New River Valley business leaders and businesses brought home four of the six awards handed out last week by the NewVa Corridor Technology Council.

Among the winners were TORC Technologies, Intrexon, Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center President Joe Meredith and Mailtrust President Pat Matthews, all of Blacksburg.

VT KnowledgeWorks member TORC Technologies was recognized as NCTC's "Rising Star," a local technology company that could become the region's next success story.

The small applied research and development company designs and manufactures tele-operated control and autonomous navigation solutions for air, ground and surface vehicles.

Fellow CRC tenant Intrexon Corp. was honored with the council's Innovation Award.

Intrexon, a 140-employee life sciences company, develops technology that involves using DNA to control the biotherapeutics that are used to treat diseases in an attempt to make the treatment safer and more effective.

NCTC's NewVa Leadership Award was given to Meredith.

As president of the CRC, Meredith manages the center's operation, facilitates technology transfer from the university and markets the CRC to prospective tenants.

Matthews, president of e-mail hosting company Mailtrust, was named the council's NEWVY award winner. The award recognizes outstanding achievement within the community.

Matthews helped facilitate Mailtrust's acquisition by Rackspace Managed Hosting of San Antonio, Texas, and its growth to more than 100 employees.

Other NCTC winners included Victor Iannello, president and chief executive officer of Synchrony in Salem; Bill Birdlebough, a teacher at James Breckenridge Middle School; and Gary Gogerty of Roanoke City Public Schools.

Iannello was honored with the council's Entrepreneur Award, while Birdlebough and Gogerty were given Educator Awards for their promotion of math, science or the use of technology in creative ways.