Post 200: Public companies

Argan

One Church St.

Suite 201

Rockville, Md. 20850

301-315-0027

www.arganinc.com

Founded: 1961

CEO: Rainer Bosselmann

Employees (local): 123 (72)

Argan is a holding company that looks to buy or partner with companies that service growth industries. Its wholly owned subsidiaries include Glastonbury, Conn.-based Gemma Power Systems, Tracy's Landing, Southern Maryland Cable and Vitarich Laboratories of Naples, Fla. Gemma Power designs and builds power plants, while Southern Maryland Cable offers wiring services to government entities like military installations. Vitarich manufactures and distributes personal health-care products such as whole food dietary supplements. In 2010, Argan announced it had discontinued merger negotiations launched in 2009 with United American Steel Constructors.

ATS

7925 Jones Branch Dr.

McLean, VA 22102

(571) 766-2400

www.atsc.com

Founded: 1978

President and CEO: Sidney E. Fuchs, as of Jan. 1

Employees (local): 525 (425)

ATS provides a wide variety of information-technology services, including software development, training and consulting. The company contracts with the Defense Department, federal civilian agencies, public safety agencies, and state and local organizations as well as private firms. In 2010, ATS announced that Sidney E. Fuchs, the firm's executive vice president and chief operating officer, will take over as president and chief executive at the start of 2011. Fuchs assumes the reins from Edward H. Bersoff, who will continue as chairman of the board.

AvalonBay Communities

Ballston Tower

671 N. Glebe Rd.

Suite 800

Arlington, Va. 22203

703-329-6300

www.avalonbay.com

Founded: 1993

Chairman and CEO: Bryce Blair

Employees (local): 1,970 (400)

AvalonBay's shareholders have enjoyed an incredible resurgence from the recession, with the company's stock price steadily gaining. The company acquires, develops and manages apartment buildings in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Northern and Southern California. The company owns or holds an interest in hundreds of apartment complexes totaling more than 50,000 units.

Blackboard

650 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Sixth Floor

Washington, D.C. 20001

202-463-4860

www.blackboard.com

Founded: 1997

President and CEO: Michael L. Chasen

Employees (local): 1,183 (600)

An education technology company formed in 1997, Blackboard provides an online platform for students and teachers from K-12 and higher education institutions to interact, host discussions and share documents. The company has made moves in the past year to keep pace with burgeoning trends, such as mobile and social technologies. It acquired Wimba and Ellmuniate for $116 million this past summer to add new learning technologies, such as online video and digital whiteboards, to its products. Additionally, Blackboard formed a number of partnerships in 2010, including digital content arrangements with publisher McGraw-Hill, bookseller Barnes & Noble and online education company K12.

Booz Allen Hamilton

8283 Greensboro Dr.

McLean, Va. 22102

703-902-5000

www.boozallen.com

Founded: 1914

Chairman, president and CEO: Ralph W. Shrader

Employees (local): About 24,000 (16,000)

Booz Allen Hamilton provides consulting services in strategy, operations and information technology to major firms, government agencies and institutions. It is one of the region's newest public companies, successfully launching an initial public offering in November. The company once was owned by 300 top executives, but in 2008 it separated its government business from its commercial business -- which is no longer based locally. Private equity giant Carlyle Group then bought the government unit for $2.54 billion prior to the public offering and remains a major shareholder.

CACI International

1100 N. Glebe Rd.

Arlington, Va. 22201

703-841-7800

www.caci.com

Founded: 1962

President and CEO: Paul M. Cofoni

Employees (local): 11,384 (5,959)

CACI International provides professional services such as program management as well as information technology services such as cybersecurity and integration of communications equipment, primarily to the defense and intelligence communities. The company has long depended on acquisitions for expansion, and 2010 proved no exception. CACI announced purchases of Applied Systems Research, which converts data into useable intelligence, digital map imagery company TechniGraphics and cybersecurity business SystemWare. The company has said it will continue to look for high-growth, high-margin businesses in emerging markets such as cyber, energy and health care.

