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FCEDA Works With 148 Businesses Adding Nearly 13,000 Jobs in 2022

In 2022, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) continued to successfully support businesses from start-ups to global companies growing in and relocating to Fairfax County. FCEDA worked with 148 businesses that announced the addition of 12,767 jobs to the Fairfax County economy in 2022. 

“I want to extend my deepest appreciation to all the businesses continuing to choose Fairfax County as a strategic location for their operations. Your growth and contributions within the community are the key to the resiliency and stability of our economy,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of FCEDA. “The number of companies continuing to choose Fairfax County speaks volumes about the environment we offer for global competitive advantage and growth. Our business-friendly climate and the unparalleled access we provide is a winning combination,” he added. “Our proximity to the world’s largest customers, our robust pipeline of top talent and our innovative ecosystem of strategic partners position our businesses to not only succeed here but truly prosper.”

Some of the most notable 2022 announcements included Hilton Worldwide retaining their headquarters in Fairfax County; Clark Construction Group expanding their footprint in the Mid-Atlantic by opening a new office in Fairfax County; Pangiam establishing their global headquarters in Fairfax County; and Alarm.com, Bode Technology, Nodal Exchange, Enabled Intelligence, Inc., and SmartRoof expanding their operations and continuing to invest in Fairfax County.

“I am proud of and thankful for all the businesses that choose Fairfax County and continue to grow here,” said Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “Our businesses play a key role in maintaining the vitality of our community and the quality of life of our residents,” he added. “Looking to the future, we will continue to support the growth of innovative businesses here in Fairfax County through the $1 million Fairfax Founders Fund, which will provide grants to a diverse set of businesses, including businesses in historically disadvantaged communities, looking for early-stage capital to grow in all parts of the county.”

Out of the 148 businesses FCEDA worked with in 2022, 111 were U.S.-based; 37 were foreign-owned; 44 were minority-, woman- and/or veteran-owned; and 16 were new to the county.

Click here to see a list of select companies that made announcements in 2022.

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Celebrating Black History Month: Entrepreneurs in Focus

Did you know that more than 90% of the business base in Fairfax County is made of startups and companies that employ less than 50 people? Fairfax County is home to a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and Black entrepreneurs are part of the backbone of this thriving network of businesses. FCEDA has interviewed some of these entrepreneurs as part of our Entrepreneurship 101 seminar series, which focuses on supporting aspiring entrepreneurs throughout their journey here. Click on the links below to watch these interviews and hear the inspiring stories: 

VIDEO: Nahum Jeannot, Founder and COO, GoOats

VIDEO: Emmit McHenry, CEO, Cycurion

VIDEO: Bob Rogers, CEO, Chesapeake Digital Solutions

VIDEO: Chef Erinn Roth of Mrs. Jo’s Petite Eats

Learn more about why startups and small businesses get a big start in Fairfax County here.

Media Spotlight: Thompson Hospitality Featured in Black Enterprise

With a projected annual growth rate of 15 percent to 20 percent, Reston-based Black-owned Thompson Hospitality aims to become an enterprise with revenue exceeding $1 billion within two years. With annual sales of $800 million, Thompson Hospitality’s President and Chairman Warren Thompson told Black Enterprise that he is confident another $200 million will be added to the company’s top line over the next two years. He anticipates the gain will primarily come from his company’s joint venture with Compass Group USA —the nation’s largest food and support services company— increased revenue from its retail restaurant operations, and potential acquisitions.

Founded in 1992, Thompson Hospitality has been ranked as the nation’s largest Black-owned food service business, and one of the country’s largest retail food and facilities management firms. Thompson Hospitality today has more than 6,000 employees. Its operations in 48 states and six countries include the pact with Compass and retail brands like Matchbox, Milk and Honey, Big Buns, Wise Guys Pizza, Velocity Wings, and Makers Union. It has contracts with 18 HBCUs, with offerings that include dining services, catering, and facilities management. The firm hopes to boost that number to 20 by late 2023. Click here to read more.

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Fairfax County Companies, Public Safety Agencies Support Global Rescue Efforts 

Rescue responders: Fairfax County’s International Urban Search and Rescue Team was deployed overseas after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday, WUSA9 reported. The United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance made the determination to deploy the elite team from Fairfax County. They are one of only two teams across the country to be deployed outside of the United States. The team consists of 79 team members ranging from first responders and doctors to engineers and specialists, along with six search and rescue dogs.  “We go out with search teams scan as many buildings as we can try to determine the likelihood that there’s people that are trapped,” said Dean Tills, a structures specialist. He said they hope to bring some comfort to the people who’ve had their lives turned upside down. “In a split second their lives have changed and we’re there to hopefully bring them hope,” said Tills. FOX5 has more.

