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byline: Sydney Lake

Land in Portsmouth sells for $1.05M

A 0.75-acre plot of land sold in for development of a car wash location, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced Tuesday.

Green Clean Holdings purchased the land located at 5820 High St. from -based Parker Burnell Real Estate Group for $1.05 million. The buyer plans to develop its ninth Roads Green Clean Auto Wash location on the property. Green Clean Auto Wash also has locations in , Chesapeake, , and Hampton.

Further details of the development have not been released.

Wick Smith and Christopher E. Rouzie of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the on behalf of the buyer.

 

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Metro Rail managers cleared of allegations, but workplace is ‘disrespectful and unprofessional’

Following a three-month investigation into ‘s Operations Control Center (ROCC), the Washington Metropolitan Area Authority announced Friday that complaints of racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation by senior rail officials were unsubstantiated — but that disrespect and unprofessional conduct is commonplace there.

San Francisco-based Littler Mendelson PC conducted the independent into allegations of “toxic culture” at ROCC. Allegations in the 2020 Washington Metropolitan Safety Commission pertained to Lisa Woodruff, WMATA senior vice president for rail services, and Deltrin Harris, former ROCC director.

“The culture fostered by ROCC and [Office of Rail ] leadership is toxic and antithetical to safety and other standards,” says the audit, according to The Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the original report. Littler was tasked with investigating whether the two had “contributed to the hostile work environment by either engaging in or condoning unprofessional behavior.”

Allegations included that ROCC managers engaged in racial, sexual and other forms of harassment, used profanities and threats against controllers, threatened termination and instances of unwanted physical contact.

During the investigation, Littler reviewed files ranging from safety reports to personnel files and conducted 12 ROCC employees including trainees, controllers and senior management. While the report did not substantiate direct claims against Woodruff and Harris, interviewees agreed that “disrespectful and unprofessional conduct is commonplace in the ROCC,” according to Littler’s report.

“This report exonerates Lisa Woodruff and Deltrin Harris of the charges contained in the WMSC report and repeated in dozens of accounts,” General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. “While this bell cannot be unrung, the record must be set straight to restore the good names of transit professionals whose reputations were unfairly tarnished.”

After the WMSC Audit was released in September, WMATA Chair Paul C. Smedberg and Wiedefeld in a letter committed to overhaul the rail control center. 

“Metro’s Board of Directors welcomes the conclusions of the independent counsel and regrets that Ms. Woodruff and Mr. Harris were unjustly portrayed in WMSC’s report and subsequent news accounts,” Smedberg said in a statement. “We also note that the WMATA inspector general reported to us his conclusion that there was no credible evidence that a ROCC supervisor was intoxicated while on duty, as reported by the WMSC.” 

The overhaul is “ongoing,” according to a Friday statement from WMATA. It includes training, procedures and processes, staffing and supervision improvements, according to WMATA.

“Our work to transform the ROCC will continue under the new leadership that we have in place and we are on track to make short- and long-term improvements that go above and beyond required corrective actions,” Wiedefeld said in a statement. “We are committed to making our rail control center safety the standard-bearer and envy of the transit industry.” 

 

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VCU and VCU Health receive $24M gift

The C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Foundation has donated $24 million to and , the university announced Friday. 

The was made in honor of the late C. Kenneth “Ken” and Dianne Wright, who died in 2019 and 2013, respectively. They were longtime supporters of and VCU Health, with philanthropic donations dating back to 1999. A longtime -area businessman who died at age 94, Ken Wright owned Wright Properties and Wright Investments and was also the retired chairman of Rent-A-Car Co. Inc., an East Coast Avis rental car franchise based in Richmond.

“I know Mr. Wright would be very pleased about this gift,” Wright Foundation President Audrey Pape said in a statement. “It supports three areas that were very important to him — innovative at the Wright Center, patient care in the new Adult Outpatient Pavilion and scholarships at the College of . Naming a space in the new outpatient pavilion will help the community remember the generosity of Ken and Dianne Wright.”

A portion of the gift, $16 million will go toward the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, a space for VCU researchers and students. An additional $4 million will be allocated for the Wright Engineering Access Scholarship Program, which provides need- and merit-based aid to College of Engineering Students. The final $4 million will benefit the VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion, which is expected to be completed by 2021. It will offer outpatient clinics, dental care and women’s services.