CapitalSource

5404 Wisconsin Ave.

Second Floor

Chevy Chase, Md. 20815

301-841-2700

www.capitalsource.com

Founded: 2000

Chairman and CEO: John K. Delaney

Employees (local): 630 (271)

CapitalSource, once a real estate investment trust, has been busy turning itself into a bank holding company, having previously bought the assets of a California institution. In 2010, the firm added a corporate asset finance team, a small-business lending group (through the acquisition of Chevy Chase-based MainStreet Lender) and a professional practice lending team. New loans funded during the six months ended Sept. 30 totaled nearly $850 million and exceeded the total for the previous four quarters combined. The firm was not immune to the problems of the credit meltdown, but it navigated the financial turmoil without government assistance.

Catalyst Health Solutions

800 King Farm Blvd.

Rockville, Md. 20850

301-548-2900

www.chsi.com

Founded: 1998

CEO: David T. Blair

Employee (local): About 1,075 (about 195)

Catalyst Health Solutions is the nation's fourth-largest manager of pharmacy benefits, counting among its clients state and local governments, managed care organizations, employer groups, unions and third-party administrators. In 2010, the company was selected to provide services for new clients such as Ford Motor, Upper Peninsula Health Plan and the University of Virginia. In August, the company paid $225 million to buy FutureScripts, another pharmacy benefits manager with 1 million members. The acquisition boosted Catalyst's revenue by nearly $1 billion.

Chindex International

4340 East West Hwy.

Suite 1100

Bethesda, Md. 20814

301-215-7777

www.chindex.com

Founded: 1981

Co-founder and CEO: Roberta Lipson

Employees (local): 1,328 (19)

Chindex is an independent provider of Western health-care products and services in the People's Republic of China. It can be a tricky environment to operate in, with the company's initiatives subject to the whims of regulatory and policy changes. Nevertheless, the company said it has had strong demand for its diagnostic ultrasound and imaging products this year. On the services side, the volume at its outpatient and inpatient facilities continues to grow. Chindex said it is on track to double the capacity of its hospital in Beijing by the end of the year, and it completed construction of a new oncology center in the capital city.

Choice Hotels International

10750 Columbia Pike

Silver Spring, Md. 20901

301-592-5000

www.choicehotels.com

Founded: 1939

President and CEO: Stephen P. Joyce

Employees (local): 1,607 (423)

Higher room rates and occupancy netted this company, which franchises more than 6,000 hotels, $183.8 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2010, up 11 percent from a year earlier. Known for such brands as Comfort Inn and Clarion, the company has been adding more properties to its Ascend Collection of boutique hotels. Choice also made its first foray into Poland in 2010, with plans to franchise six hotels. Long headquartered in Silver Spring, Choice also announced plans in the fall to relocate to Rocksville by 2013.

Ciena

1201 Winterson Rd.

Linthicum, Md. 21090

410-694-5700

www.ciena.com

Founded: 1992

President and CEO: Gary B. Smith

Employees (local): 4,214 (600)

Ciena maintains a portfolio of equipment and software to support telecommunication networks that transport data, voice and video services. The company touts a variety of government and enterprise clients, such as the Defense Department and Gannett, as well as numerous major network operators, such as AT&T, Clearwire and Comcast. Ciena's revenue continued to suffer in 2009, contributing to a net income loss of $581 million for the year. However, the company also expanded its product base through the acquisition of Ottawa, Canada-based Nortel's Metro Ethernet Networks business. The $773.8 million deal closed in March 2010.

Cogent Communications Group

1015 31st St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20007

202-295-4200

www.cogentco.com

Founded: 1999

Chairman and CEO: Dave Schaeffer

Employees (local): 578 (260)

Cogent provides Internet and data transport services to companies in North America and Europe, a coverage area built in part through 13 acquisitions over the company's history. The company was able to expand the number of customers and buildings plugged into its network during 2009, adding 125 buildings and providing 3,549 more customer connections.

ComScore

11950 Democracy Dr.

Suite 600

Reston, Va. 20190

703-438-2000

www.comscore.com

Founded: 1999

President and CEO: Magid M. Abraham

Employees (local): 813 (319)

ComScore tracks the Internet and mobile habits of about 2 million consumers worldwide to generate regular reports that show how they use some of the marketplace's most-watched technologies, including smartphones and online video. The information and rankings provide hard data on what consumers are buying (such as Androids vs. iPhones), which search engines are most popular (just Google it) and the most-trafficked social networks (Facebook, anyone?). But the data isn't just about bragging rights. Advertisers, marketers and analysts use the information to devise marketing, sales and product development strategies.