Evacuation assistance, food, supplies: Tysons-based Global Guardian, an international security firm, has clients in the region devastated by the earthquake on Monday. Dale Buckner, Global Guardian’s CEO told USA Today that team is helping with medical evacuations, transportation and the delivery of food, water and power supplies in and around the earthquake zone. It will take months to stabilize the region and years to recover from the disaster, Buckner said. “The size and scale of the destruction our team has witnessed is difficult to describe,” Buckner said. “Some infrastructure will never be replaced. The damage is so widespread it will be uninhabitable for years to come.”

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Weekly Business News Digest

Lowest unemployment rate since 1969: U.S. employers added 517,000 jobs in January in a wave of hiring that beat expectations, even as interest rates continue to rise, Commercial Observer reported. Job gains in the hospitality, professional services and health care industries drove the unemployment rate down to 3.4 percent, its lowest rate since 1969, according to a January report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as reported by Fox Business. The leisure and hospitality sectors added 128,000 jobs in January, compared with an average of 89,000 jobs added per month in 2022. Health care firms also beat 2022 monthly average hiring gains, adding 58,000 jobs, and professional and business services employers tacked on another 82,000 jobs in January.

Expanding national footprint: Tysons-based ShiftMed, a healthcare workforce management marketplace, raised $200 million in funding, citybiz reported. The round was led by Panoramic Ventures with participation from Blue Heron Capital and Audacious Capital. The company intends to use the funds to expand national footprint across all segments of the healthcare market.

Expanding scalability and capacity: A Reston-based Leidos-led partnership on defense health has delivered the Department of Defense’s new electronic health record system to 11 military treatment facilities across eight states as part of the program’s latest double deployment wave, according to ExecutiveBiz. The Leidos Partnership for Defense Health deployed the system to additional 12,000 clinicians and providers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Virginia. “With each deployment, our team is continuing to expand both scalability and capacity,” said Liz Porter, president of the health group at Leidos.

Strong roadmap: Herndon-based Constellis announced Feb. 3 that the company recorded nearly $5 billion contract awards in the preceding 12 months, representing a 250 percent increase and establishing a new milestone, Intelligence Community News reported. The company obtained wins with the Department of Energy, Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Intelligence Community, and numerous commercial clients. “Over sixty percent of the company’s awards in the preceding 12 months have an 8-year average period of performance, establishing a strong backlog of business,” said Darryle Conway, chief growth officer at Constellis. “By focusing on core markets, we have built a strong roadmap that is consistent with our long-term growth strategy.”

More accurate lung cancer diagnosis technology: Reston Hospital Center is using innovative technology to provide more accurate lung cancer diagnoses, reported Fairfax County Times. The robotic bronchoscopy technology integrates robotics, software, and endoscopy cameras and tools that create better access to hard-to-reach nodules and allow for visualization. “Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is an endoluminal platform, which means it goes through lumen-like bronchial tubes in this setting designed to access lung nodules in the perimeter of the lung,” explained Dr. Neeraj Desai, with the American Lung Association. “Robotic bronchoscopy is a stable and precise platform designed for accurate lung nodule biopsy with low complication rates allowing physicians to help patients get answers when they need it the most.”

Empowered Communities Partnership Center: Fairfax-based George Mason University is receiving more than $1 million to establish a new opioid addiction treatment and recovery center in Prince William County, school officials recently announced, according to InsideNoVa. On Jan. 30, Mason announced that the center will receive $1.03 million from the latest federal omnibus bill, The university says its Empowered Communities Partnership Center will help the region’s localities fight the surging opioid addiction and overdose problem, with treatment for high-risk individuals battling substance and opioid abuse disorder, and in particular those who are reentering society after a release from incarceration. “

Space sensor collaboration: Reston-based CACI International signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to collaborate on the development of space sensors and payloads for positioning, navigation and timing, SpaceNews reported. The company signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center, located in Huntsville, Alabama. The agreement is to “further the development of advanced payload technologies, space sensor applications, and resilient positioning, navigation and timing,” said Todd Probert, CACI’s president of national security and innovative solutions.