“Like VCU itself, Ken Wright was dedicated to the grand questions and solving the problems that have perplexed humanity for years,” VCU President Michael Rao said in a statement. “He always believed in what we did best, and these final gifts through his foundation represent his intentions for continued support of One VCU in order to advance research, education and clinical care.”

Other VCU gifts from the Wrights included the building that had been Kenneth Wright’s business, which was later renovated to become the VCU Brandcenter. The couple endowed professorships in gynecologic oncology research, pulmonary disease, critical medicine and cardiology and established the undergraduate Eugene P. Trani Scholars program. The couple also made a $10.5 million gift to the College of Engineering Foundation and the school’s microelectronics center is named in their honor.

 

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Spotify completes $235M acquisition of Reston-based Megaphone

Music streaming giant Spotify SA has completed the of -based and education conglomerate ‘s podcast technology company, Megaphone, for $235 million, the company announced Tuesday.

The acquisition was first announced Nov. 10.

Founded in 2015, Megaphone provides hosting and ad-insertion capabilities for publishers and targeted ad sales for brand partners, according to Graham Holdings Co., the family company of the late Katharine Graham, who was the publisher and owner of The Washington Post. Megaphone is headquartered in and has an office in New York City.

Graham Holdings Co.’s current holdings include online magazine Slate, digital marketing company SocialCode LLC, a group of seven television stations and higher education company Kaplan Inc. The company also holds Graham Media Group, which was formerly the Post-Newsweek Stations.

Launched in 2008, Stockholm, Sweden-based Spotify reported $7.44 billion in 2019 revenue. The web and mobile app allows users to livestream and listen to music, and other media through a monthly subscription model.

 

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Leidos to acquire 1901 Group for $215M

-based Fortune 500 government Holdings Inc. announced Thursday it will acquire Reston-based information services company for $215 million.

“We are pleased to welcome 1901 Group’s team of digital transformation experts who share Leidos’ commitment to making the world safer, healthier and more efficient through IT,” Leidos Chairman and CEO Roger Krone said in a statement. “Leidos and 1901 Group both strive to provide customers with progressive, agile and secure solutions. Together, we will be better positioned to continue successfully providing these critical solutions while navigating growing trends in the IT marketplace.”  

1901 Group was founded in 2009 and offers cloud, cybersecurity and enterprise scale-managed services. It has clients in the federal, state and local governments, as well as enforcement and criminal justice agencies. With annual revenues of $11.09 billion last year and 37,000 employees, Leidos specializes in technology and services for agencies.

Leidos’ of 1901 Group will advance its digital modernization capabilities, and 1901 brings cloud factories and fully-integrated service delivery platforms to Leidos.

“1901 Group is very excited about our future with Leidos,” 1901 Group founder and CEO Sonu Singh said in a statement. “We have closely shared values based upon a commitment to our customers, our employees, and our mission of utilizing untapped IT talent across all geographies. … We look forward to closing this deal and officially becoming a part of Leidos.”

The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2021, according to a company statement.

Holland & Knight LLP is serving as legal adviser to Leidos, while Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is serving 1901 Group. Baird served as exclusive adviser to 1901 Group during the transaction.

 

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Arlington tech consultant names CTO, CGO

-based company Definitive Logic has named Michael Conlin as chief technology officer and Ryan Elliott as chief growth officer. 

With more than 20 years of experience, Conlin was the first chief data officer for the U.S. Department of . In his new role, he will focus on data analytics and artificial intelligence.

Elliot has more than 25 years of experience, Elliott has focused on growth, business development and capture experience in both the federal and commercial sectors. He was most recently the vice president of defense with Washington, D.C.-based GovernmentCIO.

“These additions allow our president, Mike Monson, to focus on his dual role of chief of customer experience, whereby he holds us all accountable to delivering exceptional service and ultimately producing outcomes and return on investment to our customers on every project,” Definitive Logic CEO Paul Burke said in a statement.

Definitive Logic provides consulting services focused on data science, apps, DevOps, cyber and the cloud.

 

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Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden to chair Aerospace Industries Association board

The Industries Association (AIA) announced Tuesday it has named Chairman, President and CEO Kathy Warden to serve as the chair of the AIA’s board of governors for 2021. Mike Petters, president and CEO of -based , will serve as vice chairman.

Since 1919, the AIA has served as the voice for the aerospace industry and currently has more than 300 member companies. 

