E-Newsletter

Fairfax County E-Bird for July 23, 2019

Now hear this: Aireon, which is using advanced technology to better track aircraft around the globe, announced Monday that it is adding more than 50 jobs and more than doubling its space in Tysons with new offices on Westpark Drive. Jeff Clabaugh of WTOP was among the first to fly with the news from this high-tech air traffic surveillance company. BusinessFacilities.com helped spread the word nationally. More than 50 media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune and U.S. News & World Report published the Associated Press version of the story.

Signaling growth: Centreville-based Parsons, a technology, cybersecurity and intelligence provider in global defense, is acquiring Fredericksburg-based QRC Technologies from private equity firm DC Capital Partners. The $215 million cash deal will bolster Parsons’ offerings in the radio frequency and signals intelligence markets. The Washington Business Journal’s Katishi Maake has more about Parsons’ third acquisition in the last 14 months.

Smart construction: Virginia Tech is considering expansion of its Northern Virginia Center campus in Falls Church with Hitt Contracting — a partnership which would also create new headquarters for Hitt. Daniel J. Sernovitz of the Washington Business Journal reports that the 7.5-acre campus near the West Falls Church Metro station would include an expanded academic facility, a national center for smart design and construction, and a commercial/residential complex.

Healthy addition: The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved expansion of the Defense Health Agency’s headquarters in Falls Church. Brian Trompeter of InsideNoVA reports that plans call for a new L-shaped office building of up to 196,142 square feet, an 815-space parking garage and a 205-by-95-foot courtyard between new and existing buildings.

Two-part Analysis: Veracity Forecasting and Analysis, a data science firm based in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County that offers expertise in modeling and simulation methods and software development, has been purchased by Alexandria-based Systems Planning and Analysis. Matthew Nelson of GovConWire writes that SPA is seeking to expand its reach into operations analysis support for national defense and security.

Freedom to compress: USA Today publisher Gannett is closing in on a deal to combine with rival GateHouse Media, a move that would unite the nation’s two largest newspaper groups. Drew Hansen of the Washington Business Journal notes that both companies are battling for survival in a struggling environment for newspapers. Gannett, based in Tysons, would be acquired by GateHouse Media’s parent New Media Investment Group Inc.

Quicker to the cloud: Software AG, with operations in Reston, announced a partnership with Microsoft. Citybizlist reports that the company’s new Cloud Migration Accelerator will enable users to accelerate and simplify migration to Microsoft Azure.

Secur following Breakout: SecurCapital, a California-based provider of financial services, acquired the lending business of McLean-based Breakout Capital Finance. According to the release picked up by Potomac Tech Wire, the acquired assets will be operated by a unit of SecurCapital and will continue to do business under the Breakout Capital name.

Hot off the press: Catherine W. Riley, the FCEDA’s interim president and CEO, discusses the importance of small business in Fairfax County in a letter to the editor published by the Fairfax Times. “Helping entrepreneurs is a year-round passion for us,” Riley writes. “The FCEDA helps entrepreneurs foster a business environment focused on innovation.”

Notable contract wins by firms in Fairfax County

  • Leidos won a potential $900 million task order to support Air Force operations in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance after a protest of the contract was denied. Washington Technology
  • Lockheed Martin received a four-year, $77 million contract modification from the Navy to deliver long lead materials, parts and software data loads to support initial production of F-35 Lightning II aircraft. ExecutvieBiz
  • Tetra Tech, under a five-year, $46 million contract, will provide engineering design support, some of it in the Middle East, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ExecutiveBiz
  • Raytheon booked a 60-month, $87.7 million contract to help the Navy engineer an over-the-horizon radar system to evaluate, interpret and track aircraft and vessels. GovConWire

Upcoming business events

  •  July 24: Break Through the Noise! Marketing Strategies to Attract the Right Leads & Get More Clients. Workshop will detail a marketing system to help participants stand out and connect with ideal clients. Part of the Business Education Series presented by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. Click here.
  • September 10: Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in Fairfax County. This FCEDA workshop is for those contemplating doing business in the county. The series, which covers a full range of basics, is held in partnership with the Community Business Partnership, the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Registration is required. Click here.

FAIRFACT: Fairfax County is home to an array of financial services jobs with 28,000 banking, credit and insurance industry employees and 52,000 more in accounting, advisory and consulting positions.