FOIA help: Tysons-based MITRE developed an artificial intelligence-based tool designed to assist agency analysts in handling requests to access federal government records under the Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA Assistant uses AI and natural language processing to minimize the workload of analysts across the 118 agencies subject to the law by speeding up the process of analyzing documents for redaction and release, ExecutiveGov reported.

Cyber resilience tool: In more company news, Tysons-based MITRE introduced a visualization tool that could enable organizations to structure their cyber resiliency techniques, goals and objectives in accordance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s publication on building cyber-resilient platforms. The Cyber Resiliency Engineering Framework Navigator is a free tool available to the cyber community, according to ExecutiveBiz.

Reston humanitarian: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution honoring Reston native Nate Mook for his humanitarian work, including his role as the former CEO of the World Central Kitchen, which served 60 million meals, while helping to build sustainable local food systems across the globe, Reston Patch reported.  Mook was also honored for his current role as the president of the Ukraine Foundation and as a filmmaker. He produced “Baltimore Rising” and direct-shot documentaries in Somalia, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Uganda, Kenya, Iraq and Liberia. “Knowing that there’s a little sliver of Fairfax County DNA in you, makes us very proud,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay. “While you’re doing so many things internationally, your local community here is so proud of the work you’ve done and the lives that you’ve changed in people’s worst times. Thank you so much on behalf of the 1.1 million residents of Fairfax County.” Moot grew up in Reston and is a graduate of South Lakes High School. His mother, historian Sarah Larson, founded the Reston Museum. “It truly is an honor to be here today, not only because I grew up in Reston and in Fairfax County, but … it really shaped who I am today,” Moot said. “This is a community where service to others is a central core value.”

It’s a dog’s (work) world: During the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people adopted dogs for comfort and companionship, and because they had the time to care for them at home since they were not commuting to work. As many companies reopen to a hybrid work schedule — allowing their employees to work both at home and in the office — many pet owners want to keep their canine companions nearby and are taking them to work, according to the Voice of America. Amazon began its Dogs at Work program more than 25 years ago at its headquarters in Seattle. Today, some 10,000 dogs are registered at more than 140 Amazon buildings, according to Amy Neumeister, global services senior manager, Amazon. Lorelei Pate, a program manager at Amazon’s Herndon office, said she will be bringing in her dog soon. “After working remotely and then returning to the office part of the time, this will help maintain the balance between my work and personal life.”

40 Under 40: Spencer Wood, a business investment manager at Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, was named as a “Northern Virginia 40 Under 40” by Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax. The award recognizes young leaders through the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 program. This program celebrates emerging leaders who demonstrate exceptional and impactful leadership in their professional and personal spheres within the Northern Virginia region. Click here to see the list of additional honorees. Congratulations, Spencer!

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Contract Wins

CACI International (Reston) will continue to provide simulation and software technology support to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas under a $150 million contract. GovConWire

Northrop Grumman (Falls Church area) received a $92 million contract modification to integrate the Department of the Navy’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system onto multiple aircraft platforms operated by four U.S. military branches. GovConWire

General Dynamics Information Technology (Falls Church area) received a $45.6 million contract from the Environmental Protection Agency to provide infrastructure and program support for the Superfund program, which handles cleanup operations at areas experiencing oil spills, natural disasters and other environmental emergencies. ExecutiveBiz

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February 17 — Unite, Uplift & Celebrate: A Fairfax County Black History Month Celebration. To celebrate Black History Month, the Fairfax County Black History Program Committee, in partnership with Cox Communications, presents an evening celebration of Black history in Fairfax County. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Speakers include: Karla Bruce, Chief Equity Officer, Fairfax County; Lynnette Clark, Director, Field Operations, Cox; Sheila Dixon, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce; Bryan Hill, Fairfax County Executive; Victor Hoskins, President and CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority;
Rodney L. Lusk, Franconia District Supervisor, Fairfax County; Jeff McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Click here for more information and to register.

March 7 — Entrepreneurship 101: Starting A Business in Fairfax County. Join our panel of small business experts for an interactive webinar on how to start your business. We will provide you with informative step-by-step information sessions that will cover registering your business, permitting requirements, business feasibility and business plan basics, business certifications, financing options and government resources. In addition, the Entrepreneur Spotlight will feature Omi Bell, Founder of Black Girl Ventures. Click here for more information and to register.