fairfax county the place to bealan a. fogg, editor seth livingstone, editor. andrew taherzadeh,...

FAIRFAX COUNTY

THE PLACE TO BE

2018 ANNUAL REPORT

ANNUAL REPORT PRODUCTION

Alan A. Fogg, Editor

Seth Livingstone, Editor

Andrew Taherzadeh, Editor

Vicki Reeve Jackson, Graphic Designer

FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Sharon Bulova, Chairman At-Large

Penelope A. Gross, Vice ChairmanMason District

John C. CookBraddock District

John W. FoustDranesville District

Pat HerritySpringfield District

Catherine M. HudginsHunter Mill District

Jeff C. McKayLee District

Kathy L. SmithSully District

Linda Q. SmythProvidence District

Daniel G. StorckMount Vernon District

FCEDA COMMISSION

Catherine Lange, ChairmanPartner Human Capital Advisors, LLC

James Quigley, Vice Chairman CEO and Co-Founder GoCanvas

Ronald C. Johnson, HL.D, SecretaryFounder and Managing DirectorSolutions4Change, LLC

Christian Deschauer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary Director, Government Relations Transurban

Linnie Haynesworth Sector Vice President and General Manager, Cyber & Intelligence Mission Solutions Division Northrop Grumman Mission Systems

Dana Kauffman Director, College Government Affairs and Community Relations Northern Virginia Community College

Roderick (Rocky) Mitchell Executive Vice President, Global Fixed Assets Pentagon Federal Credit Union

FCEDA SENIOR STAFF

Catherine W. RileyInterim President and CEO Vice President, Marketing

Robin FennerVice President, Management

Alan A. FoggVice President, Communications and Research

Barbara CohenDirector, Administration

Curtis W. HoffmanDirector, Real Estate Services

Donna HurwittDirector, Market Intelligence

Rodney LuskDirector, National Marketing

Jan MulDirector, International Marketing

Karen SmawDirector, Business Diversity

Cheryl MartelliExecutive Assistant

ABOUT THE FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 1

OUR MISSION AND SERVICESThe Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) provides a wide array of free, confidential services and information to assist new, expanding and relocating American and international businesses. Headquartered in Tysons, Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA also maintains offices in major technology centers around the world: Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv.

IDENTIFY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OPTIONS

OFFER WORKSHOPS FOR NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSES

ACT AS LIAISON TO LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS

PROVIDE MARKET AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

RECOMMEND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONNECTIONS AND SUPPORT

PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS VISIBILITY

HOW WE CAN HELP:The FCEDA operates under the direction of a seven-member commission appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Activities are funded through the Fairfax County general fund.

Our mission statement, adopted by the FCEDA Commission on November 9, 2016, is “to promote the competitive advantages of Fairfax County and influence the growth of a diverse and innovative ecosystem that enhances the tax base, creates demand for commercial space, and supports an extraordinary and equitable quality of life across Fairfax County.”

Three FCEDA marketing divisions—National, International and Business Diversity—work with companies interested in opening or expanding operations in Fairfax County. Market intelligence specialists generate extensive commercial real estate and business information about the county. Communications professionals promote awareness of the county as one of the world’s best business locations.

2 FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGEAsk any 10 corporate executives about the biggest challenge that they face, and almost all of them will say that it is attract-ing and retaining talented employees. Workforce issues come up at nearly every business-related meeting I attend around Fairfax County.

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority staff participated in many events in 2018 at which companies an-nounced major expansions or relocations, and in nearly every case the company CEO emphasized the linkage between his or her company’s success and getting and keeping valuable, highly skilled employees here. It became obvious that work-force attraction is critical to these businesses and to making Fairfax County “the place to be”—the theme of this annual report.

When MicroStrategy, a large business-intelligence firm, an-nounced in March that it would expand its headquarters in Tysons, CEO Michael J. Saylor noted the county’s proximity to “an incredibly diverse and highly educated workforce.” IDEMIA, a French company that specializes in biometric tech-nology, announced in December that it would move its North American headquarters to Reston from Massachusetts. CEO Ed Casey in part credited “the ability to attract world-class talent” for the decision.

And Amazon, when it made its long-awaited HQ2 announce-ment in November, cited workforce factors—specifically, the size and technology focus of the employee pool in the region—as a major reason to locate its second headquarters in Northern Virginia.

The FCEDA has worked diligently over the decades to pro-mote Fairfax County as a great business location for all kinds of companies: Fortune 500s, startups, foreign-owned and minority-owned. The Fairfax County government has spent considerable resources over the same time period providing

high-quality public services that are essential for the quality of life that the FCEDA also sells.

