Eight Firms Honored at Eighth Annual ABBIES Awards
The Arlington Economic Development Commission and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce co-hosted the ABBIES Awards on May 2nd. Companies recognized among "Arlington's Best Businesses" included the Alpine Restaurant; Bean, Kinney & Korman; Booz Allen Hamilton; Crisis Link; devIS; HD Vest; Source Office Suites; and Verizon. In addition, individual awards were presented to Jim Wilding, retiring president of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; and Tom Fairchild for his work with the Clarendon Alliance.

Arlington Has Six Virginia Fantastic 50 Award Winners
A record six Arlington businesses received Fantastic 50 Awards from the Virginia Chamber at a ceremony on April 30, 2003. Awards were based on percentage growth over the past three years. Arlington's winners included 3H Technology; Cherokee Information Services; Dante Consulting; Noesis; Plateau Systems; and Space Adventures. Space Adventures was also a Vanguard Award winner as the fastest growing service firm in Virginia. For information on the winners and the awards ceremony, click here.

"Business Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, and Planning" Workshop on May 28
The workshop, sponsored by Arlington Economic Development and the Association of Contingency Planners, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, is designed to give you information on how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to unplanned, disruptive events, ensure the safety of employees and protect your assets, minimize business disruptions, and comply with laws and regulations.

The workshop will be held at the Arlington Economic Development office at 1100 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1500 in Arlington. For directions, click here. The workshop will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and there is a $10.00 fee for this workshop to cover expenses. Seating is limited.

For more information or to register, e-mail Charlotte Franklin, phone (703) 228-0852, fax (703) 228-0804, or click here

Development News

"Green" Building Breaks Ground at 2300 Wilson
The new Navy League headquarters building at 2300 Wilson Boulevard broke ground on April 14th. Besides the Navy League's 20,000 square feet, the 196,000 square foot office building has a lease with the Associated General Contractors for 25,000 square feet. The project received bonus density during development review as part of a pilot project to encourage "green buildings" in Arlington. For more information, click here.

Arlington Events

ITANV Event at the IMF
International Trade Association of Northern Virginia (ITANV) will sponsor an event titled “The Impact and Effectiveness of International Institutions in Washington” on Wednesday, May 14th at 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the International Monetary Fund at 720 19th Street, Washington DC. Keynote speaker is Dr. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University who will discuss the economic impact of international institutions and commerce on the area economy. For registration information, click here.

Building Green Homes in Arlington
Arlington builders and developers, or indeed, anyone working on single-family and townhouse projects in Arlington, is encouraged to attend to learn about Arlington's new Green Home Choice program and EPA's Energy Star Homes program at a seminar entitled "Building Green Homes in Arlington". The seminar will be held on Thursday May 8 from 10am to noon in the County Board Room (2100 Clarendon Blvd, Third Floor). For more information on this event organized by Arlington County's Department of Environmental Services, click here.

VEDP Assists International Growth with Mission to Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the newest NATO ally and the fastest-growing new market for American products and technologies; join the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s (VEDP) first mission to Romania and Hungary from June 15-22, 2003. The mission is a unique opportunity to enter this market and sell to established businesses in the region. Recognized as one of the most innovative state programs in the nation, VEDP's Division of International Trade provides international business expertise to promote Virginia's products and services in world markets. Typical services provided include export counseling, marketing assistance, educational seminars, international market information, and market planning programs. For more information about VEDP's services, and the upcoming mission to Romania and Hungary, contact Patricia Codescu of VEDP at 703-506-1031, or click here.

FORUM for HR Professionals – Caregivers in the Workplace
There has been a recent trend for retired people to go back to work because their nest egg is shrinking with the economy. Many of these people are caregivers too. In the aggregate, employee caregivers cost U.S. industries between $11 billion and 29 billion per year in lost productivity. A forum targeted specifically at the Human Resource Professional in Northern Virginia will be held June 11, 2003 at Greenspring Village, 7470 Spring Village Drive, Springfield, VA 22150. From 9:30 am-2:00 p.m. This is a free forum and lunch is included. Networking and Registration from 9:00 -9:30 a.m.

This educational program will identify specific barriers to caregiving and explore strategies to overcome them. It will give the Human Resource Professional the knowledge and tools to deal with this increasing problem. The forum is funded by the A T& T Family Care Development Fund and sponsored by the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) with local co-sponsors. ** 3.5 Re-certification credits have been awarded through HRCI. Greenspring Village is located off the Fairfax County Parkway and easily accessible from I-95 for those coming from Prince William County. Please e-mail Farrell Didio at fdidio@erols.com to register for the conference, or call 703-242-6635 for more information. Space is limited so you are urged to get your reservations in early.

Overview of Small Business Innovation Research on May 14
The Arlington Small Business Development Center will present an overview of the SBIR program and information on what steps small high-technology firms need to undertake in order to gain a contract or grant. A winning SBIR sample proposal will be distributed to all participants. The event takes place on May 14, 2003, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the George Mason University, # 245 Arlington Campus Original Building, 3401 N. Fairfax Drive. Fee for the event is $35 and includes refreshments. All registrations must be made in advance. For more information, e-mail staff@wetcinc.com.

