Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 1, 1995                   TAG: 9506010062
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SHANNON D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PHILPOTT CENTER PLANS TO GROW, TEAMS WITH HIGH-TECH AGENCY

The federally and state-funded center said it has formed a partnership with Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology in Northern Virginia.

Both organizations also said Wednesday that they expect to open offices in Roanoke.

Unrelated to the partnership with CIT, the Philpott center plans to double its team of manufacturing specialists that operates in offices throughout the center's service area, said Executive Director John Hudson.

The specialists help manufacturing companies with such matters as business planning, quality improvement, management information systems and work-force training.

The manufacturing center began in 1994 and serves companies in 23 counties and 11 cities, from Salem to Franklin, with four specialists.

A fifth specialist will be added this month, and Hudson said he hoped to have a total of eight by the beginning of next year.

One will be added as an operating arm of the Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing Competitiveness, a statewide manufacturing extension to be launched this year. Funding for other specialists could come from federal grants.

Hudson also said the center is expected to open a field office in Roanoke.

"Our ultimate goal is to have field offices within a one-hour drive of each other in our service area," Hudson said.

The partnership with CIT means the Philpott center will receive approximately $100,000 a year for three years from CIT, said Catherine Renault, CIT's managing director. CIT was created by the General Assembly in 1984.

Philpott has an annual budget of $800,000, half of which is from federal funds, $150,000 from the General Assembly and $100,000 from in-kind contributions such as office space and computer lab availability. The remainder is from private contributions.

Renault said CIT will look to Philpott to help serve manufacturers, while CIT offers Philpott its technological assistance.

CIT also announced the opening of several regional offices, including ones in Roanoke, Blacksburg and Danville, which will work directly with the Philpott manufacturing center.

Renault said that although state budget cuts have put pressure on government agencies to work closer together, the changes are not as much budgetary measures as a need for the agencies to band together. She added that the terms for the partnership and opening of the regional offices have been under preparation for several years.