Reiss Manufacturing is creating 40 new jobs in Blackstone, Virginia. The company produces silicone rubber and specialty plastic molded products. At its Blackstone facility, it will expand production of environmentally-friendly radiation shielding material for the healthcare, nuclear power, and homeland security sectors. Reiss supplies Northrop Grumman, which has secured a patent for the materials. Its shipbuilding sector is located in Newport News, Virginia.

"We are pleased to expand our partnership with Reiss," said Susan C. Brooks, manager of research and development at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. "It presents an opportunity to transition innovative defense technologies to commercial use and to simultaneously meet the growing demand for new alternatives for radiation shielding. The fact that it will help create new jobs for Southside Virginia is an extra benefit."

The material is sold under the HotGuard brand. It can be tailored for most shielding applications and can be safely and inexpensively disposed of after use, addressing nuclear market concerns of safety, environmental conscientiousness, and cost.