In the pages that follow, you will find interviews with Matt Calkins, CEO of Appian, about our business climate. He should know: Appian announced a major expansion in 2018. You will find interviews with workers at several Fairfax County firms. They highlight the strengths of the county, such as the wide variety of employers and the diversity of people who live and work here, and the Washington region. You also will find an interview with Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who talks about the county government’s role in making this a great place to live, work and play.

The FCEDA continues to promote Fairfax County as a high-quality business location to build the commercial tax base that the Board of Supervisors uses to fund public services.

As we celebrate another banner year for company announce-ments and job creation, we recognize the many strengths and assets that Fairfax County has for businesses. We also rec-ognize the challenges that companies face in bringing talented workers on board, keeping and developing them—and the opportunity that the FCEDA has in spotlighting the county as

“the place to be” for the kind of technology talent that many companies will need to be successful.

Chairman


“As we celebrate another banner year for company announcements and

job creation, we recognize the many strengths and assets that Fairfax County has for businesses. We

also recognize the challenges that companies face in bringing talented

workers on board, keeping and developing them—and the opportunity

that the FCEDA has in spotlighting the county as “the place to be. . .”


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEThe theme of this annual report, “Fairfax County: The Place to Be” is an apt description of 2018 for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. The year was full of major announcements by companies making expansion and reloca-tion decisions and creating jobs here.

In 2018, the Fairfax County Economic Development Au-thority worked with 142 companies that are adding nearly 8,900 jobs to the local economy. By themselves, however, the numbers do little justice to the decision-making process that every business must undertake when it decides to expand, take more office space, or relocate a regional office or head-quarters.

Each company arrives at these decisions differently, but together they illustrate the many assets that Fairfax County offers businesses and the talent they want to attract and retain. The companies also reflect the growing diversity of our industry strengths.

Data analytics firm MicroStrategy, chose to stay in its existing Tysons headquarters to add 300 jobs. Homegrown software company Appian, which chose a new location within the county, also in Tysons, decided to add 600 jobs.

KPMG, one of the largest professional services firms in the world, said it will add more than 500 jobs at its Tysons loca-tion. Bechtel, a global construction and engineering company, is consolidating its headquarters in Reston, bringing together operations that had been in Houston and its longtime home of San Francisco.

These companies have many choices for locations. We recog-nize and appreciate the votes of confidence that each of them, and 138 others, signaled for Fairfax County during the year.

Another significant event happened in November when Amazon selected Northern Virginia for “HQ2,” its second

headquarters. The FCEDA and several Fairfax County govern-ment agencies collaborated closely with three other Northern Virginia localities and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to submit a proposal that included four possible HQ2 sites. The Northern Virginia sites were in the group of 20 finalists out of the 238 locations that submitted HQ2 proposals, itself a tremendous achievement.

While the headquarters will not be in Fairfax County, many of our county’s strengths—a dynamic and diverse technology community, a large and highly skilled workforce, excellent public schools, colleges and universities, safe and welcoming neighborhoods, and multiple transportation options—were important factors in Amazon’s decision-making process. Amazon’s decision underscored the vitality and importance of Northern Virginia as a technology hub, and the announce-ment was a huge win for all of Northern Virginia and the Washington area.

The FCEDA continues to target the wide range of industry sectors that represent the best opportunities for growth—and job creation—in Fairfax County. An expanding economy creates the opportunity for high-paying jobs as well as a larger commercial tax base, which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors uses to fund a wide range of high-quality public services to continue Fairfax County’s momentum as “the place to be.”

Interim President and CEO Vice President, Marketing


“An expanding economy creates the opportunity for high-paying

jobs as well as a larger commercial tax base, which the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors uses to fund

a wide range of high-quality public services to continue Fairfax County’s

momentum as “the place to be.”


OUR RESULTSIn 2018, the FCEDA worked with 142 businesses, adding 8,877 jobs to the Fairfax County economy. Companies involved in information technology, construction and a wide range of professional services dominated the year’s announcements, which came from areas throughout the county.

Of the 142 firms with job creation announcements, 43 are foreign-owned firms. Of the 99 American companies, 13 are minority-, woman- or veteran-owned.

Relying on innovation and a highly-skilled workforce, each of these companies is creating jobs and building the commercial tax base that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors uses to fund high-quality public services. These services are essential for the quality of life that nearly 1.15 million county residents enjoy.

The largest job announcements of the year came from:

• Appian, an IT company, which is relocating its headquarters from Reston to Tysons and creating 600 new jobs;

• MicroStrategy, an IT firm reinvesting in its headquarters in Tysons and adding 300 jobs;

• The St. James, a new sports, health and entertainment facility in Springfield, which created 300 jobs;

• KPMG, a global financial services firm which is adding 173 jobs at its Tysons offices.

