Charleston Regional Development Alliance

Berkeley, Charleston & Dorchester Counties

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Nine Charleston-area agencies and private companies to receive $23 million in federal funding

Jul. 1, 2004
Charleston Post and Courier
By Terry Joyce
By overwhelming majorities, Congress on Friday sent a $416.2 billion defense spending bill to President Bush that includes more than $23 million for nine Charleston-area agencies and private companies.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and 1st District Rep. Henry Brown, both South Carolina Republicans, announced the appropriations, saying the money will boost military projects in the Charleston area.

The ongoing wars and the approaching November elections made the one-sided votes inevitable, according to The Associated Press.

"I am proud of the contribution that our technology partners are making in this on-going effort," Brown said in a statement, "and I applaud their work in support of our uniformed services."

The Senate approved the spending bill 96-0 and the House followed suit by 410-12. Charleston-area projects in the bill include:

-- $4.5 million to Technical Solutions Group in Ladson. Technical Solutions assembles the Buffalo, an armored vehicle that protects occupants against landmines and explosive blasts. The Army has already purchased 24 vehicles that are deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo.

-- $2 million to SEICOR Automated Container & Cargo Handling System in Charleston. The funds will be used for design, fabrication and testing of a full-scale ship-mounted Autolog container and cargo handling system. This system will enable ships to transfer cargo in high seas.

-- $2.8 million to Marine Containers in Charleston. The money will pay for approximately 120,000 quadruple specialty containers.

-- $5 million to SPAWAR, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Hanahan.
The money will be used for a collaborative information warfare network along with a critical infrastructure protection center. The center applies engineering to reduce risks from terrorism.

-- $2 million to the S.C. Research Authority in North Charleston for active coating technology. The technology will allow the Army to develop coatings for tanks that can adapt to the surrounding environment by changing color, repairing themselves, inhibiting corrosion and reducing the signature of the vehicle.

-- $2 million to GenPhar in Charleston. The funds will let GenPhar, working with the Navy, develop a dengue virus vaccine for military personnel.

-- $2.6 million to Scientific Research Corp. in North Charleston. SRI will develop a joint threat warning system for individual Special Forces units.

-- $1 million to Supply Chain Practices for Affordable Navy Systems in Charleston. The program is designed to improve the affordability of Navy acquisition programs by increasing the efficiency of the supporting supply chain network.

-- $1.5 million to LEAN Munitions Program in Charleston. Lean Munitions will implement a 3-D "Lean Munitions" design and manufacturing lifecycle support system.

Bush is expected to sign the measure sometime next week, the lawmakers said.
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