EIGS recently visited with Scott Dow, Director of Operations for Aerotec, LLC to learn more about the company, the numerous industries they serve, and their future endeavors. Aerotec is a founding member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA).
The Sensor:
Tell our readers about Aerotec and your role with the company. If you will, touch on the fact that Aerotec is a family business with your father Jim serving as CEO.
[READ
MORE]
Commentary From: Michael Liu, Sr. Vice President, Dutko Worldwide
As Vice President Biden tries to broker a debt ceiling and spending cut deal, don't expect things to go any smoother, even as the August deadline for raising the debt ceiling approaches. Speaker Boehner now has two caucus members that are running for President-Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann. Paul is less of a problem than Bachmann who heads the Tea Party Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both will be publicly pushing the House Majority to stand its ground on demanding large spending cuts to take place immediately in return for votes to lift the debt ceiling, and both will have significant constituencies who Boehner will have to pay some attention to.
That attention will take the form of holding out on a deal until the last possible moment-unless the Democrats do give in to cuts significantly beyond the $300 billion being bandied about in the media.
As I indicated in my last column, the stock market and the world reaction to continued European anxiety about Greece's debt and the volatile Middle East will also act to confuse the picture of how important (or not) a deal on the debt ceiling and spending cuts really is.
Prediction: The debt ceiling will be raised with an "agreement" on spending cuts that will be defined in terms of a range (e.g., $400 billion to $1 trillion) but for which specifics will be left for separate negotiations. And this will have enormous impacts for the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. It also almost guarantees a continuing resolution at the end of this fiscal year, and a delay in having a real budget until the end of the calendar year or beginning of 2012.
If your company is working under a contract with the government that will expire later this year, try to get a new contract extension within the next two months. Accumulate cash or insure you have an operating fund credit line that will allow you to keep your business going until a fiscal year 2012 budget is passed. Look at some grant (e.g., TIGER II, USDA rural development) or tax credit (e.g., new markets) programs that you might be able to take advantage of. Deadlines for a number of these are still open.
Finally, with the Mississippi and Louisiana state elections fast approaching, and as I have urged in a prior commentary, have you as individuals or
as a group reached out to the candidates to find out how they can help the business climate for the high-tech geospatial community along the Coast?
It's not too late to get their commitments before the votes are counted. This is how you can get accountability for policies that can help advance
the environment for the creation of an innovation corridor with a thriving entrepreneurial and investment community and if you are part of a
non-profit business organization, note that it is NOT against the internal revenue code for such organizations to lobby, as long as lobbying is
managed within limits outlined in the code. I ran into this misconception with at least one well meaning non-profit business organization on the Coast.
My prediction is that it is better than 50-50 that NASA will take a noticeable haircut. With the receding appetite of Republicans to tackle on social entitlement programs head on this year, all discretionary programs will be even under more pressure by budget cutters on both sides of the aisle. The first line of attack will probably be an across the board
approach where every agency, with a few exceptions, will take the same percentage cut in their budgets using the Administration's FFY 2012 proposal as the baseline. A second less likely approach would be a more surgical operation where large
savings targets will be set which may vary by agency, and Congress will look at each program within the agencies for cuts and dictate them in the various agencies'
FFY 2012 appropriations acts. A variation of this would be the setting of mandatory savings targets and allow the Administration to make the cuts with required frequent reporting to Congress on the cuts being made.
To add to the uncertainty you can count on all this NOT being accomplished by the end of the FFY 2011 fiscal year (September 30, 2011).
Things will likely drag on through the end of the calendar year.
Specifics on a budget will have to await agreements on the debt ceiling issue later this summer,
and by August the Republican presidential primary season will be in full swing and what
Congress does or doesn't do regarding fiscal management of our country will very much be the
fodder of campaign and media discourse. What is broadcast and blogged will complicate getting timely
agreement on a budget. And keep a close eye on inflation, the Middle East, Japan and the continuing financial crisis with Greece (and connections to Ireland, Portugal and Spain)
on these fronts will have a direct impact on how Congress and Administration deal with the politics and realities of the FFY 2012 budget.
Image of the Month
Update of Arizona Fire satellite images
High winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) helped fuel both the Monument and Horseshoe Two Fires burning in southern Arizona on June 19, 2011.Credit: NASA
Items of Interest
GIS Finds a Place in Construction
Constructech
Sometimes the view from above can be a valuable addition to your projects. Today, data from GIS (geographic information system) technology can be leveraged across many different facets of the business in construction…
GIS is already paying dividends. A recent project in China that involved the analysis of residential access to parks and open space was aided through
the use of GIS. Matthew Palavido, senior GIS specialist for AECOM's design + planning business line, talks about the project, saying, "On the surface,
just looking at the plan, it appeared as though there were adequate parks distributed throughout the plan."