Among other notable announcements:

• Bechtel, an international engineering firm, adding 150 jobs as it consolidates its national headquarters in Reston.

• The College Board, a national leader in the field of education, adding 120 jobs in Reston;

• Securitas, a security services firm, which is adding 110 jobs in Annanadale;

• Rugo Stone LLC, a natural stone design and fabrication firm, which added 100 new jobs in Lorton.


The Super, Awesome & Amazing Play Space at The St. James Sports complex (photo courtesy The St. James)


2018 SELECTED BUSINESS EXPANSIONS AND RELOCATIONS

Jobs created by companies already present in Fairfax County appear in black. Jobs with companies that are new to the county appear in orange.

COMPANY LOCATION JOBS

1901 Group, LLC Reston 75

Access National Bank Reston 51

ADI Compliance Consulting, Inc. Merrifield 8

AIKYA, Inc. Reston 10

Alpha Omega Integration, LLC Tysons 28

Altruista Health Reston 32

Amaram Technology Corporation Vienna 2

AppGuard, LLC Chantilly 10

Appian Tysons 600

Aston Carter Fairfax 20

BDNet Corp. Centreville 2

Beanstalk, Inc. Newington 5

Bechtel Corporation. Reston 150

BitDam Ltd. Reston 3

Breakout Capital Finance, LLC McLean 20

Bull Run Financial Group Fairfax 1

CALIBRE Springfield 40

California University of Management and Sciences Fairfax 29

Carroll Water Chantilly 9

Caskey Group Tysons 2

Chugh, LLP Reston 3

Circle Property Management Vienna 1

The College Board Reston 120

Compusult Systems, Inc. Chantilly 5

Contact Solutions, a Verint Company Reston 10

Counterpoint Consulting, Inc. Tysons 16

Cresa Tysons 4

CT Solutions, Inc. Fairfax 11

Darktrace Reston 20

Databricks Tysons 15

Dominion Consulting Group Fairfax 3

Electrify America Reston 27

COMPANY LOCATION JOBS

Endera Systems, LLC Tysons 18

Entigence Corporation Vienna 2

ETL Systems Ltd. Herndon 1

Evans Federal Solutions, LLC Tysons 1

EventBank Tysons 2

Evocative Reston 5

Excivity Chantilly 45

FM Studios Fairfax 4

G2SF, Inc. Reston 15

Global Guardian Tysons 7

GoCanvas Reston 35

Gomocha Tysons 9

HawkEye 360, Inc. Herndon 15

Hoar Construction, LLC Tysons 5

HyperJet Fusion Corp. Chantilly 8

IDEMIA Reston 30

Indo American Center Tysons 3

Inland Technologies Fairfax 1

ITPG Tysons 2

John Marshall Bank Reston 27

Juvenui Centreville 1

Karthik Consulting Reston 13

Korea Innovation Center Tysons 2

KPMG, LLP Tysons 173

Learning Tree International Herndon 10

Lifecare Medical Transports Springfield 40

ListingToGo Reston 2

M2 Construction Reston 3

Mathtech, Inc. Merrifield 5

MicroHealth, LLC Tysons 60

MicroStrategy Incorporated Tysons 300

MVB Financial Corp. Reston 10


2018 SELECTED BUSINESS EXPANSIONS AND RELOCATIONSCOMPANY LOCATION JOBS

n-ask, incorporated Fairfax 8New Home Media Lorton 48NEXCO-West USA Tysons 18NGINX, Inc. Reston 1Northeast Contracting Corp. Lorton 12Paladion Reston 7Paruthipattu Law Herndon 2Paul’s Beauty Warehouse Springfield 25Perfect Sense Reston 30Plus3 IT Systems Reston 31Priority Software Reston 7PSI International, Inc. Fairfax 50Qburst Chantilly 4Re:Cognition Health Merrifield 25Rugo Stone, LLC Lorton 100RunSafe Security Tysons 5Securitas Annandale 110SevaTruck Merrifield 2SkillSource Group, Inc. Springfield 1Skyline Software Systems, Inc. Herndon 3Spaces Reston 3Spectra Group, Inc. Tysons 2Spectrum Group, LLC Tysons 4The St. James Springfield 300SysNet Technologies, Inc. Fairfax 10The Tauri Group, Inc. Springfield 41Tensing Tysons 5Tiber Solutions Springfield 5Virid Reston 7WholePoint Systems, LLC Reston 45Winvest Tysons 3Zantech Tysons 30Zerion Software, Inc. Herndon 9

Tysons Tower (photo by Rassi Borneo, TimeLine Media)


FAIRFAX COUNTY: THE PLACE TO BEMILLENNIAL WORKERS TALK ABOUT WHAT MAKES FAIRFAX COUNTY A LOCATION TO ENJOY AND A PLACE TO SUCCEED

Amir Zonozi, Chief Strategy Office and co-founder, Zoomph, an audience analytics firm in Reston

“All three co-founders of Zoomph are from around here. I went to Langley High School, and I’ve never wanted to go any-where else.

