U.S. Airways Magazine will highlight West Virginia as part of its travel series in the May 2010 issue of its in-flight magazine.

The magazine reaches about 3.1 million business and leisure travelers who fly the airline, which reaches more than 230 destinations in 32 countries.

"West Virginia is a real hidden gem," Carsten Morgan, director of special projects for Pace Airline Media, said in a press release. "Located in the heart of the airline's dominant market share in the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region, the state has a wonderful story to tell.

"West Virginia's beautiful countryside, community pride and strong leadership were all contributing factors in selecting the state," Morgan added.

Pace Airline Media, which publishes the magazine, estimates the feature on West Virginia to be 12 to 16 pages long. It will cover the state's history and heritage, its outdoor recreational opportunities and its attractions, events and entertainment. The section also will profile some of West Virginia's metro areas and small towns.

The feature follows US Airways' 2008 economic profile of the state, which brought positive attention, the release said.

"The West Virginia Department of Commerce is pleased to support this opportunity to tell our state's story to a national and global audience -- particularly with its release at the start of the high-volume summer travel season," Kelley Goes, cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Commerce, said in the release.

"This issue will provide a great opportunity to highlight what the state has to offer for recreation and living. Plus, the timing is perfect leverage for our high-profile events - like the PGA TOUR'S Greenbrier Classic golf tournament and the Boy Scouts of America's high-adventure base - to draw attention to all that our state has to offer."

Foster Supply honored by Redi-Rock International

Foster Supply Inc. of Scott Depot has been awarded highest honors in the annual Redi-Rock Rocky Awards for Innovative New Products Dealer of the Year. Foster Supply was chosen for this honor for walls the company completed using the new Redi-Scapes landscape wall system. Foster Supply is a licensed Redi-Rock and Redi-Scapes manufacturer, serving markets in the greater West Virginia area.

Redi-Scapes is a new, hand-set landscape wall system hitting the market in 2010, with a select group of manufacturers test marketing the system in 2009. Foster Supply was the first Redi-Scapes manufacturer and has led the way with innovative applications for this new product, including the wall project inside A+ Medical Supply's building in Parkersburg.

This is the second year in a row that Foster Supply has received a Rocky Award. Last year, Foster Supply received Freestanding Wall of the year for their walls at the South Charleston stage.

Redi-Rock International is a leading large block retaining wall system today with more than 130 dealers across North America, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.redi-rock.com.

RCBI to offer evening welding classes

HUNTINGTON -- The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI) is joining forces with Cabell County Career Technology Center (CCCTC) to offer evening welding classes to the Tri-State Area. It's part of an effort enhance the pool of skilled workers available to industry.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between RCBI and CCCTC, RCBI will supply the instructor and enroll students while CCCTC will provide equipment and facilities for the evening classes.

"There is an identified shortage of welders -- not just in West Virginia but nationwide -- and we are continuing to work to prepare individuals with proper skills so they are positioned to earn state welding certification and join the work force," RCBI Director and CEO Charlotte Weber said.

Director Brenda Tanner at CCCTC says that by extending the welding training into the evenings, more adults will be able to sign up for the training.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's "Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition," employers continue to report difficulty finding properly skilled welders to hire. Many manufacturers and construction companies require welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair, so the field continues to thrive even in the current economic climate.

The first 16-week welding class will begin April 19 at CCCTC, located at 1035 Norway Ave., Huntington. The class, which will meet for four hours each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening, is a comprehensive one that includes both classroom instruction and hands-on training on the shop floor, with intensive student-instructor interaction.

The class can be taken independently to prepare the student to test for state certification in shielded metal arc welding, or as part of RCBI's comprehensive welding program that includes TIG (tungsten inert gas), MIG (metal inert gas) and Stick welding.

RCBI has a similar agreement with Clarksburg at United Technical Center. For more information or to register, contact RCBI's Larry Cartmill at 304-781-1678, 800-469-RCBI (7224) or send an e-mail to register@rcbi.org. Enrollment is limited. Financial assistance is available to individuals who qualify.

Bulldog Creative Services receives Addy Awards

HUNTINGTON -- Bulldog Creative Services, an advertising agency based in Huntington and Charleston, was recently honored with awards in both the American Advertising Federation of West Virginia's Addy Award competition and the 2010 American Package Design Awards sponsored by Graphic Design USA.

The agency was honored with five Addy awards, four gold awards and one silver award for work completed for RockStone Premium Coffees, Jameson Cigar Company and Boxer and Stone, a collegiate and athletic apparel company from Rahway, N.J.

The Addy awards are a national advertising competition that begins on a regional level then progresses to a district and ultimately a national stage.

Bulldog was also honored by Graphic Design USA in their annual American Package Design Award competition. The packaging design for RockStone Premium Coffees was chosen as an honoree from over 1,500 entries from over 150 firms nationwide. The award-winning entry will be featured in an upcoming magazine published by Graphic Design USA.

Bulldog Creative Services assists businesses with strategic marketing research and planning, media management, graphic design, audio/visual production and Web site design and maintenance. More information about the agency can be gained at www.bulldogcreative.com.

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