ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 1997 TAG: 9703310015
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: TOM ANGLEBERGER/THE ROANOKE TIMES
THERE ARE THOUSANDS of great ideas floating around at Virginia Tech, and thousands of businesses in the region that could make use of them.
Some economic experts believe that combining the ideas with the businesses would result in great things for the local economy, but often the businesses don't know how to get hold of the ideas.
It is John Phillips' job to make sure they can.
Phillips recently was hired to fill a new economic development position in the Virginia Tech provost's office.
"I'm the front door to the university for businesses," Phillips said. "I'll provide a visible point of access."
Part of the push for this new position came from the New Century Council, a group of business leaders focused on improving the region's economy.
"We're really pleased and excited about John being there," said New Century director Bev Fitzpatrick. "There was no real place for [business and industry] to access the university."
Fitzpatrick believes Virginia Tech's presence gives the region enormous potential.
"We have equated this in some ways with the railroad coming to Roanoke in 1882," he said. The biggest danger, he said, will be if the region fails to recognize its potential.
"The likelihood is that the majority of jobs created in the next 20 years are going to be spawned around research universities," he said. "For once, Western Virginia has what everyone else wants ... and that is Virginia Tech."
Fitzpatrick says this development fits well with the economic development programs already in place at Radford.
According to Virginia Tech President Paul Torgersen, fostering economic development is important to the university.
"Our goal is to share more effectively the fruits of our research and education to enable the commonwealth and its citizens to succeed and prosper in the face of a rapidly changing world," he said in a news release.
Phillips, 32, has been involved in area business and industry for 10 years. The Blacksburg resident previously was vice president of commercial banking at First National Bank in Christiansburg, where he made many contacts in local businesses.
He already has helped steer a local industry, Litton Poly-Scientific to Virginia Tech for a management training program. The company had been considering using a service from a research university in another state.
Phillips says there are many similar ways for Western Virginia businesses to utilize Virginia Tech.
"The university truly has a wide variety of resources," he said. "It just goes on and on and on ... with the talent pool that's available."
Phillips says he believes that when the connection works, it helps the university provide a better education.
"[It] translates into some real-world experience for professors and students," he says.
The region also benefits, he says. He gives as an example a manufacturer who began working closely with Virginia Tech's forestry researchers. The company, Mid-Continent Nail Corp., eventually brought 75 jobs to Radford.
"The goal at the end of the day is how well we used the university to retain businesses within the state, and therefore, retain jobs within the state," Phillips said.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: TOM ANGLEBERGER/THE ROANOKE TIMES. John Phillipsby CNBrecently was hired to fill a new economic development position in
the Virginia Tech provost's office. color.