“Fairfax County, especially Reston, is a won-derful place for people in tech to work. For one, there are tons of other tech companies. There are the giants in the room (like) Microsoft, Google, Oracle and there’s a lot of startups, as well. So, for networking, for looking for people to hire, there are unlimited opportunities. I love the ability to go to professional events in the area. I think Social Media Week Fairfax at the Capital One offices was one of my favorite events last year.

“One of my favorite things is to do is go to some of the lo-cal coffee shops. You meet tons of people working on code and different things and I love just striking up a conversa-tion with them. We couldn’t be happier living right across the street from Reston Town Center. It’s the perfect place. They have a little park, live music and magicians that come out. You’ve got restaurants, you’ve got great beer—and the mountains and D.C. not too far away.

“Why go anywhere else? It’s the perfect place to be for a new family.”

Participating in roundtable discussion about workforce development and retention, hosted by the FCEDA, were (l to r) Caitlin Conn, Custom Ink; Erin Alemdar, Whereoware; Kemi Joseph, Favor TechConsulting; Amir Zonozi, Zoomph; and Tim Gilday, General Dynamics Information Technology. (photo FCEDA)

Events of 2018 indicated that companies, large and small, are increasingly finding Fairfax County an attractive place to do business. But what about their employees—the lifeblood of any firm’s existence? Attracting and retaining a skilled and motivated workforce is of paramount importance.

Today’s work environment, particularly in tech-related fields, revolves around a younger breed of well-educated worker. Fairfax County’s workforce includes one of the highest numbers of millennial-generation workers in the region with residents ages 19 to 44 comprising more than 55 percent of the labor pool.

To learn more about what millennial-age workers think of living and working in the county, the FCEDA conducted a roundtable discussion focused on what attracts workers to Fairfax County and what keeps them here.

To see more of this discussion, visit the FCEDA’s YouTube channel.

FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 1 1

Caitlin Conn, recruiter, Custom Ink, a T-shirt and custom apparel company in the Mosaic District, Merrifield

“I’m from New York and moved here, actually for my husband’s job. When we decided to raise a family and I was looking to buy my home, I realized there were so many communities that I could choose from in Fairfax County and know that they all had solid schools. I knew I didn’t have to worry about my children’s education when looking for a house.

“I work in the Mosaic District at Custom Ink, which is phenomenal. It’s an energetic, thriving area with creative apace. I enjoy coming to work every day. There’s a new store or a new restaurant pop-ping up every month. There’s the brewery just around the corner where we have happy hours. Custom Ink is very much about community, and Fairfax County and the Mosaic District do a great job of bringing people together with all the opportunities (whether it’s) going out after work or grabbing lunch. We even have folks go to spin classes.”

Tim Gilday, Principal, Technology Acceleration for General Dynamics IT, a contractor in the Falls Church area

“At GDIT, with a company of 46,000, it’s a challenge to get talent at that high level without watering it down. One of the great things here is our proxim-ity to lots of great universities, so we have feeder programs that bring in talent.

“Around this area I find a lot of educational opportunities—not just full-fledged masters degrees but also certification opportunities. I’ve lived in Maryland for quite some time and it seems like more and more, the job opportunities are in Northern Virginia. So, I’ve actually sold my house and I’m looking to move to here.

“I enjoy getting outside as much as possible. I like to go to Shenan-doah and Skyline Drive. Great Falls is beautiful. It’s also great to live close to three different airports so you’re always getting the best price—and they’re not too far out of the way.”

Kemi Joseph, Compliance Manager, Favor TechConsulting, a provider of federal IT solutions in Tysons

“I attended Fairfax High School, and I came back here after college. I became a first-time home owner in Northern Virginia last year, and I will likely stick around for the long haul. You can’t beat the opportunities here. I just don’t see myself wanting to move anywhere else. I just feel there’s way too much to do here—way too much to achieve.

“Living here, I don’t feel like I would get stuck in an old routine. There are great places to eat, great bars, good nightlife, great places to brunch and munch. I always really love just going out and exploring. Things don’t ever get old.

