Defense firm moves headquarters to Idaho

LMS Defense, Inc – a full service defensive training firm specializing in counterterrorism training to the U.S. military, law enforcement, corporations and security professionals – is relocating its corporate headquarters to Twin Falls.

The company also expects to establish a comprehensive counterterrorism training/education center in Twin Falls County to provide critical response and tactical training to civilian forces in the Northwest. The site will include an R&D facility for products and systems used in field operations for military and civilian security forces.

Why Idaho?

Founder and CEO John Chapman cites Idaho’s “business-friendly environment” for the reason he chose the state for its expansion.

Idaho’s Bureau of Homeland Security and the Idaho National Laboratory are interested in collaborating with LMS.

IGEM getting top support statewide

It’s impressive when a new program gets such resounding support.

IGEM – which will encourage research and resulting commercializing of that research – has struck a statewide chord. Governor Otter has called for $5 million in funding for this program and it has the full support of all three university presidents, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Department of Commerce and top technology companies.

IGEM stands for Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission. The mission is to generate a new wave of entrepreneurial ventures that utilize technologies coming from our public institutions.

At a press conference this morning – braving a hefty little snowstorm -- Idaho Commerce Director Jeffery Sayer summed up the reasons to support it:

“It will help our economy. It will bring jobs.”

The press conference at Boise State University drew a crowd to hear BSU President Bob Kustra (pictured at the podium) call for support of the program. He also laid out the argument that research leads to technologies that lead to new companies.

Congrats INL

The nation’s power grid is a little safer today, thanks to the Idaho National Laboratory.

INL is part of a team that won the 2011 U.S. National Cybersecurity Innovation Award for building cybersecurity skills needed to defend the power grid and other control systems. The team included the Controls Systems Security Program at Department of Homeland Security.

Together, they created a series of training programs for managerial and technical people in the critical infrastructure sector that are packed with up-to-date information on cyber threats and mitigations for vulnerabilities.

The training is useful across key infrastructure industries such as power, oil and gas, electrical, water, and others.

Need help exporting?

The Idaho Department of Commerce has a grant program that provides assistance to qualifying Idaho companies for increasing exports, finding new markets or learning how to get started. Grant monies can be used in a number of ways, including for market development and promotion activities.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to companies with fewer than 500 employees that meet revenue requirements. Commerce received funding for this program – called the State Trade and Export Promotion Grant – from the Small Business Association.

The deadline for the next round of grants is March 2.

Full program information and applications are here: http://www.commerce.idaho.gov/international/-state-trade-and-export-promotion-step-grant/