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The M Group Architects Opens New HQ in Reston + Weekly Business News Digest
The M Group Architects Opens New HQ in Reston |
The M Group Architects, an architectural firm specializing in data centers, corporate interiors and industrial projects, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 7, 2024, to celebrate the relocation of its office within Reston to RTC West, an office and retail development on Sunset Hills Road operated by JBG Smith.
Speaking at the event was Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra, 7th District in the Virginia House of Delegates; Supervisor Walter L. Alcorn, Hunter Mill District, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; and Anna Nissinen, senior vice president, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
“We are excited to reaffirm our commitment to the community and our employees as we remain anchored in the Reston area of Fairfax County,” said Karen Lewis, president of The M Group Architects. “Relocating to RTC West provides robust conveniences and amenities for our staff. As we embark on this new chapter in our history, we are filled with enthusiasm and anticipation for what the future holds. Our relocation to RTC West represents a significant milestone for The M Group Architects as we continue to grow and evolve in our 37th year of business.”
The M Group Architects was established in 1987 as a full-service commercial architecture firm. Present was the ownership team of The M Group Architects: Karen Lewis, IIDA, Mike Timcheck, AIA, Rob Cole, AIA, and David Belgin AIA, as well as the founder and principal emeritus of the company, Mitchell Freedman, AIA, the company’s staff and industry partner representatives that contributed to the success of project. Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce President Charles Kapur and Reston Town Center Executive Director Robert Goudie were among the other guests in attendance.
“We are excited The M Group Architects continues to call Fairfax County home with its move to a new location in Reston,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of FCEDA. “We look forward to supporting The M Group Architects team as you build on four decades of excellence in service to area businesses and our local community.”
Click here to find out how FCEDA can help you with your headquarters location search.
Join the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, in partnership with George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Marymount University at the Tap into the Future Employer Summit.
Date and time: Friday, December 6, 2024 · 11:30am – 1pm
Location: AWS Skills Center Arlington, 1550-G Crystal Drive Arlington, VA 22202
Click here to register now.
Connect with career center experts from George Mason University’s Costello College of Business, Northern Virginia Community College’s Career Services Center, and Marymount University’s Center for Career Development as they unpack actionable next steps for optimizing your company’s brand on campuses and effective recruitment strategies that will take your talent pipelines to the next level.
Key takeaways:
- Learn how to tap into top-tier talent and elevate your company’s recruitment efforts.
- Insights into key academic programs and upcoming recruiting events.
- Opportunities to fund internships through the Virginia Talent Opportunity Partnership.
Don’t miss this opportunity to amplify your brand and expand your talent pipelines. Register today!
Weekly Business News Digest
On a roll: It’s been a busy year for the Herndon-based IT services company Tyto Athene, reported technical.ly. The company announced in November that it acquired the Chantilly-based bid and proposal consulting firm Key Solutions (KSI). This followed its acquisitions of Greenbelt, Maryland-based aerospace tech company Microtel in April and Tysons-based cybersecurity firm MindPoint Group in June. Tyto mainly works in the defense intelligence sector, providing cybersecurity, advanced telecommunications work and secure networking services to customers including the Department of Defense and the FBI. The goal of this absorption is to build out the company’s contracting and proposal skills for the federal government, per a press release. “This acquisition represents a strategic step forward in our mission to be the premier provider of secure technical solutions, ensuring information dominance for our public sector customers,” said Dennis Kelly, the CEO of Tyto. “By integrating KSI’s industry-leading expertise into our bid and proposal center, we are poised to accelerate growth and strengthen our position as a leader in the market.”
Catalyzing startups: Herndon-based IAI North America, a U.S. subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, has selected the next three startup companies for the second cohort of its IAI CATALYST program: Dalus, Lola Vision Systems, and Nefeli Air, according to a release. Operating out of IAI North America’s Innovation Center in Fairfax County, IAI CATALYST is an accelerator program designed to help startups further develop their technology and gain success in the U.S. market. “Cohort 1 of the IAI CATALYST accelerator set a high standard of success for future cohorts. IAI’s goal for a U.S. innovation center is to foster cutting-edge technological growth in the aerospace and defense industries by investing in startups trying to break into the market. The startups chosen for Cohort 2 will bring game-changing technology to the U.S. market. We look forward to seeing how these three startups grow with our mentorship,” said Eytan Eshel, Executive VP, CTO IAI. “IAI North America’s innovation center is important because it fosters innovative development in the aerospace industry from companies who might not have the support to break into the market otherwise,” added Stephen A. Elliott, President and CEO of IAI North America.
Robotic arms in space: Falls Church area-based Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics subsidiary is eyeing a 2026 launch for its next-generation satellite servicing vehicle, the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV). Equipped with robotic arms developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the MRV aims to extend the lifespan of satellites in geostationary orbit more than 22,500 miles above Earth, according to SpaceNews. “This robotic payload promises to transform satellite operations in geostationary orbit, reduce costs for satellite operators, and enable capabilities well beyond what we have today,” said NRL’s director of research Bruce Danly.
New leadership: Rivian Automotive’s Kjell Gruner will become the new president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America on Dec. 12, the Reston-headquartered subsidiary of the German automaker announced Tuesday, according to Virginia Business. Gruner succeeds Pablo Di Si, who assumed the role in September 2022, when Scott Keogh became president and CEO of Volkswagen electric vehicle brand Scout. Until Dec. 12, Gerrit Spengler, the America subsidiary’s chief human resources officer, will serve as interim CEO. On Nov. 12, Rivian and Volkswagen announced their new joint venture, in which Volkswagen plans to invest up to $5.8 billion.