Corporate Executive Board

1919 N. Lynn St.

Arlington, Va. 22209

571-303-3000

www.exbd.com

Founded: 1997

Chairman and CEO: Thomas L. Monahan III

Employees (local) 2,000 (1,000)

CEB provides research on corporate trends and best practices to top executives and business leaders. The company counts more than 4,800 companies served by its subscription services, including 85 percent of the Fortune 500. The firm made several operations and products changes during the economic downturn, when many clients cut back. It began to see improvement as a result of those changes in 2010. The firm invested in expansion overseas, bolstering offices in London, New Delhi and Sydney, and it opened a new office in Singapore. In 2010, CEB also bought the consumer research firm Iconoculture and the TowerGroup, a financial service industry research firm.

Corporate Office Properties Trust

6711 Columbia Gateway Dr.

Suite 300

Columbia, Md. 21046

443-285-5400

www.copt.com

Founded: 1988

CEO: Randall M. Griffin

Employees (local): 407 (360)

Corporate Office Properties Trust's stock recovered after an early dip in 2010, staying ahead of its price for much of 2009 and approaching some of the heights the shares reached during the real estate boom. The company focuses on office tenants and leasing with the federal government and in the defense technology and data industries. Though much of its work is in the Washington area, it has expanded into Colorado Springs, San Antonio and Huntsville, Ala.

CoStar Group

1331 L St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-346-6500

www.costar.com

Founded: 1987

President and CEO: Andrew C. Florance

Employees (local): 1,438 (580)

CoStar Group made a big move recently when it purchased the former headquarters of the Mortgage Bankers Association in downtown D.C. and moved there from Bethesda. The company, originally founded in D.C., provides subscription-based data and information to commercial real estate professionals in the United States and United Kingdom, including detailed information on space available for lease, sales information and analytical data.

Coventry Health Care

6705 Rockledge Dr.

Suite 900

Bethesda, Md. 20817

301-581-0600

www.coventryhealthcare.com

Founded: 1986

Chairman and CEO: Allen F. Wise

Employees (local): 4,100 (400)

Coventry Health Care is a diversified national managed health-care company, operating health plans, insurance companies, network rental and workers' compensation services companies. The company closed two key acquisitions this year. It snapped up Preferred Health Systems of Wichita, Kan., and later bought MHP Inc., whose Mercy Health Plans and subsidiaries serve Missouri and northwest Arkansas. With the acquisitions, Coventry now serves more than 1.2 million members in its six-state Midwest region. It also started Medicaid insurance operations in Nebraska and Pennsylvania.

CSC

3170 Fairview Park Dr.

Falls Church, Va. 22042

703-876-1000

www.csc.com

Founded: 1959

Chairman, president and CEO: Michael W. Laphen

Employees (local): 42,599 in the U.S. (10,079)

CSC provides information technology services for commercial clients as well as government agencies. It offers a variety of services, from consulting to software development to systems integration. CSC made multiple changes to its business this year, including buying a cyber-threat intelligence firm and a strategy and operations consulting firm that services electric, gas and water utilities. The company beefed up its cybersecurity business by hiring well-known information security expert Mark Rasch, and, in response to conflict-of-interest rules proposed by the Pentagon, sold off its Mission Solutions Engineering affiliate, which provided software engineering services for a Navy program.

Danaher

2099 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

202-828-0850

www.danaher.com

Founded: 1984

President and CEO: H. Lawrence Culp Jr.

Employees (local): 46,600 as of 2009 (NA)

Danaher makes things, often very specialized things: Tools, microscopes, medical and dental equipment, industrial machinery, water treatment systems, sensors and testing gear are just some of the niches it claims. The company is always on the prowl for another acquisition, and this year acquired Keithley Instruments, a firm that manufacturers complex electronic instruments geared to the needs of engineers at electronics manufacturers and academic research institutions. It also snapped up AB SCIEX and Molecular Devices, which makes mass spectrometers used by researchers and clinicians to identify and quantify specific molecules in complex samples.