“I’m honored to take on this role on behalf of AIA’s members,” Warden said in a statement. “The aerospace and industry remains dedicated to our customers during these unprecedented times, and we will continue to be a driver for the global economy — strengthening our industry’s current and future workforce, sustaining the supply chain and investing in and innovation.”

Based in , Northrop Grumman is a Fortune 500 Northrop Grumman is an aerospace and defense that employs more than 90,000 people. The company reported $33.8 billion in 2019 revenue.

The AIA’s board of governors meets twice a year, and the organization’s executive board meets more frequently. Other members of the executive committee from Virginia include:

  • Tom Arseneault, president and CEO, BAE Systems,
  • Thomas Bell, president and CEO Rolls-Royce North America, Reston
  • Roger Krone, chairman and CEO, Corp., Reston
  • Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO, General Dynamics Corp., Reston

 

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Va. Beach packaging manufacturer acquires Utah company

-based manufacturer Fortis Solutions Group LLC announced Thursday it has acquired Orem, Utah-based Kala Packaging. 

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

“With its fleet of digital presses and top-tier flexographic printing , Maui Chai and the Kala team have established a national presence in the quick-turn labels and flexible packaging markets,” Fortis President and CEO John O. Wynne Jr. said in a statement. “We are fortunate to join forces with such an outstanding team and are excited to further the value-added offerings we provide.”

Fortis, a Main Post Partners portfolio company, employs 850 at 14 sites across Virginia, Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and California.

Kala prints pressure-sensitive labels and flexible packaging.

“While technology has always been an important characteristic of our ethos, supporting our customers as a vital extension of their operation is a foundational principle at Kala,” Kala President and CEO Maui Chai said in a statement. “Fortis understands the importance of these relationships and will persist in the continual removal of industry barriers that our customers have enjoyed with Kala over the past 18 years.”

 

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PAE lands $98M Air Force contract

-based and government services Pacific Architects and Engineers () announced Thursday it has been awarded a $98 million from the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) to provide electronic operations training and infrastructure maintenance support.

Task orders under the contract are projected to be performed in the United Kingdom and Italy. PAE also announced Thursday it secured an additional $55.7 million task order to support USAFE-AFAFRICA’s electronic warfare range systems infrastructure in Germany and provide mobile training operations across Europe and Africa.

“PAE has built a unique set of skills and knowledge from decades supporting essential national security initiatives,” PAE President and CEO John Heller said in a statement. “We believe that expertise and our dedication to continuous improvement practices gives PAE a competitive advantage with training and technical operations support services work, including this opportunity to support electronic warfare training missions for USAFE-AFAFRICA at locations throughout Europe and Africa.” 

PAE employs more than 20,000 workers across its operations in 60 countries and reported more than $2.7 billion in revenue last year.

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Va. initial jobless claims nearly doubled last week

The number of initial claims filed last week jumped 93.5% — its highest level since the Aug. 8 filing week, the reported Thursday.

For the week ending Dec. 5, 16,654 Virginians filed initial claims for unemployment, nearly a two-fold increase of 8,048 from the previous week. 

“While one week doesn’t constitute a trend, the increase is significant,” Dominique Johnson, a associate at Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, said in a statement. “For the last four months, weekly initial claims have hovered around 10,000. This is the highest number of initial claims filed since the week ending Aug. 1.”

Last week, 73,804 Virginians remained unemployed — 54,728 higher than the 19,076 continued claims from the same period last year. receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

“This increase, though small, was the first increase in continued claims since the Aug. 15 filing week,” according to the VEC. The continued claims total is mainly comprised of those recent initial claimants who continued to file for unemployment insurance benefits during the -19 pandemic.

“In more unwelcome news, after 15 consecutive weeks of declines, the number of Virginians receiving some form of benefits increased from the previous week,” Johnson said in a statement. “With COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations reaching record levels in Virginia, there is a fear that we are starting to see the warning signs that the state’s economy is starting to slow again.”

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, Richmond and Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending Dec. 5:

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 853,000, an increase of 137,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 317,866 initial claims during the same week last year.

“As we have seen before, with public health metrics trending in the wrong direction, mobility and economic activity by consumers is declining,” Dragas Center Director Robert McNab said in a statement. “Local and state governments have, in many cases, also responded by increasing restrictions on economic and social activities. The combination of slowing consumer demand and increasing restrictions has led businesses to shed employees.”

 

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