"However, using GIS, we were able to analyze population densities in relation to distances to the nearest park, and the analysis clearly showed that
certain areas of the land-use plan had limited access to parks due to a lack of pedestrian or transit infrastructure,"
he says. "Using this information, the planners were able to address the issue by reconfiguring the plan to provide better access to parks for potential
residents."
Read more: www.constructech.com
Feds Consider Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing
InformationWeek
The federal government is pondering ways to integrate the sharing of geospatial data across federal, state, and local government agencies, including a program that uses enhanced digital images called to collect…
Read more: www.informationweek.com
Tuskegee University Site License to Stimulate New GIS Projects
IEWY News
"We want to energize the local community and help them develop a workforce capable of efficiently using geospatial technologies in urban planning and agriculture."Under Fall's direction, the university is developing an automated mapping/facilities …
Read more: www.iewy.com
George Clooney uses Commercial Satellite Imagery to Document Sudan War Crimes
TMC Net
Initiated by Clooney and founded in October 2010 in a collaboration between Not on Our Watch, the Enough Project, Google, the United Nations UNITAR Operational Satellite Applications Program (UNOSAT), DigitalGlobe (News - Alert), …
Read more: satellite.tmcnet.com
MBA Hosts Small Business Workshops for Venture Development Strategies
In an effort to assist small companies who are interested in attracting outside investors, the Magnolia Business Alliance sponsored two Small Business Investment Capital Workshops. The first, Venture Investment Program: The Elevator Pitch, held on May 26, was presented by Gary Tauss, CEO of BizTech Incubator located in Huntsville, AL. The second workshop, held June 1, was the Venture Development Academy: Investor-Ready Deals presented at the Innovation Center in Biloxi by Tony Jeff, President and CEO of the Mississippi Technology Alliance in Jackson, MS.
With over 25 years of experience in high technology, from the infancy of the Internet to using social networking to drive web traffic, Gary Tauss told attendees of the Venture Investment Program workshop that it has been proven that one of the most important things a business can do is to teach its owner or someone who is involved in sales how to talk about its business to others. The ability to be able to sum up unique aspects of your service or product in a way that excites others is a skill and has proven to be very valuable when looking for investors. However, many executives pay little attention to the continuing development of "the elevator pitch", a quick, succinct summation of what your company makes or does. The elevator pitch, as it is called, received the named because it should last no longer than the average elevator ride.
During his presentation, Tauss stressed two things: 1) Keep It Fresh - Every business grows and changes, and your pitch needs to grow and change with it; and 2) Always Be Prepared - know your audience, their business needs and how you can help them; you may not get another chance to give your pitch.
Venture Development Academy: Investor-Ready Deals workshop allowed entrepreneurs, those who assist small businesses, economic developers, and others to learn about the importance of innovation, venture readiness, risk readiness, and investor-ready business plans. During this workshop, Tony Jeff, who has a breadth of experiences in successfully leading cross-disciplinary teams in implementing solutions to improve productivity and customer responsiveness, presented a step-by-step methodology for assessing and improving an innovation venture's likelihood of success. Additionally, he introduced the audience to the Venture Capital Tools resource endorsed by MTA.
Did you know job growth in the private sector continues to fuel Mississippi's slow economic comeback? State labor officials reported today that Mississippi lost 4,000 jobs between May 2010 and last month - mostly due to a drop-off of 11,100 jobs in government. The figures are not adjusted for seasonal factors.
Private business added 7,100 jobs. However, the goods-producing sector, including mining and logging, manufacturing and construction continued to lag, losing 4,300 jobs over the past 12 months. Private service-providing employers added 11,400 jobs. The biggest gainers were in the widespread sector of professional-business services, private education and health services and leisure-hospitality.
Source: Associated Press
Two-Day Event Highlights Opportunities for Small Business and Showcases Technology Businesses
On June 21-22, on behalf of the Magnolia Business Alliance, the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET), along with the Louisiana Technology Transfer Office (LTTO), co-hosted two events at Stennis Space Center. The two-day period encompassed the second meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium (SBC) as well as the first Small Business Technology Expo.