Deltek

13380 Dulles Corner Lane

Herndon, Va. 20171

800-456-2009

www.deltek.com

Founded: 1983

President and CEO: Kevin Parker

Employees (local): 1,600 (625)

Deltek provides software that helps businesses, particularly government contractors and professional services firms such as accounting and consulting companies, manage their complicated projects. The company, which had 75 percent of its shares purchased by private-equity firm New Mountain Capital in 2005, expanded rapidly in 2010 with two acquisitions. Deltek acquired both Danish firm Maconomy and Reston-based Input, allowing the business to offer a full range of services for government contractors and expand of its global reach.

DiamondRock Hospitality

3 Bethesda Metro Center

Suite 1500

Bethesda, Md. 20814

240-744-1150

www.drhc.com

Founded: 2004

CEO: Mark W. Brugger

Employees (local): 19 (19)

Like many of its peers, this hotel real estate investment trust reported a rise in occupancy at most of its 23 hotels. Revenue gradually rose over the course of 2010, penciling in at $151.1 million in the third quarter, up from $137.8 million a year earlier. The company acquired three new properties in the first nine months of the year.

Discovery Communications

One Discovery Place

Silver Spring, Md. 20910

240-662-2000

www.discoverycommunications.com

Founded: 1985

President and CEO: David M. Zaslav

Employees (local): 4,000+ (1,900)

Many Americans interact with Discovery Communications through its popular slate of cable television channels, including Discovery, the Learning Channel (TLC) and Animal Planet. But Discovery executives said forthcoming efforts will focus on continued global expansion in markets such as Britain, India and Russia. Indeed, analysts have said that will likely be key to continued growth as the U.S. pay-for-TV market is largely saturated. The company counts distribution fees, advertising and product sales among its sources of revenue, which eked up 2 percent in 2009.

Dupont Fabros Technology

1212 New York Ave. NW

Suite 900

Washington, D.C. 20005

202-728-0044

www.dft.com

Founded: 2007

CEO: Hossein Fateh

Employees (local): 76 (68)

Dupont Fabros Technology, a real estate investment trust, also owns and operates data centers for national and international Internet companies, such as Microsoft and Facebook, as well as other businesses. As a data center manager, the company houses, powers and cools the computer servers needed by their clients. Dupont Fabros has multiple centers in Ashburn, as well as sites in Reston, Bristow and Chicago. The company held a stock sale in 2010 of 12 million shares to raise money to finish the first phase of a data center in Santa Clara, Calif., and another in Ashburn.

Emergent BioSolutions

2273 Research Blvd.

Suite 400

Rockville, Md. 20850

301-795-1800

www.emergentbiosolutions.com

Founded: 1998

Chairman and CEO: Fuad El-Hibri

Employees (local): 750 (180)

In July 2010, Emergent BioSolutions began to renovate a Baltimore facility that it purchased to increase its laboratory footprint as it looks to take on more government business and expand into the commercial sector. The biotech's BioThrax product is the only anthrax vaccine to earn Food and Drug Administration approval, and the company has won lucrative contracts to produce a stockpile as a result. But with other companies jockeying to produce competitive drugs, executives have said they want to bring to market other products from the company's portfolio, such as typhoid and tuberculosis vaccines.

ePlus

13595 Dulles Technology Dr.

Herndon, Va. 20171

www.eplus.com

703-984-8400

Founded: 1990

Chairman, president and CEO: Phillip G. Norton

Employees (local): 660 (260)

The company sells and leases information technology products to more than 1,500 customers in public and private organizations. It offers some well-known brands, such as Cisco, HP, VMware, NetApp, Microsoft, Symantec, IBM, Sun and Lenovo. In November, the company announced it had acquired the operating business of Interchange Technologies, a reseller of Tandberg products with advanced expertise in audio and video communication technologies. The company said business is picking up as the economy recovers. In September, it announced plans to repurchase 500,000 shares of outstanding stock.

