Business Briefs

Electric vehicle helps Goodwill workers
FREDERICKSBURG — This month, Rappahannock Goodwill workers at the FBI Academy began using a new all-electric van to get to their work sites around the sprawling FBI campus.

The Vantage International VanGo EVP 1000 is powered by six 12-volt sealed maintenance-free batteries. It has the equivalent of 35 horsepower and can be recharged in four to six hours. The van is used by the Goodwill custodial crew assigned to the FBI Firing Range complex within the FBI Academy campus. The van transports supplies, cleaning equipment and crew members to the buildings that are served by the Goodwill workers.

The zero-emissions van is the latest in Goodwill’s longstanding record of green practices. The gently used clothing and household goods donated to Goodwill are recycled and reused. Goodwill also has a companywide recycling program for paper and plastics, and an energy-reduction program in place at its commercial laundry operation in Fredericksburg.

Women’s health facility kicks off in county
STAFFORD — As Stafford Hospital Center is set to open its doors later this month, The Women’s Health and Surgery Center of Stafford is prepared.

The facility opened its own doors just three months ago with a mission to raise the level of women’s health care for Stafford residents. The Women’s Health and Surgery Center is the only OB/GYN practice currently affiliated with the new Stafford Hospital Center, set to open Feb. 27.

Drs. Lia Shorter and Kurian Thott both practice general OB/GYN. In addition, Shorter is building her practice on female sexual dysfunction. Thott brings pelvic reconstructive procedures and minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures to his patients. He also serves as the division chair for OB/GYN for the new Stafford Hospital Center.

Ben & Jerry's ‘Yes Pecan’ funds go to charity
FREDERICKSBURG — Ben & Jerry’s renamed its butter pecan flavor “Yes Pecan” in its Scoop Shops for the month of January, honoring the uniting theme of “Yes, We Can” as a message celebrating America's opportunity for positive change.

The company partnered with Common Cause, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process. Proceeds associated with the sale of “Yes Pecan” will now go to Common Cause's Education Fund.

“This partnership with Common Cause is an excellent opportunity for us to spread the word at the local level that we all need to work together to make our community a stronger, better place,” said Reitha Abed of Ben & Jerry's of Fredericksburg.

— Press releases