The second general meeting of the SBC featured speakers on the recent award of the NASA Test Operations Contract (TOC) to Lockheed Martin and the NASA Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program just prior to the next public release in July 2011. Stennis government agencies, prime contractors, and other technology organizations followed, focusing on opportunities for small businesses. The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology briefed the group on its Affiliate Program. Immediately following the SBC meeting, attending HUB Zone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses were invited to present to Stennis government agencies and prime contractors.
The Small Business Technology Expo showcased the capabilities of a variety of small technology businesses with expertise in remote sensing, IT, engineering, project management, oceanography and meteorology, as well as a variety of other fields. "This event provided an excellent venue for government and prime contractor representatives to meet with small technology businesses and obtain details on their products and services," stated Darren Daniels, Program Manager with Magnolia Business Alliance.
Doing Business in Mississippi
MEDC 2011 SUMMER CONFERENCE: "FULL SPEED AHEAD!"
JULY 13-15, 2011
IP RESORT
BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI
Brochure | Conference Agenda
Sponsor Form | Online Sponsor Payment
Hotel Information
Registration Form | Online Payment
NEW! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!
List of Registants
(List is updated at the end of each day)
EIGS In the News
US effort to boost anti-terrorism technology falters
Los Angeles Times
Still, he said, the process was necessary - he just wished his company, NVision Solutions Inc., had heard of it earlier. Harvey's complaint echoed those of …
[Read the full article]
NVision wins ERDC contract to survey Great Lakes
Mississippi Business Journal
HANCOCK COUNTY - NVision Solutions Inc. has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg to provide aerial-data collection services for the entire Great Lakes Region …
[Read
the full article]
NVision's COO Testifies at Congressional Hearning on SAFETY Act
GIS Café
NVision Solutions Chief Operations Officer Testifies at Congressional Homeland Security ... NVision Solutions pursued the SAFETY Act designation for REACT …
[Read
the full article]
Global Perspectives
Japan carries out surveying projects
FutureGov Magazine
By Clarice Africa | 9 June 2011 The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan is currently carrying out surveying projects in accordance with the country's long-term plan for basic surveys, which covers basic surveys for the ten-year period from 2009…
[Read the full article]
Indonesia to use geospatial information for environment protection
FutureGov Magazine
By Clarice Africa | 6 June 2011 Bakosurtanal, Indonesia's coordinating agency for survey and mapping, has just recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Environment in an effort to maximise the use of geospatial …
[Read
the full article]
The Sensor (Full text)
Tell our readers about Aerotec and your role with the company. If you will, touch on the fact that Aerotec is a family business with your father Jim serving as CEO.
Dow: Aerotec was created in 1998 with a very narrow mission. That mission was to support the electric utility industry, in particular electric transmission line engineering by offering a solution, using LiDAR, to rapidly evaluate the aging electric transmission systems across the United States and determine its capacity to safely carry the electrical load. Currently, I manage the field (flight) operations as well as financial operations of the company; but, as you well know, in many small and medium size companies you end up doing a little bit of everything, especially in the beginning.
Around 1996 my father Jim Dow (who at the time was working for Alabama Power) told me he had a great idea. He said we could start a company, buy a helicopter and put a laser on it to measure / model power lines - what do you think? Of course I was much younger back then and said sure that sounds like a great idea - we had all grown up with STAR WARS - why not shoot a laser at a power line ???? So with the help of two other guys (Alan Harrell and Alan Page) the four of us jumped in and founded a company which later became known as Aerotec. At some point along the way we must have really believed it was a good idea, because we are all four still running the operations of the company.
The Sensor: The Sensor: Aerotec has a rich history of serving a wide range of industries since 1998. Can you give us an idea of who your customers are and how they use your services/products?
Dow: When we stated Aerotec we had a very specific focus in mind. We all came from electric utility backgrounds in one way or another and decided to build a company which would support the efforts of Electric Utility engineers. During our first several years we developed our hardware and software with this strategy in mind. Since 1998 we have worked for a majority of the electric utilities in just about every State in the lower 48 delivering engineering accurate three-dimensional models of transmission systems. Some of our larger customers include American Electric Power, Entergy, The Southern Company (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Gulf Power Companies), South Mississippi Electric Power Association, TVA, Exelon/ComEd, and San Diego Electric to name a few.
Around 2003, we decided our data capture and modeling experience could be useful in other industries and branched out into modeling pipelines, highways, construction sites and developed relationships with the DoD under a DARPA contract to assist with the autonomous vehicle program. This work lead us into conducting airport obstruction analysis for both the Federal and State owned airport facilities, detection of illegal drug labs and most recently the locating and mapping of underground assets and tunnels using a vast array of remote sensing equipment.