“At FTC, I started off being a compliance analyst, then worked my way up to compliance manager. I could see that it was a really good com-pany—giving you the tools to grow with them. It’s great to know that you can grow into different areas, especially in this area, which is being driven more toward IT. I don’t feel like I’m going to be left behind.”

Erin Alemdar, Senior Digital Strategist, Whereoware, a digital design and marketing firm in Chantilly

“Our headquarters for Whereoeware in Chantilly definitely have a tech, ‘startuppy’ feel. There are lots of bright colors in the office, and we have a rooftop space where we can go up and actually enjoy a moun-tain view from the office.

“The thing I love about living in Northern Virginia the most is that there are always a lot of events going on. Chantilly is a great place to work because it’s away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but still gives you the feel of being in a metropolitan area.

“It’s big at my company to have constant training and learning. We do encourage some certification programs, but mostly, for us, we’re kind of cross-training each other on a day-to-day basis. We work with a lot with very specific types of software… so, every day is a learning opportunity, especially when we’re onboarding new employees.”


FAIRFAX COUNTY: THE PLACE TO BEFAIRFAX COUNTY “A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE,” SAYS BOARD CHAIRMAN SHARON BULOVA, REFLECTING ON 2018

Sharon Bulova has lived in Fairfax County most of her adult life and served as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the last decade. She found 2018 to be a remarkable time for the county in terms of perception, growth and optimism.

“This is a place where people want to be,” Bulova says. “There’s recreational oppor-tunity. There’s a great school system, great parks, places where people can go to restaurants and where there is culture. That is attractive to our residents and to our business community.”

Bulova has felt that way for many years, but says that 2018 was reaffirming, as many businesses doubled down on Fairfax County, announcing expansions in terms of both physical space and staffing.

“The big news in 2018, of course, was Amazon,” Bulova said. “Fairfax County was able to offer—in partnership with Loudoun County—a site. (Although) Arlington’s Crystal City site was chosen. Fairfax County is very pleased about that. When we reached out to Amazon, we were able to offer a great school system and work-force that would be able to fill those jobs for Amazon—or any other company. Not only were we reaching out to Amazon, we were reaching out to a number of small-er and larger companies that came to Fairfax County and chose Fairfax County.”

Beyond the sheer volume of new companies and new jobs coming to the county, Bulova was most pleased with their diversity. Businesses like the Winery at Bull Run in Centreville and The St. James, a new health and entertainment complex that brought 300 jobs to Springfield, provide livability assets to the community and di-versify the economic base. Such announcements were also reflective of the growth countywide, not simply in areas like Tysons and Reston where the Silver Line metro continues to spur an abundance of new, mixed-use developments, combining work-place with homeplace.

“You can see what we’re doing in Tysons,” Bulova said. “That’s big and exciting. But there are smaller examples of that kind of mixed-use, transit-oriented, walkable (communities): The Mosaic at Merrifield, the Reston area around the new Silver Line stations; and the new frontier I like to say is Richmond Highway, which is going to be exciting.”

Photo courtesy Annandale Chamber of Commerce


CEO MATT CALKINS AND APPIAN, A HOMEGROWN SUCCESS STORY, RECOMMIT TO FAIRFAX COUNTY’S TECH ENVIRONMENT

Highly successful low-code software provider Appian has deep roots in Fairfax County. But when founder and CEO Matt Calkins found his firm was bursting at the seams at its Reston location, he had multiple options for relocation.

In 2018, Calkins chose Fairfax County, retaining 600 employees, preparing to add 600 new ones and making a $28.4 million commitment in announcing his headquarters would move to the Valo Park development in Tysons.

“We know we picked a good place,” Calkins says. “There are terrific employees around here who are intelligent, motivated, dynamic, creative and innovative. This is a great place to build an innovative business.”

Thanks to consistent growth, Appian’s new Tysons home will be its seventh loca-tion since its founding. “Appian is thoroughly a Northern Virginia company,” Calk-ins says. “All of our headquarters have been in Northern Virginia. All of our code is written in Northern Virginia. All of our board members come from this region. All of our funding comes from this region. We’ve found all the resources that we’ve needed along our 20-year history to build a winning technology company.

“Fairfax County is the natural center of the Northern Virginia community and has been a great place for us to build Appian. It’s well-connected. It’s very well-educated. It’s a productive, pleasant and a high-expertise place to live and to work.”