Deepfake detection: Tysons-based Booz Allen Hamilton announced that its corporate venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures, has made a strategic investment in New York-based Reality Defender, a cybersecurity company specializing in deepfake and synthetic media detection that leverages advanced AI to identify and combat AI-generated threats ensuring the integrity of digital content in today’s software-defined world. “Sophisticated AI models are increasingly being used to manipulate and deceive, posing a real risk ranging from the battlefield and research labs to financial systems and communities nationwide,” said Matt Keating, head of AI security at Booz Allen. “To combat these threats, we need tools to validate and secure multimodal content, such as videos, images, audio recordings, and phone calls. Reality Defender meets this need, offering a proven solution for verifying data integrity and using AI to actively counter disinformation, ensuring AI systems remain responsible, secure, and trustworthy.”
AI to boost crop yields in India: Fairfax-based George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing and the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar are planning to collaborate to be one of the three Centers of Excellence in artificial intelligence which seek to improve India’s AI ecosystem through cooperation with partners worldwide, according to a LinkedIn post by GMU. This collaboration resulted from a call for proposals last winter from the Ministry of Education of India. The proposal was funded at $40 million over four years and provides opportunities for GMU to work with institutions and host visits from India, The American Bazaar has more.
Supply chain resilience: Tysons and Medford, Mass.-based MITRE, a not-for-profit corporation offering defense and cybersecurity services, has made recommendations for the incoming administration on enhancing the resilience of the United States’ supply chains. The company published a paper detailing the vulnerabilities of the supply chain. It has also identified the possible factors that will help build resilience in the nation’s complex, global supply chain systems, according to ExecutiveGov.
Taking flight: Allegiant Travel Co. plans to add flights to four new destinations at Washington Dulles International Airport next year as part of the low-cost carrier’s largest route expansion in its history, reported Washington Business Journal. By June 2025, the Las Vegas-based company will offer flights to seven destinations from IAD, up from three locations currently. Beginning in May, the first of these new routes will be nonstop flights to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah, Georgia; McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee; and Westin-Fort Walton Beach Airport in Destin, Florida. Starting in June, Allegiant will start twice-weekly service to Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina. Allegiant is one of several carriers adding new routes at Dulles amid heightened demand for both domestic and international travel. Through Aug. 31, about 18 million passengers had passed through Dulles, up 8.6 percent from the same eight-month period in 2023, according to figures from the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority.
Notable Contracts
Serco (Herndon) secured a five-year $97 million contract to provide program management and business performance improvement support to Naval Sea Systems Command. Naval Today
Northrop Grumman (Falls Church area) received a $318.7 million U.S. Navy contract to continue providing technical engineering and integration support services for the Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missile and underwater launcher systems of guided missile submarines. GovConWire
Gunnison Consulting Group (Tysons) won a five-year $26.6 million contract from the State Department to provide cybersecurity support services for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. GovConWire
FCEDA Hosted and Sponsored Events
December 3, 2024 — The Commercialization of Space: Building a Next-Generation Industry. Connected DMV presents a cross-sector and multi-country dialog to explore opportunities in developing commercialization of the space market. The event will be held at the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. Speakers include: A.C. Charania, Chief Technologist, NASA; John Serafini, CEO, Hawkeye 360; Preston Dunlap, CEO, Arkenstone Ventures; and Victor Hoskins, President and CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. Click here for more information and to register.
December 3, 2024 — The Future of Hiring: AI’s Role in Talent Sourcing and Acquisition. Join Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Workforce Development COI for an insightful Q&A panel on how AI is reshaping talent sourcing and recruitment. Click here for more information and to register.
December 6, 2024 — Tap into the Future Employer Summit. Connect with career center experts from George Mason University’s Costello College of Business, Northern Virginia Community College’s Career Services Center, and Marymount University’s Center for Career. Click here to register now.
December 6, 2024 — Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade. The Virginia Chamber Foundation and Virginia Economic Development Partnership are pleased to present the 2024 Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade. Attend this event to hear from Virginia candidates in the 2025 governor’s race on their priorities for keeping Virginia as the best state for business. Hear from business and economic development leaders from across the Commonwealth on Virginia’s business climate and economic competitiveness. Click here for more information and to register.
December 10, 2024 — Tech100 Celebration. The Northern Virginia Technology Council Tech100 Celebration honors the top companies and leaders in the National Capital Region technology community. As Innovators Assemble for an epic evening, NVTC will honor the trailblazing tech companies, visionary tech executives, and NextGen champions of Northern Virginia’s tech universe at the Hilton McLean, Tysons. Click here for more information and to register.
December 16, 2024 — CONNECTpreneur Holiday Networking and Pitch Extravaganza. CONNECTpreneur is a bi-monthly networking mashup, which has been attended by 25,000+ business leaders over the past 13 years. Program Highlights include a dedicated session for companies to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and innovations to a captivated audience of investors and industry experts. Click here for more information and to register.
January 22, 2025 — Tech & Cyber Networking and Hiring Event: Experienced Professionals and Cleared Talent. Presented by FCEDA at Capital One Hall in Tysons. Save the date! Information and registration coming soon!
January 23, 2025 — Tech & Cyber Networking & Hiring Event: Internships and Entry-Level Talent. Presented by FCEDA at Capital One Hall in Tysons. Save the date! Information and registration coming soon!
FCEDA is Here to Help Your Business Thrive
Fairfax County EDA is here to connect businesses of all kinds to resources and information. For direct assistance, email the FCEDA at info@fceda.org, or call 703-790-0600. If you have company news or announcements to share, email FCEDA at News@fceda.org.
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