FBR Capital Markets

1001 N. 19th St.

Arlington, Va. 22209

(703) 312-9500

www.fbr.com

Founded: 1989

President and CEO: Richard J. Hendrix

Employees (local): 496 (279)

Specializing in investment banking, research, asset management and equity placements, this firm had a rocky year as the financial services sector remained volatile. FBR posted losses for the first three quarters of 2010, but the losses have started to narrow. The company completed its acquisition of the mutual fund operations of AFBA 5Star Investment Management in the spring. It has expressed interest in other acquisitions as well, particularly in the asset management field.

Federal Agricultural Mortgage

1133 21st St. NW

Suite 600

Washington, D.C. 20036

800-879-3276

www.farmermac.com

Founded: 1988

President and CEO: Michael A. Gerber

Employees (local): 57 (49)

Farmer Mac is chartered by the government to help finance loans for agricultural real estate, rural housing mortgages and rural utilities. It also helps generate funds for the Agriculture Department-guaranteed farm program and rural development loans. For the three-month period ended Sept. 30, the company said it did $1.1 billion in new business, bringing its total outstanding portfolio to $11.5 billion, an increase of nearly 7 percent for the quarter. However, it warned that more borrowers are falling behind in their payments, putting stress on the balance sheet. The company said it has taken several steps to shore up its finances, including raising $250 million at the start of the year in a stock offering.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

8200 Jones Branch Dr.

McLean, Va. 22102

703-903-2000

www.freddiemac.com

Founded: 1970

CEO: Charles E. ÒEdÓ Haldeman Jr.

Employees (local): 5,429 (5,018)

Like its sister Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac purchases home loans from lenders, packages them into bonds with a guarantee against default and sells them to investors - allowing banks and others to make more mortgage loans. The two companies nearly collapsed during the meltdown in the housing market and have since been rescued by the government. But they still play an outsize role. Freddie Mac, for instance, funded one out of every four home loans originated in 2010. The company said it has also helped more than 230,000 families avoid foreclosure. The firm spent much of the year putting a new senior management team in place. In addition, it ceased all lobbying and political activity.

Federal National

Mortgage Association

3900 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20016

www.FannieMae.com

202-752-7000

Founded: 1938

President and CEO: Michael J. Williams

Employees (local): 7,072 (4,896)

Fannie Mae, like Freddie Mac, was hit hard by the economic downturn, which left many homeowners unable to pay back their loans. The pair nearly went under in September 2008. The government rescued them, and the cost to taxpayers of putting them on solid financial footing is now estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Still, the company remains a force in the mortgage lending market. It owns or guarantees more than 35 percent of the single-family mortgages in America. As of Dec. 1, about 4.5 percent of its borrowers were 90 days or more behind on their payments, compared with a rate of nearly 9 percent across the industry.

Federal Realty Investment Trust

1626 East Jefferson St.

Rockville, Md. 20852

301-998-8100

www.federalrealty.com

Founded: 1962

President and CEO: Donald Wood

Employees (local): 233 (144)

The company owns, develops and manages real estate in the mid-Atlantic, Northeast and California, with a specialty in retail properties. Its portfolio, excluding properties owned by joint ventures, totals more than 18 million square feet. In November, Donald Wood, president and chief executive, won the highest the award the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce offers to business leaders when he was named its 2010 Corporate Leader of the Year for his work driving transit-oriented and sustainable development.

First Potomac Realty Trust

7600 Wisconsin Ave.

11th Floor

Bethesda, Md. 20814

301-986-9200

www.first-potomac.com

Founded: 1997

Chairman and CEO: Douglas J. Donatelli

Employees (local): 145 (110)

First Potomac Realty Trust had an active 2010, continuing to grow in the suburbs it already knows well and entering the D.C. market. In June, it announced the $68-million purchase of 500 First St. NW, a fully leased property that is home to the General Services Administration. In October, it spent $65 million to purchase 1750 H St. NW in a joint venture with AEW Capital Management.

Gannett

7950 Jones Branch Dr.

McLean, Va. 22107

703-854-6000

www.gannett.com

Founded: 1906

Chairman and CEO: Craig A. Dubow

Employees (local): 35,000 (1,782)

Gannett is a leading media company with 82 daily newspapers, more than 600 magazines, and 23 TV stations, among other properties. The company in 2010 beefed up the Sunday editions of its newspapers, adding new sections and content focusing on profiles of local people and investigative stories. Gannett said it had a 5 percent improvement in the retention rate of 13-week subscribers and a 9 percent improvement in the retention rate of 26-week subscribers.