Among the things Calkins likes about his new location are the proximity to major roadways, Metro’s Silver Line and multiple airports. A critical element in Appian’s success is the ability to attract and retain top tech talent, and Calkins believes his new home will give him a leg up. The campus feel of the facilities, including access to a state-of-the art auditorium, cafeteria, lounge area and the health and recreation facilities offered by Valo Park should only help in a highly competitive job environment.

Calkins also believes that other major businesses see the advantages his company has found in Northern Virginia. “Amazon’s choice to come to Northern Virginia is a nice validation of what many of us here already knew,” he says.

Photo courtesy AppianTo see more of these interviews, visit the FCEDA’s YouTube channel.


BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS BY INDUSTRY SECTOR(FIRST HALF 2018)

Professional, scientificand technical services

Health care and social services 11%Retail trade 7%Accommodation and food services 6%Construction 6%Administrative and support 5%Finance and insurance 5%Real estate 4%Wholesale trade 3%Educational services 2%Information 2%Other 21%

28%

8,900JOBS

IN 2018, THE FCEDA WORKED WITH 142COMPANIES ADDING NEARLY 8,900 JOBSTO FAIRFAX COUNTY’S LOCAL ECONOMY

TRADE ASSOCIATIONSIN FAIRFAX COUNTY

275 FAIRFAX COUNTY IS HOME TO 437 FOREIGN-OWNED COMPANIES FROM

46 COUNTRIES—MORE THAN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN THE D.C. AREA.

437

$255MIn 2018, 30 seed-, early- and later-stage venture capital deals were made with Fairfax County companies, totaling

VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS PERFORMED

IN FAIRFAX COUNTY INFISCAL YEAR 2018 TOTAL:

$26.5 B

FAIRFAX COUNTY’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

AT THE END OF 2018(U.S. RATE: 3.7%)

2.1%TECHNOLOGY ESTABLISHMENTSTHAT DIRECTLY EMPLOY MORE THAN 149,000 PEOPLE ARE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY.

8,800

AAA /AAAFAIRFAX COUNTY’S BOND RATING

ONLY 47 OF THE 3,069 U.S. COUNTIES HAVE THE HIGHEST “TRIPLE A” BOND RATING FROM MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, STANDARD AND

POOR’S CORPORATION AND FITCH INVESTORS SERVICE.

FAIRFAX COUNTY’SPOPULATION

1.15 M13 WOMAN-, VETERAN-AND MINORITY-OWNED FIRMS STARTED OR EXPANDED IN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN 2018.

13

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COUNTYWIDE INVENTORY AND VACANCY RATES AT YEAR-END 2018 (VACANCY RATES INCLUDE SUBLET SPACE)

IN 2018, BUSINESSES LEASED 9.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET

OF OFFICE SPACE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY.

9.7M

OFFICE SPACE 118.5M • 14.9% INDUSTRIAL/FLEX SPACE 38.9M • 7.3%

EMPLOYMENT INFAIRFAX COUNTY

REPORTED MID-YEAR 2018

601,415 PAYROLL JOBS36,271 PAYROLL BUSINESSES

FAIRFAX COUNTY 2018 HIGHLIGHTS


PARTNERS AND ALLIES

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS HOSTED AT FCEDA HEADQUARTERS IN TYSONS

Many organizations share the FCEDA goal of building Fairfax County’s economy and making the county an even better location to do business and succeed. In 2018, the FCEDA worked closely with several agencies of the Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools to build and maintain a dynamic business community and economy. In addition, the FCEDA worked with many local and international allies to build awareness of Fairfax County as one of the world’s best business locations.


ACT-IACAFCEA InternationalAmerican German Business Club (Germany) American Small Business Coalition Angel Venture Forum Annandale Chamber of Commerce Association for Corporate Growth Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems InternationalAssociation of State Offices in Korea British-American Business Association (Washington, D.C.)Business Development Assistance GroupCapital Region Minority Supplier Development CouncilCenter for Innovative Technology Central Fairfax Chamber of CommerceChamber for Digital CommerceCommittee for Dulles Community Business PartnershipCommunity Business Partnership – Women’s Business CenterCommunity Foundation for Northern Virginia ConnectPreneur Cyber-Security Council Germany)Cybertech Conference Ltd. (Israel)Department for International Trade (United Kingdom)Dulles Area Transportation AssociationDulles Corridor Rail Association Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce EIT Digital (Germany)Enterprise M3 (United Kingdom)Fairfax County GovernmentFairfax County Public SchoolsFalls Church Chamber of Commerce Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (United Kingdom)Forum MedTech Pharma e.V. (Germany)Foundation for Fairfax County Public SchoolsGeorge Mason University George Mason University – Center for Government ContractingGeorge Mason University – DataLabGeorge Mason University – Mason Enterprise CenterGeorge Mason University – Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX)George Mason University – School of BusinessGeorge Mason University Honors CollegeGeorge Washington University – Data Science InstituteGerman American Trade Association (Germany)

