Washington, D.C. -  Congressman David Price gave the following remarks today at an economic development announcement at the Research Triangle Park Foundation welcoming risk management consultant IEM.  IEM is moving its headquarters to the RTP, creating 430 jobs:

This is a good news day for the Triangle.  And during these trying economic times, we are so thankful to share good news.

This is good news for the people of Durham and surrounding communities, because here we have the promise of hundreds of well-paying jobs.

IEM has made the smart choice to call North Carolina its home.  It’s the right choice because hardly any other place in the country matches the highly educated workforce; the strong partnership for development among our leaders in government, private industry, and our institutions of higher learning; or the unparalleled quality of life that makes us proud to call the Triangle home.  So we welcome Ms. Beriwal and her company to our community.  I know she will find it to be a good fit.

Because of my role as Chairman of the Homeland Security funding committee in Congress, I have a keen interest in disaster preparedness and risk management.  North Carolina has had its share of disasters (especially from hurricanes), and I like to think we are one of the most advanced states in the country when it comes to preparedness.  One of my top priorities in Washington has always been to make sure the federal government is working cooperatively with states like ours to strengthen our ability to respond to disasters, whenever and wherever they strike.

So I am particularly interested to see a company like IEM, which has a long record of working on risk management and disaster preparedness, join our community.

IEM has worked with government agencies like FEMA, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  They’ve also done work for major U.S. cities and ports. Their services range from compiling risk assessments associated with natural disasters, to creating performance measurement tools to help government agencies improve outcomes for the taxpayers, to developing IT solutions to enhance the efficiency and awareness of emergency management and defense professionals.

So we will be interested in watching your further development as you take root here in the Triangle.

I am particularly excited that Ms. Beriwal will join the ranks of our many accomplished businesswomen in the Triangle.  She has more than 25 years of experience in disaster and emergency management, homeland security, and national defense.  She has built IEM from scratch, turning the business into the prominent consulting and technical services firm that it is today.

In addition to running a major business, Ms. Beriwal is a guest lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and is a frequent speaker at its conferences. She is a member of the prestigious Army Science Board (ASB), and a former member of the Defense Science Board’s Task Force for Intelligence-Gathering on Terrorism.

Please join me in offering a warm North Carolina welcome to the President and CEO of IEM, Ms. Madhu Beriwal.

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