Eight locally-based firms named to Venture Forum list

Eight locally-based companies made the Venture Forum's fifth annual list of companies to watch.

The companies were chosen because they "have built solid foundations for success, job creation and [made] major contributions to the area's economic vitality."

The Venture Forum is a Richmond-area networking group for investment professionals and entrepreneurs.

A panel of venture capitalists, investors, educators and business consultants chose the companies on the list.

"We have some innovative manufacturers as well as service providers," said Carl Johnson, chairman of the Greater Richmond's Companies to Watch. "It helps show the diversity of our local economy."

About 50 companies were nominated. The winners were announced last night.

The winners are:

• CarePoint Health Products-Diamedix, a Henrico County-based direct-to-consumer medical equipment and health-care products provider;

• Dominion Benefits, a Henrico-based employee benefits consulting firm;

• Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc., a Richmond-based clinical laboratory providing disease management and personalized treatment tools for physicians and patients;

• Electro-LuminX Lighting Corp., a Chesterfield County-based company that makes and markets a glowing material called Light Tape;

• C&G Flooring, a Chesterfield-based company that developed Paraweave, a soft tile flooring product;

• PartnerJD, a Henrico-based placement firm for legal professionals;

• PowerPact Holdings Group, a Chesterfield-based marketing and media company that focuses on consumer behavior through its TouchStorm and PowerPact units; and

• Venebio, a Richmond-based firm that provides custom research solutions for complex life science problems.

Contact Louis Llovio at (804) 649-6348 or .