General Dynamics

2941 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 100

Falls Church, Va. 22042

703-876-3000

www.gd.com

Founded: 1952

Chairman and CEO: Jay L. Johnson

Employees (local): 89,800 (7,762)

General Dynamics includes four operating divisions: an aerospace group that designs and builds business jets; a combat systems unit that builds military vehicles, ammunition and armor; a marine systems group that builds submarines and ships; and an information systems and technology division that builds communication systems, designs and develops networks and collects and processes intelligence.

General Physics

6095 Marshalee Dr., Suite 300

Elkridge, Md. 21075

410-379-3600

www.gpworldwide.com

Founded: 1966

CEO: Scott N. Greenberg

Employees (local): 1,911 (292)

GP Strategies is the parent company of General Physics, a global provider of sales and technical training, e-learning suites, management consulting and engineering services. In November, the company expanded its capabilities by acquiring British firm Bath Consultancy Group, a niche leadership and organizational development consulting company. At the time of GP's third-quarter earnings release, chief executive Scott N. Greenberg hinted that more acquisitions may be in the offing.

GeoEye

21700 Atlantic Blvd.

Dulles, Va. 20166

703-480-7500

www.geoeye.com

Founded: 1992

President and CEO: Matthew O'Connell

Employees (local): 561 (222)

The company provides satellite and aerial-based geospatial information and services to both government clients as well as corporations. GeoEye satellites have captured bird's-eye views of major world events, including the toxic sludge spill in Hungary and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Its satellite-in-development, called GeoEye-2, is expected to be operational by 2013 and will be capable of providing high-resolution, color images of small objects on Earth.

Global Defense Technology& Systems

1501 Farm Credit Dr., Suite 2300

McLean, Va. 22102

703-738-2840

www.gtec-inc.com

Founded: 1990

President and CEO: John Hillen

Employees (local): 820 (700)

Global Defense Technology & Systems provides systems and services for the defense and intelligence community as well as federal law enforcement agencies. In 2010, GTEC, as the firm is known, focused on beefing up its cybersecurity capabilities, buying Zytel and Signature Government Solutions. Zytel is based in the Fort Meade area and Herndon-based SGS has substantial operations near the base.

GTSI

2553 Dulles View Dr., Suite 100

Herndon, Va. 20171

800-999-4874

www.gtsi.com

Founded: 1983

President and CEO: Sterling E. Phillips Jr.

Employees (local): 525 (475)

The federal contractor resells information-technology hardware while also providing IT services. In October, the company was briefly suspended from federal work by the U.S. Small Business Administration over questions about its work with partners. GTSI was reinstated after it turned over internal documents and its chief executive and general counsel stepped down.

Host Hotels & Resorts

6903 Rockledge Dr.

Suite 1500

Bethesda, Md. 20817

240-744-1000

www.hosthotels.com

Founded: 1927

President and CEO: W. Edward Walter

Employees (local): 186 (177)

The hotel owner made some notable buys in 2010, including the W New York-Union Square and Le Meridien Piccadilly in London. Host broke a streak of quarterly losses in the second quarter of the year, as revenue per available room picked up. The company, which owns 193 hotels, has completed a few rounds of stock offerings to fund more acquisitions and pay down debt.

Hughes Communications

11717 Exploration Lane

Germantown, Md. 20876

301-428-5500

www.hughes.com

Founded: 1971

President and CEO: Pradman P. Kaul

Employees (local): 1,891 (1,242)

Hughes operates a network of satellites to expand broadband services to companies, governments and consumers in rural portions of the United States, as well as in India, Brazil and Europe. Hughes added 71,500 net Internet subscribers during 2009, bringing its total to 504,300 as of Dec. 31, 2009. The Obama administration's efforts to expand broadband Internet to underserved parts of the country will likely benefit the company. In fact, Hughes won $58.7 million as part of the U.S. Recovery Act Broadband Program.

