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 Start-Up From the Basement to High-Tech Laboratories
Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, June 21, 2004; Page E05
Cetrom Inc. grew from the ground up. In fact, the Gaithersburgarchitectural and design firm began in Patricio Ochoa's basement. Since then, it has worked on some of the area's most sophisticated high-tech laboratories and classified military facilities. Ochoa, 49, the company's co-founder and chairman, immigrated from Ecuador at 17 on a Fulbright fellowship to the University of Maryland. Ochoa and Mark F. Carter, 48, the vice chairman, became friends while working on nuclear power plant projects for San Francisco-based Bechtel Group Inc. With Ochoa's background in mechanical engineering and Carter's in control systems engineering, the two decided to start a company to compete for government contracts. Cetrom's projects have included administration buildings for the U.S. Military Academy in New York and a hospital for the Veterans Affairs Department in Florida. The Advanced Measurements Laboratory for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, a $173 million facility, is among its high-tech projects in the Washington area. "The challenge in any of these jobs first is having the appropriate personnel with the appropriate background that understand the design as well as the construction of these very advanced facilities,'' Ochoa said. Carter said the privately held company generated revenue of about $28 million in 2003, is on track toward a goal of $36 million this year and is aiming for $100 million a year in five years. Cetrom generates profits of 5 percent to 10 percent, Ochoa said. Now, the minority-owned company is trying to secure more commercial contracts. Charles M. Carter, president and chief executive (and Carter's uncle), said he sees potential for Cetrom in the growing biotechnology industry. Cetrom has completed a project for biotechnology company Gene Logic Inc. of Gaithersburg.
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