The Sensor: Aerotec has provided airborne LiDAR data for some unlikely scenarios like an IBM commercial and a music video. Tell us more about that.
Dow: Several years ago we received a call that at first we thought was a joke. A producer from California was on the phone telling us she had seen our work and that her director wanted to use us for a music video for the group Radio Head. After several additional conversations this became a reality and "BAM!" we were in the music video business. The concept was to produce a video made entirely from scanned LiDAR data. From what we have been told it became a big hit and was nominated for several Academy awards. Last year the phone rang again from the same producer. This time her client was IBM. At the time IBM was working on their "Smarter Planet" program, and the ad agency had seen the work we had accomplished with the Radio Head video. The ad agency thought our work would be a great fit into the IBM concept - so we did that one too. We continue to get approached with strange concepts, and it just goes to show you that geospatial data can and should be used in some of the most unlikely places.
The Sensor: Aerotec regularly teams with other companies and agencies to provide the highest quality products and services in remote sensing, digital imagery, and engineering and analysis. Can you elaborate on that practice and give examples of your teaming partnerships?
Dow: Aerotec has always had a strategy of teaming with the best in class. Our partnerships are based on long standing relationships with companies who are the best in their areas of expertise. In our core business we are teamed with some of the leading engineering firms in electric transmission design and engineering. This "team" may not always offer the lowest price. However, we do offer the highest quality combined products; and we work closely with our customers to ensure that expectations are met and/or exceeded. One of our closest partners in the geospatial world is NVision Solutions Inc. Craig Harvey (NVision COO) and I have been friends and business partners for over 10 years. Craig and I are constantly working to develop solutions for industries that are just learning how to use spatial data products to improve or enhance their jobs and add value to their projects.
The Sensor: Aerotec was one of the founding members of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA). You personally spent a lot of time and effort getting MBA up and running. Why did you think it was important?
Dow: For years a number of us around the Gulf Coast region have had conversations about what is wrong (or not quite optimum) with the geospatial industry (e.g., "What is wrong with government legislation regarding small business?", or "Why is information for small and medium size businesses so hard to get?"). One day, Craig Harvey called me up and said "I think it is time for someone to actually do something - are you in?" The rest is becoming history as MBA has received funding and is off to the races helping small and medium size companies all along the Gulf Coast Region. I think that the creation and continued development of MBA is important in that we are taking a business approach to help solve small and medium size business issues. This approach will continue to grow the geospatial industry cluster in this region as well as develop other clusters. We are providing useful training, offering consulting resources, and providing information to our members to help them either get started or grow their companies. Though our monthly meetings and seminars, the members are able to make B2B contacts and bounce ideas off one another. These venues offer the ability for continued collaboration on key issues that affect these companies along the region.
The Sensor: Aerotec recently partnered with another MBA company, NVision Solutions, to provide aerial-data collection services for the entire Great Lakes Region coastline for the Corps of Engineers. Can you tell us about that and what else is on the horizon for Aerotec?
Dow: As I have stated, NVision is a long-term partner of ours, and it is always a pleasure every time an opportunity presents itself to work with them. Recently, Tim Brogdon (NVision VP) called me regarding a project that at the time he was unsure about. Tim was wondering if he could even bid on the project, due to the fact that he was not sure if it was even possible to achieve the results required by the Army Corps of Engineers. After a lot of back and forth with Tim, I went to our main office in Birmingham, AL, worked with our sensor experts and pilots for a while; and we were able to develop hardware and procedures to accomplish the project. This project truly took the efforts of everyone involved (Army Corp of Engineers, Aerotec LLC and NVision Solutions) to make it a success. We started the project in May. The project was successful; and we proved that it could be accomplished. However, weather became an issue at the end of May; so the team will reassemble in the fall for the completion of the program.
What is on the horizon? As we have done for the last 15 or so years, we will continue to support our core customer - the electric utility industry. However we will also continue to work with our partners to identify new and emerging markets, educate industry as to the many uses of spatial data, continue to integrate sensors, and who knows; maybe we'll do a movie or two in the process.
About Aerotec, LLC:
Aerotec, LLC is a value-added services company that uses state-of-the-art airborne remote sensing (data capture) and data analysis technologies to provide topographic maps and models to its customers throughout North America. Aerotec's primary technologies include Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR/laser-scan), digital photography, proprietary and commercial (off-the-shelf) software, and specialized engineering analysis packages. For more information about Aerotec, visit
www.aerotecusa.com.