Arlington Chamber Networking Opportunities
On May 15, enjoy a full breakfast buffet while meeting potential clients and promoting your business, at Breakfast Connection, sponsored by Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Bring brochures and business cards to the Holiday Inn at Ballston, 4610 Fairfax Drive at 7:30 AM.

On May 22, Business After Business, provides an after-hours networking opportunity with an Arabian Theme. Enjoy the band "Arabian Nights" and a belly dancer as you exchange business cards and generate leads. The event begins at 5:00 PM at the Lebanese Taverna, 1101 S. Joyce Street. This event is sponsored by Lebanese Taverna and co-hosted by Post Pentagon Row.

For more information on both events, contact the Arlington Chamber of Commerce at (703) 525-2400 or click here .

Rooms with a View Series Continues with the Rosslyn Spectrum
Rosslyn Renaissance’s popular Room with a View lecture series continues on May 22 by highlighting the Rosslyn Spectrum. The overview of the performance space features music by the Arlington Symphony and refreshments. The event runs from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and will be held at the Rosslyn Spectrum, 1611 North Kent Street (Rosslyn Plaza) Cost is $ 12.50 in advance; $ 15.00 at the door. Entire series available for $ 30.00 in advance. The next event of the series includes a tour of WJLA (ABC channel 7)’s new studios in Rosslyn on June 12. For more information, contact (703) 522-6628 or visit the Rosslyn Renaissance Web site.

Plan to Attend Small Business Trade Fair in June
Come network with the area’s leading service providers. Learn new ways to expand or market your business. BizLaunch presents the event on June 21, 2003, from 9:30 PM – 2:30 PM at the Arlington Career Center, 816 S. Walter Reed. Register before Friday, June 20th. For more information, contact Tara Miles by phone at (703) 228-0853 or by e-mail.

Fortune Magazine Lists Top Companies by State
Two headquarters made Fortune magazine’s list of top Virginia headquarters – AES (#4), and US Airways Group (#10). Congratulations!

National Science Teacher’s Association Issues 2002–2003 Member Update
Science teachers throughout the United States are represented and served by the National Science Teacher’s Association. Read all about NSTA’s busy year developing and enhancing services, resources, and programs in the 2002–2003 Member Update, available online at the NSTA Web site.

TIA Chair to Keynote Supercomm 2003
The Telecommunications Industry Association said on Tuesday that David Dorman, the newly named chairman and CEO of AT&T, will deliver the opening keynote address at SUPERCOMM 2003, to be held on June 1-5 in Atlanta. The address will launch three days of exhibits focused on the communications infrastructure marketplace. For more information, click here.

IT Hirings, Dismissals Slow Dramatically in Fourth Quarter
Both hiring and dismissals in the U.S. information technology workforce slowed dramatically in the fourth quarter, according to new figures released by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). While 265,000 IT workers were hired during the quarter, 168,000 workers were let go for a net gain of 97,000 jobs, down from 147,000 jobs in the third quarter. Dismissals decreased from 211,000 in the third quarter and approximately 350,000 in both the first and second quarters. "Both hiring and dismissals were at their lowest in the fourth quarter, showing relatively stable workforce patterns in what is often a seasonally soft quarter for hiring activity," said Harris Miller, the president of the ITAA. "Unlike late last year, we're seeing less optimism from hiring managers as they anticipate their needs over the next year, most likely because of instability from the war and other economic factors." For more information, click here.

TIA Predicts Strong Growth in Network Transport Services
Spending on network transport services in the U.S. will grow by 6.1% to $345.3 billion this year, according to a new study by the Telecommunications Industry Association. Unlike 2002, growth is expected across all transport services, particularly in the wireless sector. The organization said that the sector should grow through at least 2006, thanks to increased high-speed Internet access that is expected to generate additional network traffic. The expectations were heightened following a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission regarding rules for competition in the local services market, which the TIA believes will boost the opportunities for carriers to profit from the increased development of high-capacity network access. For more information, click here.

TIA also released their 2003 Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast, which predicted that telecommunications investment by businesses and institutions will rise at high single-digit growth rates beginning this year. This uptick follows decreased or flat spending on enterprise voice and data equipment since 2001. Although the most dramatic growth is found in some of the smaller emerging sectors such as collaborative technologies and high-speed Internet connectivity, TIA notes that developed markets such as the PBX segment are once again supplying the growth necessary to strengthen the foundation of the industry. For information on how to obtain the report, click here, email them or call (703) 907-7074.

TIA is the leading trade association serving the communications and information technology industry, serving its members from headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

Javien Digital Payment Solutions Provides Kiplinger.com Solution
Javien Digital Payment Solutions, a provider of Internet credit card processing and billing services for the online publishing market, announced that it will provide its payment processing technology for DC-based Kiplinger.com. Javien said that its hosted platform is cheaper and more flexible than high-end software. For more information, click here.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems wins intelligent munitions contract
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems announced that it has won a $31.5 million contract to provide intelligent munitions systems (IMS) for the Army's Tacom-Ardec Picatinny Center for Contracting and Commerce. IMS consists of networked, multi-functional nodes that work together to detect targets and command advanced munitions. For more information, click here.

