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Moving in a new direction: Neustar, a Sterling-based information services company, inked a deal to consolidate and shift its headquarters to Reston, where it will anchor an office building being developed by Comstock Holdings. Neustar plans to shift more than 400 employees to the new Reston Station home from two locations in Sterling. Dan Sernovitz at the Washington Business Journal reports that the company chose Reston Station for a number of reasons, including its location atop the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, recognizable architecture, and proximity to restaurants and shops in Reston Station.

Gaining ground: The Washington Business Journal published its list of the top 75 fastest-growing companies in 2019, 34 of which are located in Fairfax County. To qualify, companies have to be privately owned, locally headquartered and with no parent company as of the date the survey process ended. Revenue for the companies also had to grow each year for two years in a row between 2016 and 2018, be at least $2 million in 2016 and at least $10 million in 2018. The Business Journal ran the names of the companies but won’t reveal the rankings until next month.

Making a quick buck: Tysons Reporter published a story about three entrepreneurial McLean teens who decided to start their own company. TeenServ aims to solve teenage unemployment with a platform that matches students and community members who need short-term assistance with various tasks. Website users can pick-up shifts wherever and whenever they want, making it convenient for hectic schedules. So far, the website has employed more than 200 teens.

Rising rankings, by George: George Mason University announced that it placed in the top 200 U.S. universities for the 2020 College Rankings by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Ed. Mason placed 184 out of 801 universities nationally and 42 out of 209 institutions in the South Region. In just two years, the university has risen 90 places, with a 47-spot climb this year. 

Kicking addiction: Inova Health System is launching a campaign to help combat addiction and substance abuse, an effort funded in part by a $16 million donation from the Hitt family that owns the Falls Church area-based construction firm of the same name. The Act on Addiction campaign will target people in Northern Virginia suffering from addiction, as well as family members and others who could benefit from learning the signs of addiction. Read more in this Washington Business Journal piece.

 

Ace in the hole: McLean-based Dovel Technologies acquired Reston-based government information technology services contractor Ace Info Solutions in an effort to broaden market capabilities and diversify its client base. According to GovConWire, the acquisition came four months after Dovel received an investment from Macquarie Capital to expand its federal market footprint across AI, analytics and other tech areas. Dovel supports agencies through its expertise and technologies in health IT, grants management and life sciences markets.

Here comes the sun(flower): Washington Technology reports that CGI, which bases its federal operations in Fairfax, bought asset management software provider Sunflower Systems to bring the latter company’s portfolio of offerings to commercial businesses and federal government agencies. Sunflower, also known as Annams Systems Corp., was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., with offices in Arlington. The company’s software is designed to support decision making, accountability and regulatory compliance for assets such as property, IT and materials.

A better solution: Engineering Solutions and Products, a Chantilly-based provider of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms to the Army, has been bought by Woodbridge-based information technology services contractor Sev1Tech. GovConWire reports that ESP’s experience will help Sev1Tech build up its enterprise IT capabilities and provide a IT modernization services to the Defense and Homeland Security departments.

Risky business: Tysons Reporter featured an interview with ClearForce, a Tysons-based company that offers customizable employee risk-management platforms for private- and public-sector organizations. CEO Tom Miller told the Tysons Reporter’s Catherine Douglas Moran that the company has an ideal headquarters because of “the level of talent and expertise with not only national security but also with analytics” in the Tysons area.

Rollin’ on the river: Red River, a New Hampshire-based technology services company, announced it acquired Chantilly-based IT services firm CWPS, which specializes in IT, cloud, collaboration, storage, and virtualization services for commercial enterprises. According to a release picked up by the Potomac  TechWire, Red River said the acquisition increases its footprint in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, and strengthens its position in cloud computing. CWPS has 150 employees.

Acquiring minds: Digital Intelligence Systems (DISYS), a McLean-based provider of staffing and managed services, announced that it will acquire the assets of Frederick, Md.-based ALTEK Information Technology, Inc. DISYS, which was founded in 1994, said the latest deal is part of its growth-through-acquisition strategy. According to the release published in the Potomac Tech Wire, the company said the latest move will help it expand into the healthcare market.

Integrated marketing: Marketing communications firm Yes& Holdings in Alexandria acquired GreenSmith Public Relations of Fairfax. According to Capitol Communicator, the acquisition results in “building a global integrated marketing organization with more than 80 people.” Mike Smith, a Washington veteran with more than 35 years of experience at top PR agencies, joins Yes& as senior vice president and president of the GreenSmith PR Division of Yes&. 

Notable contract wins by firms in Fairfax County

• Booz Allen Hamilton secured a five-year, $49.5M contract to support a Defense Information Systems Agency program that offers web conferencing and instant messaging services to Department of Defense personnel and mission partners. GovConWire
• Checkmarx won a contract with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific to accelerate the development and delivery of secure software applications. Israel21c
• Perspecta booked a potential six-year, $166 million contract for IT support and acquisition services to the U.S. Senate. Washington Technology
• OBXtek announced that it was awarded a contract with the U.S. Air Force to provide technical acquisition support services to the 45th Space Wing. OBXtek will provide project management, program and acquisition support services, and technical expertise in civil engineering, contract administration, and financial analysis. Potomac Tech Wire carried the release.

Featured business events

• September 11 — Intro to Selling to the Commonwealth—A Vendor’s Perspective. Part of the Business Education Series presented by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. Click here.

• September 12 – Strategies for Creating Competitive Proposals. Learn basic strategies for how to compete in the $500 billion federal contract marketplace. Click here.

• September 19 — The Blueprint to Business Success In Europe. A webinar on how to expand your business reach, generate leads and sales while remaining compliant with GDPR (General Data Protection Rules). Presented by the Dulles Regional Chamber International Business Council and US2Europe. Click here.
• September 20 – Shaping the Future of Fairfax County Together. Special update on the county’s first-ever strategic planning process especially for members of the business community, philanthropic and higher-education partners. 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.

• 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.

Click here for the FCEDA business event calendar.