Human Genome Sciences

14200 Shady Grove Rd.

Rockville, Md. 20850

301-309-8504

www.hgsi.com

Founded: 1992

President and CEO: H. Thomas Watkins

Employees (local): 1,065 (1,065)

Human Genome Sciences abandoned development of Zalbin, a drug to treat chronic hepatitis C, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected its approval in 2010. But the year also brought more positive news for the biotechnology company. Federal regulators agreed to fast-track review of the company's much-touted Benlysta drug, which if approved would be the first new treatment for systemic lupus in decades. Some analysts predict the drug could yield multibillion-dollar revenue for the company. Orders to stockpile HGS's inhalation anthrax treatment, Raxibacumab, helped push the company's fiscal 2009 revenue to $275.7 million, up from $48.4 million the year before.

ICF International

9300 Lee Hwy.

Fairfax, Va. 22031

703-934-3000

www.icfi.com

Founded: 1969

Chairman and CEO: Sudhakar Kesavan

Employees (local): 3,500 (2,400)

ICF provides a wide variety of consulting services and technology to government and commercial clients, whether it be assisting in the government's campaign against obesity or helping shore up cybersecurity efforts at the Social Security Administration. The company had a $1.4 billion backlog of work at the end of the third quarter. Funding has been approved for about 47 percent, or $664 million, of that. The company won a ÒgreenÓ award from the Northern Virginia Technology Council for its workplace environmental efforts, which include a companywide recycling effort and programs to encourage employees to reduce their carbon footprint and find alternatives to driving to work alone.

Integral Systems

6721 Columbia Gateway Dr.

Columbia, Md. 21046

443-539-5008

www.integ.com

Founded: 1982

President and CEO: Paul Casner

Employees (local): 674 (278)

Through its family of subsidiaries, Integral Systems builds ground systems to command and control satellites used for military, communication and scientific purposes. The company has been involved with more than 250 satellite missions during its history, working with such agencies as the U.S. Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In May 2009, the company left its headquarters in Lanham for a new property in Columbia.

Intersections

3901 Stonecroft Blvd.

Chantilly, Va. 20151

703-488-6100

www.intersections.com

Founded: 1996

Chairman and CEO: Michael R. Stanfield

Employees (local) 816 (400)

Intersections offers consumers and financial institutions a range of products -- including consumer credit and public data monitoring -- aimed at preventing identity theft. The company in 2010 introduced a new product called Identity Guard that, among other services, provides customers with Social Security number and address monitoring, lost wallet protection and $1 million in identity theft insurance. During the summer, the company sold its background screening unit for $15 million to focus more on its core identity theft business.

Iridium Communications

1750 Tysons Blvd.

Suite 1400

McLean, Va. 22102

703-287-7400

www.iridium.com

Founded: 2000

CEO: Matthew J. Desch

Employees (local): 174 (54)

Through a network of 66 operational satellites in low Earth orbit, Iridium provides a wireless communication network that can reach across oceans and to both of the globe's poles. That reach has attracted clients from the maritime and aviation industries, as well as the federal government. Iridium today is the descendant of a firm that declared bankruptcy in the late 1990s. It has now raised up to $1.8 billion from investors and a public transaction last year as it looks to upgrade its network.

K12

2300 Corporate Park Dr.

Herndon, Va. 20171

866-283-0300

www.K12.com

Founded: 1999

CEO: Ron Packard

Employees (local): 1,415 (410)

Enrollment in K12's online courses for elementary, middle and high school students continues to grow as schools slowly supplement classroom learning with Web courses. The company sells Internet-based education in several forms, including to private and public schools in which students do all of their coursework online. The company also offers online Advanced Placement and other individual courses that some schools may not offer. The company's revenue model, which often varies state by state, relies on a mix of private tuition and state vouchers.

LaSalle Hotels Properties

3 Bethesda Metro Center

Suite 1200

Bethesda, Md. 20814

(301) 941-1500

www.lasallehotels.com

Founded: 1985

President and CEO: Michael D. Barnello

Employees (local): 30 (30)

In the spring, this hotel real estate investment trust picked up the 237-room Sofitel Washington, DC Lafayette Square hotel in the District for $95 million. Shortly after, the company sold 6.2 million common shares to reduce outstanding debt. It sold another 3.3 million shares in August. LaSalle posted earnings of $10.1 million in the third quarter, up from $3.4 million a year prior, but its funds from operations fell about 72 percent, much of that due to losses from a property sale.