CACI to Acquire Fairfax-Based PTG
Looking to expand its client base in the defense and intelligence communities, CACI International, a provider of information technology and network services, said that it will acquire Fairfax-based Premier Technology Group (PTG), a provider of professional services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. PTG has 360 employees, most with high-level security clearances, and last year recorded revenue of $43.4 million. For PTG, the move will give it a larger platform to market its services. The deal is expected to close next month. For more information, click here.

Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group Announcements
Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, one of the region's largest investment banks, announced that its board of directors has authorized stock repurchases from time to time of up to 14 million shares of common stock, or approximately 10% of the company's total shares. Separately, the firm named Richard Hendrix as chief investment officer. Hendrix previously served as the president and COO of FBR Asset Investment, which merged with the FBR Group on March 31. For more information, click here.

Washingtonpost.com Draws Record Site Traffic
Buoyed by its coverage of the war with Iraq, washingtonpost.com, the Internet arm of The Washington Post, announced it attracted record traffic during the most recent quarter. The company said that site page views increased 41% between January and March. According to Nielsen//NetRatings, the site attracted 7.1 million unique visitors in March, ranking it second among individual newspaper sites and fourth among all-news sites, behind only MSNBC.com, CNN.com and nytimes.com. . For more information, click here.

Also, Washingtonpost.com has launched a new self-service feature allowing web sites to get direct delivery of news headlines. The feature, known as a "Headlines Box," allows the sites to display news and information from washingtonpost.com, and customize the subject matter. Headlines Box delivers free, customizable headlines on nearly any subject to nearly any Web site. Given the importance of updated information on the ongoing war, washingtonpost.com is offering a Headlines Box that includes the latest news from the war in Iraq. To get a washingtonpost.com Headlines Box, Web site owners or operators are only required to fill out a short online form, and then make a simple code insertion on their site. The Headlines Box that is placed on their site is free and continually self-updating. The sign-up form and a live example of a box are available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/headlines. For more information, click here.

Veridian Wins Multi-Million Dollar Contracts
Veridian, a provider of information systems and services to intelligence and defense clients, announced that it has won a deal worth up to $19.7 million from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Veridian's services include network security, surveillance, decision support, systems engineers and chemical, biological and nuclear detection. For more information, click here.

Also Veridian Corporation has been awarded a contract worth up to $37.7 million from the U.S. Air Force's Electronic Systems Center to develop satellite image processing systems in support of the Air Force's Eagle Vision program. "Eagle Vision provides an innovative and cost-effective capability for making commercial satellite imagery available to U.S. and allied forces," said Bob Pattishall, president of Veridian's Systems Division. Eagle Vision provides a platform to downlink and process commercial satellite imagery into "geocoded" electronic images for use by Air Force mission planners and intelligence analysts. For more information, see article at SpaceDaily.com.

Caroline Little Named President of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the online media and electronic publishing unit of The Washington Post, named Caroline Little as its president. Little also remains the company's COO, a position she has held for three years. Prior to joining Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, Little was deputy general counsel at U.S. News & World Report, The Atlantic Monthly and Fast Company. For more information, click here.

ESI International Opens New York Office
ESI International, a provider of project management and contract management training services, said on that it has opened a new office in New York. The office will serve private and public organizations in the Northeast, and compliments other ESI offices in Arlington, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dayton, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco. For more information, click here.

US Airways Emerges from Chapter 11
US Airways Group said that it has completed all the required transactions and satisfied all the remaining conditions to its reorganization plan to meet its March 31 target for fast-track emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company also said that it has closed on exit facilities that provide the company with $1.24 billion in liquidity, including a $240 million equity investment from the Retirement Systems of Alabama Holdings, and a $1 billion loan. "Securing the $1.24 billion of added capital funds was critical to boosting our liquidity, executing our business plan and weathering the very difficult operating environment that airlines face due to the Iraqi war and general economic weakness," said David Siegel, the president and CEO of US Airways.

Electronic Component Orders Remain Flat in First Quarter
Amid the uncertainty of war and SARS, orders for electronic components in the U.S. remained flat in the first quarter, according to the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA). "Consumer spending and confidence might be more influenced by the war and general economic instability than by industrial factors," said Bob Willis, the president of the ECA. "There will be opportunities and renewed growth on the other side of the current world instabilities. The question continues to be how long we will have to wait before we reach the other side." The ECA said that most companies are still trying to balance capacity with demand, which could lead to shortages for some components. The ECA has more than 2,100 members representing 80% of the $430 billion U.S. electronics industry. For more information, click here.

AHL to Go Private Through $100 Million Buyout
Atlanta-based private equity firm Cravey, Green & Wahlen, has led a $100 million deal to acquire and take private AHL Services, a provider of marketing technology and services. The firm said that AHL will maintain its current trade names, operating structure and management team. "The merger will strengthen our financial position," said Clay Perfall, the CEO of AHL, adding that the "significant" premium above the company's current market price provides "an attractive offer" to shareholders. The merger is expected to close late in the second quarter. For more information, click here.