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Contact: Alan Fogg, Communications Director,
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m)
Fairfax County businesses create 22,000 jobs in 2005; nine companies relocate headquarters to county
133 companies worked with the FCEDA during year
Fairfax County, Virginia USA, February 14, 2006 Businesses added 22,000 jobs to the Fairfax County economy during 2005 for a total job count of about 622,000, according to Professor Stephen Fuller at the George Mason University Center for Regional Analy sis. The increase in employment was 27 percent of the Washington, D.C.-area increase of 82,000 jobs in 2005, Fuller said.
During 2005, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) worked with 133 companies that would add 10,452 jobs to the county economy. Most of the new jobs are in the information technology and professional services areas.
Nine companies relocated headquarters operations to Fairfax County in 2005:
- IT services firm Centurum moved headquarters from Arlington County, Va.
- Network engineering firm Digicon relocated headquarters from Montgomery County, Md.
- Computer forensics firm Emerging Technologies Group, moved headquarters from Huntsville, Ala.
- Online government procurement site FedBid moved from Fairfax City.
- IT services firm FilNet relocated from Prince William County, Va.
- IT consultant Knowledge Consulting Group relocated from Loudoun County, Va.
- IT services firm OPTIMUS moved headquarters from Montgomery County, Md.
- Custom computer and server manufacturer SteelCloud moved from Loudoun County, Va.
- Security services firm Triple Canopy relocated headquarters from Lincolnshire, Ill.
“The number of companies that chose Fairfax County as their corporate headquarters in 2005 exemplifies the strength and breadth of the county’s business community,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the FCEDA. “Combined with the number of expansions, 2005 was a terrific year for economic development in Fairfax County.”
Significant job announcements came from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (2,027 jobs), Gray Hawk Systems (later bought by ManTech International, 270 jobs), Omniplex World Services (250 jobs) and Ciber (250 jobs).
OPTIMUS Corporation, one of the companies that moved to Fairfax County and expanded in 2005, announced in January that it will be a subsidiary of newly created AVIEL Systems. “AVIEL Systems' subsidiaries OPTIMUS and PMC are both experiencing rapid growth. Relocating to Fairfax County made a lot of sense, because we have better access to the technology workforce, our customer base and potential partners, and Fairfax County EDA services have made our expansion go more smoothly," said AVIEL CEO John Chapel.
In 2004, the FCEDA assisted 144 companies that brought 11,049 jobs to the county.
Typically, every new job in the primary economy spins off two to three jobs in the secondary economy. Technology-sector jobs also typically pay higher than average salaries, which is one reason Fairfax County has one of the nation’s highest median household income levels.
Business growth helps Fairfax County fund public services such as a top-ranked public school system and library, public safety, social services and park systems that improve the quality of life. Fairfax County offers diverse real estate options, access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, a business community based on technology and professional services, and a well-educated workforce.
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org), which has been recognized by Site Selection magazine as one of the top economic development groups in North America, promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA maintains overseas offices in Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv.
A select list of companies that announced expansions and relocations in 2005 is here.
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