• E-Newsletter

Hot off the presses: The third quarter 2019 edition of the Fairfax Leader is now available for download. Read about the new regional NOVA EDA alliance; learn about recent notable company expansions and jobs announcements; get details on the top 10 commercial real estate transactions from the previous quarter; plus company profiles and other news and notables from the FCEDA.

Up to the challenge: Bisnow’s Jon Banister recently interviewed Victor Hoskins about his new role as CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. In the interview, Victor addressed how he plans on replicating the momentum from Amazon HQ2 in Fairfax County, the biggest issues he’s looking to tackle and where the county is poised for change.

A team effort: Centreville-based Parsons Corp. is teaming up with Northrup Grumman to pursue the Air Force’s $85 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile contract. Washington Business Journal reports that Parsons will provide infrastructure engineering services for missile launch facilities and launch centers.

All aglow: iDirect Government, a Herndon-based unit of Singapore’s ST Engineering, said last Tuesday it has paid $20 million in cash to acquire Silicon Valley’s Glowlink Communications Technology. According to iDirect Government’s blogpost, the acquisition will add intellectual property and proprietary technologies, among other items, to iDirect Government’s portfolio.

A good sport: A new, publicly accessible field is coming to the heart of Tysons. Last week, Fairfax County Planning Commission members unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a proposal for the athletic field, located at 8229 Boone Boulevard in Tysons. According to Inside NoVA, the field’s construction would be done in accordance with proffers from The Mile, a nearly 3.05-million-square-foot project being developed by the applicant on 38.8 acres to the north.

Change of course: The first Topgolf in the United States, Topgolf Alexandria, could be replaced with a couple hundred townhomes under a proposed amendment to Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan. The Washington Business Journal states that while the property owner would like to redevelop the land, Topgolf states it has no plans to close the course.

Hot property: Real estate investment and development firm, Foulger-Pratt recently purchased office space in Tysons for $35M. According to the press release published by GlobeSt., the 210,000-square foot building, which is located within half a mile from the Greensboro and Tysons Corner Metrorail stations, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on Tysons’ momentum.

The contender(s): Northern Virginia Community College has identified three prospective leaders in its search for a future president. The Washington Business Journal has more on the contenders, which were certified and announced Thursday by the State Board for Community Colleges. 

A brand new approach: Tysons Partnership is planning on rebranding the area while establishing a “sustainable business and funding model” for the nonprofit association. According to Tysons Reporter, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering investing up to $1 million dollars, which could get allocated toward placemaking events, branding efforts, sponsorships and media outreach.

A tasty mix: LifeFuels, a Reston-based smart nutrition water bottle system, launches this week and its CEO hopes his company will be one of many more start-ups focused on consumer technology. In an interview with DC INNO, CEO Jonathon Perrelli said he thinks consumer technology is crucial for any tech ecosystem to attract enthusiastic engineers — which rings especially true in D.C.

Early adopter: Reston-based ThreatQuotient, recently adopted a baby rhino to bring awareness to rhino extension and conservation efforts. Technical.ly DC reports that ThreatQuotient adopted the baby rhinoceros, named Mthetho, in honor of World Rhino Day on Sept. 22.

Transport to the future: Residents got a sneak peek at the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit system’s conceptual design at a county meeting, last week. Covering the Corridor reports that the design features estimates of the right-of-way needed, the locations of the nine proposed BRT stations, proposed stormwater facilities, and historic properties identified in proximity to the project. More information from the meeting can be found here.

A bold move: eGlobalTech, a woman-owned consulting firm, announced that it has moved its headquarters from Arlington to Tysons. Tysons Reporter says the new headquarters includes a dedicated space for a technology lab and was chosen because of its proximity to key customers.

At your service: Herndon-based nexVortex, a cloud communication service provider, introduced Managed Connect, which builds on the growing momentum of nexVortex’s managed services. According to Channel Vision Magazine, this new service improves the quality, availability and visibility for ground-to-cloud connections for cloud services.

Featured business events

• October 1 – Entrepreneurship 101—Starting a Business in Fairfax County. Presented by the FCEDA, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, U.S. Small Business Administration, and Community Business Partnership, this free monthly workshop focuses on start-up basics, including workforce training, SBA financing and SBD/MCE/8(a) certifications. Click here.
• October 3 – GMU’s 2019 Government Contracting Conference: Confronting the Challenges Facing Today’s Government Contracting Community. A day-long conference for government, industry, and academia to explore issues in government contracting. Use code FCEDA for $100 discount when purchasing ticket. Click here.
• October 3 — How Business Gets Done between India and the U.S. A webinar presented in Herndon and in Hyderabad, India, by the Dulles Regional Chamber and the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce as part of a series on opportunities and obstacles in doing business globally. This forum will feature subject matter experts from the U.S. and India. Click here to register for the webinar or click here to attend the event in-person.
• October 29 — TiE DC Capital GovCon. A forward-looking and informative conference for companies looking to do business with the federal government. Hear from government contracting leaders in our region, connect with TiE DC’s community of government contractors and learn how to achieve your growth goals. Click here.
• November 14 — BL Small Business Expo. Visit with about 70 different exhibitors presenting a wide range of products and services that could help you enhance your business and/or life. Keynote speaker will be Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA. Click here.