Global SMEs Business Council (Korea)Greater McLean Chamber of CommerceGreater Merrifield Business Association Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of CommerceThe Hague Security Delta (Netherlands) Healthcare Technology Network (Health Tech Net)Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (India)

Information Communication Telecommunication Corporation (Korea)

Innovation Quarter (Netherlands)Inova Health SystemInternational Economic Development Council Israel Advanced Technology Industries Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute Israel-America Chamber of Commerce (Israel)Korea Association of Information and Technology Korea Business Center Korea Chamber of Commerce & IndustryKorean Information Security Industry Association Korea Innovation CenterKorea Institute for Advancement of TechnologyKorea International Trade Association Korea Internet & Security Agency Korea Small Business Corporation Korea Software Industry Association Korea Trade-Investment Promotion AgencyKorea Venture Business Association Leadership Fairfax, Inc.MACH37Malaysia U.S. Chamber of CommerceMason Enterprise Center, George Mason UniversityMetropolitan Washington Airports AuthorityMetropolitan Washington Council of GovernmentsMid-Atlantic Chamber of CommerceMid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Mid-Atlantic Venture Association The MITRE CorporationMount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce Multicultural Chambers AllianceMunich Network (Germany)NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association)

National Association of Women Business Owners National Veteran Small Business CoalitionNetherlands America Chamber of Commerce Washington MetroNorthern Virginia Association of RealtorsNorthern Virginia Chamber of CommerceNorthern Virginia Community College Northern Virginia Technology Council Potential Energy DCPotomac Tech WireResilience Advisor Network (United Kingdom)SCORE SelectUSA SIBB e.V. (Software Institute Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany) Small and Emerging Contractor Advisory Forum Smart City WorksSoutheast Fairfax Development Corporation Startup IgniteStartup Night (Germany)TechFiretechUK (United Kingdom)Tel Aviv and Central Israel Chamber of Commerce (Israel)TiE DCTysons PartnershipTysons Regional Chamber of CommerceU.S. Commercial Service, Department of Commerce U.S. Small Business Administration University of Virginia Veterans Business Outreach CenterVirginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Virginia Biotechnology Association Virginia Chamber of Commerce Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier DiversityVirginia Economic Development Partnership Virginia Israel Advisory BoardVirginia Procurement Technical Assistance ProgramVirginia TechVolunteer FairfaxVR/AR AssociationWeWorkWomen in Commercial Real Estate Women in Technology Women Presidents’ Educational Organization XconomyZentrum Digitalisierung Bayern, Germany


GORDON RETIRES; SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR UNDERWAYAfter 35 years of service to Fairfax County, FCEDA President and CEO Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., announced August 27 that he would retire at the end of the year. The FCEDA Commission has launched a nationwide search for Gordon’s successor.

Gordon started at the FCEDA in 1983 and led the FCEDA for 30 years. He is now a fellow in the College of Charleston (S.C.) Joseph P. Riley Center for Livable Communities. He also is teaching in the college’s Master of Public Administration program.

During Gordon’s tenure, the FCEDA marked significant achievements that spotlighted the county’s reputation as one of the world’s best business locations:

• Jobs in the county grew to more than 600,000 from 243,000 in 1983.

• The FCEDA created a division for small and diversely owned companies to attract and retain businesses started by individuals of all backgrounds. Today 41 percent of all county businesses are minority-owned.

• The FCEDA established an International Division to work with companies from around the world interested in establishing a presence in Fairfax County. Today, the FCEDA has offices in Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles. More than 430 foreign-owned companies from 46 countries have a presence here, up from a handful in the early 1980s.

• The county has become a sought-after location for corporate headquarters. Nine Fortune 500 headquarters here rep-resent a diversified group of companies, such as Capital One, Hilton, Northrop Grumman and Booz Allen Hamilton.

• The county is now the second-largest suburban office market in the nation. Fairfax County has more than 118 million square feet of office space, up from 32 million in 1983.

At a retirement event hosted by the FCEDA board, Tom Davis, former member of Congress and former chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, said of Gordon: “Thirty-five years ago, few people understood the potential Fairfax County had to become an economic powerhouse and a destination for the Fortune 500. Jerry Gordon was a visionary.”

Gordon served on many local and regional boards, including as chair of the George Mason University Honors College. As he retired, the FCEDA board and Tysons-based PenFed Credit Union announced the creation of the Gerald L. Gordon Scholarship Fund, which will help needy students attend Mason.

