an interactive map."

Read the entire article here.

Celebrities are drinking it, so are healthy types and even partiers looking for a natural hangover cure.

Americans seems to be going nuts over coconut water, the latest beverage trend. Though its long been a diet staple in Latin America, parts of Asia and the tropics, the low-cal sweet drink is just starting to catch on here and one local company is developing new flavors and concepts just in time for a expected boom in sales.

Wild Flavors company, in Erlanger, has developed and tested a variety of coconut water flavors that include tropical fruits like mango, passion fruit, acai berry, strawberry guava, lime citrus, tropical pineapple and pomegranate berry. The company said it's also developed a young green coconut flavor that makes coconut water "taste like it is fresh from the tree."

The Northern Kentucky company, which manufactures ingredients for the food and beverage industry, has also developed concepts that contain coconut water with added flavors, colors, sweeteners, juices, teas, and/or health and wellness ingredients.

"WILD not only offers unique flavors for coconut water, including the young, green coconut flavor that can help balance out off-tastes that may be associated with coconut water from older coconuts, but also concepts that combine coconut water with other natural, healthy beverages," said Jessica Jones-Dille Wild Flavors' Sr. Manager, Industry Trends and Market Research.

Coconut water appears poised for big growth. Pepsi last year purchased Brazil's biggest coconut water company, and Coke purchased a stake in California-based ZICO beverages, a startup launched in 2004. Coconut water in the U.S has typically been marketed in niche sectors like health stores among yoga groups but is being pushed into to a wider market. It's being marketed as a natural alternative to sports drinks because it is high in potassium, electrolytes and fat-free.

"The trend towards healthy, natural beverages has been developing for several years and coconut water seems to be one of the newest iterations of this trend.  Coconut water is gaining great momentum in the marketplace because it offers consumers a low-calorie, natural alternative to traditional sports drinks, juices, or other beverages," Jones-Dille said.

Writer Feoshia Henderson
Source: Jessica Jones-Dille Wild Flavors' Sr. Manager, Industry Trends and Market Research

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox 

Creation of 404 new jobs and more than $28 million in investments by seven manufacturing companies in Northern Kentucky were heralded Thursday by Gov. Steve Beshear and local officials as Gateway Community and Technical College formally opened its $26 million Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

The 108,000 square-foot building, on Gateway’s campus just off Mount Zion Road, was developed with local manufacturers as a state-of-the- art training center for 21st Century manufacturing skills. The new center among the largest in the Kentucky Community and Technical College system is, expected to train up to 10,000 workers by 2015.

“The center is yet another example of the importance the commonwealth places on advanced manufacturing and related fields,” Beshear said in prepared remarks.

Read the entire article here.

Local attorney Candace Klein launched Bad Girl Ventures in the Spring of 2010 to help fill the gap between small startups looking for loans, and funders who want to invest in local job creation.

She first pitched the well-received idea publically at Ignite Cincinnati, a fast-paced, five-minute pitch event.

"It's really difficult for women-owned startups right now. And Cincinnati is really a philanthropic area. Personally, I've given to so many charities, political causes and organizations.  I thought, 'If there was a way I could give just a portion of that to a startup company that would create jobs, I would,'" said OTR resident Klein during the launch. "I think we're really missing the boat on supporting women-owned startups."

Bad Girl Ventures is based on the micro-financing model of international organizations like Kiva where small loans from individuals are bundled together. Bad Girls is a registered 501(c)3, housed in the Over-the-Rhine Chamber Revitalization Corporation, so contributions are tax deductible. Businesses will soon apply for loans in a competitive application process that will allow them to get their businesses off the ground.

Klein believes BGV is the first of its kind in the nation because it pairs the micro-lending model with a curriculum and a focus on women. Five chosen startups will undergo a six-week entrepreneur curriculum, where they will learn the building blocks to starting a business and be responsible for submitting a business plan, WBE application, etc.  While one of the five entrepreneurs will receive a $25,000 low interest loan from Bad Girl Ventures, other partner banks will be approached to finance the other participants. Another round of financing will follow every six weeks or so.

BGV has nearly met that $25,000 milestone, raising funds from local business people and entrepreneurs (donation levels start at $25). Eligible businesses must be at least 51 percent women-owned and in the sectors of retail, restaurant or professional services.


Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Candace Klein, founder Bad Girl Ventures

You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

Erlanger-based Mentos has found a new way to engage fans of the quirky brand by creating a hub for creativity with its "Fresh Goes Better" Facebook page, which launched in April.

The chewy mint candy has long inspired creative interpretation and even fascination. The brand's ad campaign in the mid-1990's featured people popping the candy to calm down and find solutions to not-so-serious problems (like ripping a dress or ruining a suit with paint). Then there are the Mentos and soda fountain videos that are popular on YouTube, and even featured on an episode of the Discovery Network's Mythbusters science and experiment show. One of the most famous Mentos commercial interpretations was the Foo Fighter's Big Me video from the '90s.

"Mentos has a very strong heritage of bringing a 'nothing can get me down' attitude to consumers.  This is evident in the historical Freshmaker commercials that showed people solving small problems in a creative way. While the creative execution may change (Facebook), the basic tenants of the brand are still as relevant in 2010 as they were in the 1990's," said Mentos Brand Manager Craig Cuchra.

Amateurs too have taken creative interpretation of the brand. The company's page offers a central place for Mentos-inspired pictures, video and even music.

"The underlying motivation for our Facebook page is to provide a type of curatorship for all things Mentos.  We noticed a lot of user generated content out in all kinds of social media websites that were not initiated by anyone at Perfetti Van Melle (Mento's Italian-based parent company)," Cuchra said.

Fans can upload video, music and art through the Facebook page to be displayed. Like all company Facebook pages, it also creates a way for the company to interact with consumers on a more personal level.

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Mentos Brand Manager Craig Cuchra
Photography by Scott Beseler
You can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox

Jacobs Automation announced the closing today of a Series A financing led by Blue Chip Venture Company, joined by the Queen City Angels, the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, and the company's founders. Additionally, the company secured a loan from the Kentucky Department of Commercialization and Innovation.

"This financing will fuel our rapid growth, allowing us to capitalize on the numerous opportunities available in the market" said Keith Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Automation.

Jacobs further notes, "We saw great success in the past year and this financing round will help us continue to innovate and continue our aggressive growth".

About PackTrak:

Jacobs Automation LLC is a leading automation technology provider, developing and manufacturing technology with groundbreaking speed, flexibility, and energy efficiency for the packaging and material handling industries.

The company's PackTrak™ product line saves money and reduces energy consumption by transforming today's hardware laden automation machinery into software-based, highly flexible digital machinery. Using maglev technology (propelling objects using magnetic fields), Packtrak eliminates a significant amount of hardware, the root cause for downtime, inflexibility and maintenance in a machine, replacing it with software-controlled, solid state components.

PackTrak provides independent, software control of multiple movers along a track in a production line, while greatly reducing the number of hardware components. This capability provides for increased flexibility and speed for the movement of products in packaging, converting and material handling processes, saving Jacobs' customers millions of dollars in annual costs.

For more information, visit www.jacobsautomation.com.