• E-Newsletter

Eqlipse Technologies Opens New Herndon HQ

Eqlipse Technologies, a company that provides products and engineering services to the U.S. Department of Defense and the intelligence community, celebrated the grand opening of its new 10,000-square-foot facility headquarters in Herndon on Thursday, August 24. The company was formed by Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in March of this year.  The building houses the company’s digital operations portfolio, which provides innovative commercial products, solutions and cutting-edge research that enable a wide variety of cyber missions for Eqlipse customers.

“This fantastic facility shows our commitment to providing our people with a great place to work with modern workspace amenities, like collaboration spaces, vehicle charging stations and a gym for employee health and wellness,” said Dennis Kelly, CEO of Eqlipse. “Importantly, it also shows our commitment to expanding our physical space in Northern Virginia – which allows us to better serve our customers and interface with partner organizations.”

Eqlipse has more than 600 employees across three primary locations – Herndon, Virginia, Annapolis Junction, Maryland, and Dayton, Ohio – and more than $200 million in revenue. Next month, Eqlipse will open a brand-new 30,000-square-foot facility in Annapolis Junction.

To find out more about Eqlipse, visit https://eqlipsetechnologies.com.

---

Celebrating National Black Business Month

In celebration of National Black Business Month, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is proud to note that the county is home to more than 600 Black-owned employer firms — businesses with payrolls. That is the highest number of any locality in Virginia, according to the most recent Annual Business Survey published by the U.S. Census Bureau. These businesses generated $1.8 billion in annual revenue and employ more than 11,000 people, the Census Bureau reported.

“During National Black Business Month, we celebrate the many Black-owned businesses in our community,” said FCEDA’s Director of  Diversity Business Investment and Entrepreneurship Karen Smaw. “Black-owned businesses contribute greatly to the dynamic business ecosystem here. We look forward to helping more Black entrepreneurs launch, grow, and expand their businesses in Fairfax County.”

Co-located in the same suite of offices in Tysons, FCEDA collaborates closely on minority-based initiatives with the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, along with the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber. As members of the Multi-Cultural Alliance, the three chambers work closely together on initiatives on behalf of their minority constituencies.

The Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the growth and development of its member partners and those businesses that wish to partner with them. The Chamber’s goal is to facilitate the economic empowerment of black-owned businesses in Northern Virginia and the success and development of the region.

“National Black Business Month is more than just a time to recognize the vital role of Black-owned businesses in our nation’s economy, it’s also a time to become an ally to the entrepreneurs who made these businesses possible,” said Samuel Wiggins, Chairman, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce. “Supporting Black-owned businesses and their economic empowerment today, will make for a better tomorrow for everyone.”

SEE: Q&A with Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce Chairman Samuel Wiggins

FCEDA’s Diversity Business division assists minority-, woman- and veteran-owned businesses of all sizes in Fairfax County to obtain the requisite resources to launch and grow. Click here for more information.

---

Weekly Business News Digest

Securing a new HQ: Comstock announced the signing of a 24,800 square-foot lease with Securiport, a provider of civil aviation security and border control solutions and services. The lease will immediately relocate Securiport into existing space at Reston Station on a temporary basis while the build-out of their new headquarters is completed in the Helmut Jahn-designed office tower, located at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza. “After 20 years in Washington D.C., although it was a hard decision, we are excited to move our headquarters to Reston Station,” said Dr. Enrique Segura, President and CEO of Securiport. “Securiport is a rapidly growing company that invests in new and proprietary technologies, and this new location will provide our team with an upscaled environment to showcase our solutions. We are thrilled to join the growing roster of big tech companies that have chosen Reston Station.”

Record-setting enrollment: George Mason University has set an all-time record for enrollment, for itself and the state of Virginia, the institution announced earlier this week. The Fairfax County-based university has exceeded 40,000 in total enrollment, and this fall will welcome the largest freshman class in its history with 4,500 students. “Record students enrolled means record students graduating, record lives transformed, and record opportunity for regional businesses looking to hire our graduates,” said Gregory Washington, President of George Mason University. Washington Business Journal has more.

SCOUTing for free space: SCOUT Space of Reston announced on August 24 the acquisition of Free Space to strengthen SCOUT’s defense and technical capabilities and broaden the inroads SCOUT has built with the U.S. Department of Defense, intelligence community, and civil government. “This acquisition is the result of SCOUT’s business plan to strengthen the company by expanding our defense and technical capabilities with strategic acquisitions,” said Eric Ingram, CEO of SCOUT Space. “With a high market demand for our on-orbit services and mission augmentation capabilities, this acquisition uniquely positions SCOUT to respond immediately to our government customers’ needs. We look forward to welcoming this team into our incredible SCOUT family!”  Intelligence Community News has more.

Small-size phantom: Falls Church-area based Northrop Grumman has produced and delivered a 10 kilowatt-class laser technology to an unnamed U.S. government customer for use in tactical environments, reported ExecutiveBiz. Phantom is a high-energy system that weighs less than 200 pounds and measures 12 cubic feet, or about the size of a mini fridge. “By miniaturizing this advanced capability, we are expanding the reach of our technology and continuing to lead the way in high-energy lasers,” said Robert Fleming, VP and GM of Strategic Space Systems at Northrop.

---

September 12 — Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority hosts Entrepreneurship 101, or “E-101,” a bi-monthly workshop that features a panel of small business experts on how to start a business. Presented by the FCEDA, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), the Community Business Partnership (CBP) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the workshop provides an overview of business start-up fundamentals.  Click here to register.

September 19 — Hire Vets Now Networking and Hiring Fair. This in-person event at Fort Belvoir Community Center is a networking reception and career fair offering transitioning service members, military spouses and veterans the opportunity to connect with Virginia employers looking to hire military talent. Participating employers are offering career opportunities in IT, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, defense, government, law enforcement and more. Resource Providers will be on hand to assist with resume writing, and  SkillBridge internships and mentorships. A complimentary lunch will be provided. Click here to register.

September 21 — Northern Virginia Space & Satellite Summit. Join the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce’s International Business Council at their Space & Satellite event at Womble Bond Dickinson in Tysons. Speakers will include: David Bettinger, CEO, Axta Space Team; Dennis Gatens, CEO and Founder, LEOCloud; George Nield, President, Commercial Space Technologies; and Stephen McCall, Director of Government Relations, Firefly Aerospace. The main objectives of this seminar are to provide insights about the current ecosystem of space and satellite assets and industry in the Dulles region; and to delve into the aspects of the commercialization of the space sector and discuss challenges and opportunities. Click here to register.

September 21 — GovFuture Forum. Attend GovFuture Forum, a monthly demo and panel event where government innovators, technologists, thought leaders, movers-and-shakers, government ecosystem partners, and interested people see showcases on cool new technology in a demo format, learn from innovators in high-value panels, and interact with each other. Click here to see the agenda, featured speakers and to register.

September 26-28, 2023 – Quantum World Congress 2023. Quantum World Congress 2023 will once again bring together leaders from across the quantum ecosystem around the globe to address pressing challenges and emerging trends and share insights that help to accelerate and commercialize quantum technologies. Programming will take many forms — from presentations and panels to fireside chats and networking sessions. QWC will enable relevant, timely, and industry-leading information sharing and relationship building across these formats to foster a responsible environment for quantum growth. QWC 2023 will be held at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia. REGISTER NOW.