“I feel extraordinarily blessed to have had the opportunity to serve for and with such extraordinary individuals for so long and for such an excellent cause,” he said.


GORDON RETIRES; SEARCH FOR SUCCESSOR UNDERWAY

The FCEDA Commission unveils the Dr. Gerald L. Gordon Scholarship Fund. L to R: Commission Treasurer Christian Deschauer, Commissioner Linnie Haynesworth, Vice Chairman James Quigley, Chair Cathy Lange, Secretary Ronald Johnson, Jerry Gordon, George Mason University Honors College Dean Zofia Burr, Commissioner Rocky Mitchell.


ACCOLADES

BLACK ENTERPRISE 100Three Fairfax County firms made Black Enterprise magazine’s 2018 list of the 100 largest African- American-owned companies in the U.S.

9. Thompson Hospitality Corp.56. SoBran, Inc.73. InScope International

VIRGINIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FANTASTIC 50Nineteen Fairfax County firms made the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 list of the 50 fastest- growing companies headquartered in Virginia.

2. Alpha Omega Integration, LLC 4. Perfecta Federal 9. Creative Systems and Consulting10. Artemis Consulting, Inc.14. Spatial Front, Inc.15. Highlight Technologies, LLC19. DIGITALSPEC, LLC20. American Cyber, Inc.21. Concept Plus, LLC24. E3 Federal Solutions, LLC25. ValidaTek, Inc.27. Criterion Systems, Inc.30. 1Rivet33. MicroHealth, LLC34. Tesla Government, Inc. 36. NuAxis Innovations40. DANE, LLC45. Sevatec47. ITility, LLC

INC. 5000The 2018 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing firms included 122 Fairfax County companies. Ten of those companies are among the top 500 on the list.

11. DGC International 132. TerraCotta Technologies, Inc.136. stackArmor 234. Interactive Government Holdings275. The Author Incubator 355. Alpha Omega Integration, LLC 396. Agile Trailblazers 407. FEDSYNC 474. SHR Consulting Group486. Spatial Front, Inc.

FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR Six Fairfax County companies were on the 2018 Fortune list of the 100 best companies to work for in the U.S.

17. Capital One29. KPMG33. Hilton42. Navy Federal Credit Union52. EY83. Mars, Inc.

FORTUNE 500Nine Fairfax County firms were on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the U.S.

38. Freddie Mac 99. General Dynamics Corp.101. Capital One Financial Corp.118. Northrop Grumman Corp.292. Leidos Holdings, Inc.324. Hilton379. DXC Tehcnology Company444. NVR, Inc.482. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.

WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL FAST 75Thirty-three Fairfax County firms made the Washington Business Journal’s 2018 list of the 75 fastest-growing companies in the Washington, D.C., area.

1. DGC International 3. Dynamo Technologies 4. Ridgeline International 8. Peridot Solutions, LLC 12. Axiologic Solutions, LLC 14. F.L.,Pinto Cos., dba PWC Builders 15. KLDiscovery 17. MAG Aerospace 18. Nationwide IT Services 21. Criterion Systems 22. Credence Management Solutions 26. Dev Technology Group 27. Creative Systems and Consulting 30. Dovel Technologies 37. Metronome, LLC 38. Dayblink Consulting 39. ValidaTek, Inc. 40. Seneca Resources 43. MicroHealth, LLC 44. GuidePoint Security 52. Trowbridge & Trowbridge, LLC 53. Information Management Group 54. NetImpact Strategies 58. Modus Create, Inc. 59. CVP 60. Acuity Systems, LLC64. Mayvin65. AMPCUS, Inc. 70. Mandex, Inc. 72. 1Rivet73. E3 Federal Solutions 74. Amyx, Inc. 75. KIHOMAC, Inc.

WOMEN PRESIDENTS’ ORGANIZATIONTwo Fairfax County firms made the Women Presidents’ Organization’s 2018 list of the 50 fastest growing women-led companies.

28. TalTeam29. AMPCUS, Inc.

Many Fairfax County companies annually appear on prestigious national and regional lists that spotlight large and fast-growing businesses. The following 2018 lists highlight the broad diversity of the county’s business community and economy.

Cover photography: Joel Gray, Grayscapturedmoments.com, CC BY-SA 4.0

www.fairfaxcountyeda.org@FairfaxEDA

8300 Boone Boulevard, Suite 450, Tysons, Virginia 22182 USA +1 703-790-0600 | [email protected]

Offices in Bangalore/Mumbai, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv

fairfax county the place to bealan a. fogg, editor seth livingstone, editor. andrew taherzadeh,...

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