Arlington taps community planning, housing leader
Samia Byrd has been named to lead Arlington County’s Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development beginning Jan. 3, 2024, the county announced Wednesday. Byrd’s responsibilities will include leading the next generation of land use regulations, plans, development policies and practices, housing, and commu[...]
RTX’s Pratt & Whitney division receives $701M aircraft contract
Arlington-based defense giant RTX’s Pratt & Whitney aerospace division in Connecticut will provide sustainment and other support services for propulsion systems on the F-35 fighter jet under a $701 million modification to a Navy contract. Pratt & Whitney will provide program management, propulsion integration, engi[...]
JPMorgan Chase gives $5.3M to DMV career pathways program
JPMorgan Chase has donated $5.3 million to TalentReady, a student career pathways program in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the bank announced Thursday. The program, which is organized by the Greater Washington Partnership and Education Strategy Group, has a focus on ensuring students get work-based learning experiences, such as capstone projects and internships. TalentReady has […][...]
GSA inspector general to probe FBI HQ site selection
Three weeks after U.S. Sen. Mark Warner lambasted a decision to place the FBI headquarters in Maryland instead of Springfield as “corrupt,” the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. General Services Administration said Thursday it would launch an investigation immediately, according to a letter made public by W[...]
Boeing receives $2.3B Air Force contract for tanker aircraft
Arlington County-based Boeing has received a $2.3 billion contract to build 15 more KC-46A Pegasus tankers for the Air Force. The Pentagon announced the award for production lot 10 of the tankers Tuesday. Boeing has 153 of the aerial refuelers under contract globally and has delivered 76 to the Air Force and two to Japan, [&hell[...]
HII’s Mission Technologies names new CIO
Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries has named Marc Sosa as chief information officer for its McLean-based Mission Technologies division, the Fortune 500 contractor announced Thursday. Sosa will be responsible for all aspects of information technology, including guiding the division’s day-to-day leadership of inf[...]
Warner condemns FBI HQ site selection as ‘corrupt’
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said Nov. 9 that the General Services Administration’s selection of Greenbelt, Maryland, instead of Fairfax County for the new FBI headquarters was a “corrupt” process, and that he expected better from the Biden administration. Warner’s comments followed an email that day from FBI Director Christoph[...]
HII division to boost intel sharing for Five Eyes alliance
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ McLean-based Mission Technologies division has received a three-year contract to provide information sharing capabilities between the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. Newport News-based HII announced the award Nov. 21; information about the award was not disclosed. The Pegasus contract is administrated by the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concept, Development and Management Mission […][...]
Electra’s hybrid prototype aircraft takes first flight
This story was updated Dec. 1. A Manassas aircraft manufacturer that’s developing an electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft logged a significant milestone Nov. 19 when it completed its first hybrid-electric flight. Electra’s EL-2 Goldfinch took off from Manassas Regional Airport and flew 23 minutes, reac[...]
Amazon HQ2 impact on housing market short-lived, report says
The June opening of Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion East Coast headquarters in Arlington County only had a short-lived impact on home prices, and it’s hard to pinpoint HQ2’s direct impact due to other factors affecting residential costs, according to a report released this month by Bright MLS Research. When Amazon announced [...]
Private equity firm completes buy of Herndon’s Exostar
Arlington Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of Herndon-based cybersecurity company Exostar, the Chevy Chase, Maryland-based private equity firm announced Monday. The deal was announced in September, and financial terms were not disclosed. It comes a little more than three years after Exostar was acquired by Chicago-[...]
Mars to acquire British chocolatier for $662M
A subsidiary of McLean-based international candy and pet food manufacturer Mars, the largest privately held company in Virginia, has agreed to acquire Britain’s Hotel Chocolat for $662 million, Mars announced Thursday. Bidco, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mars, will acquire Britain’s largest chocolate maker in a cash offer at[...]