Learning Tree International

1805 Library St.

Suite 300

Reston, Va. 20190

703-709-9119

www.learningtree.com

Founded: 1974

President and CEO: Nick Schacht

Employees (local): 464 (223)

Learning Tree International provides information technology and management training for professionals, with a list of online and in-person classes that cover such topics as Oracle databases, Microsoft SharePoint, communication skills and financial analysis. A two-day course runs $1,890 and prices increase with each additional day, though discounts are available for government employees and alumni. The company's revenue declined 27 percent to $132.6 million during fiscal 2009. Finances were hurt in part by a $4.2 million settlement over a claim that the federal government paid for courses it did not receive.

Liquidity Services

1920 L St. NW

Sixth Floor

Washington, D.C. 20036

202-467-6868

www.liquidityservicesinc.com

Founded: 1999

Co-founder, chairman and CEO: William P. Angrick III

Employees (local): 700 (125)

Liquidity Services provides online marketplaces and integrated services to help businesses and government agencies sell a wide variety of surplus assets, such as consumer electronics, apparel, industrial generators, fire trucks and oilfield pipe. The organizations that sell items through its marketplaces include seven of the top 10 U.S. retailers, the Department of Defense and 3,200 state and local government agencies. The company acquired surplus energy equipment marketplace Network International in June 2010.

Lockheed Martin

6801 Rockledge Dr.

Bethesda, Md. 20817

301-897-6000

www.lockheedmartin.com

Founded: 1995

Chairman and CEO: Robert J. Stevens

Employees (local): 133,000 (16,000)

Lockheed Martin is a contracting giant whose work includes a broad variety of products and services, from building military aircraft to assisting with the 2010 Census to analyzing complex intelligence. The company had an unsettled year, divesting two business units; cutting in half its participation at this summer's Farnborough International Airshow, a major aerospace industry exhibition in Britain; and offering an early exit program for top executives that was accepted by 600 of Lockheed's senior officials. The defense contractor's chief has said the company faces a changed budgetary environment and is tightening its belt accordingly.

ManTech International

12015 Lee-Jackson Hwy.

Fairfax, Va. 22033

703-218-6000

www.mantech.com

Founded: 1968

Chairman and CEO: George J. Pedersen

Employees (local): 9,800 (3,600)

ManTech provides information technology and technical support, such as testing and systems engineering, to national security agencies. The company early in 2010 purchased Red Bank, N.J.-based Sensor Technologies, an intelligence firm specializing in biometrics, human terrain systems and communications. Additionally, Lawrence B. Prior III, the company's president, left for BAE Systems, leading ManTech to reorganize its top management. The presidents of the company's three main divisions were also given the title chief operating officer.

Marriott International

10400 Fernwood Rd.

Bethesda, Md. 20817

(301) 380-3000

www.marriott.com

Founded: 1927

Chairman and CEO: J.W. ÒBillÓ Marriott Jr.

Employees (local): 137,000 (13,550)

Rebounding business travel has been a boon for this operator, which raised room rates and posted profits in the first three quarters of 2010. Marriott is embarking on an ambitious growth plan that aims to place at least 80,000 to 90,000 rooms on the market in three years. By 2013, the company forecasts, its earnings could top peak profits in 2007.

Martek Biosciences

6480 Dobbin Rd.

Columbia, Md. 21045

410-740-0081

www.martek.com

Founded: 1985

CEO: Steven Dubin

Employees (local): 525 (220)

The biotech ended the year with a surprise. On Dec. 21, Dutch vitamin giant, DSM, said it would bid $1.09 billion in cash for the company, a 35 percent premium over Martek's closing share price Dec. 20. Martek's DHA omega-3 product, which supports eye, brain and heart health, can be found in infant formula, as well as food and drink from Quiznos, Minute Maid and Horizon, among other brands. It closed on a $200 million acquisition of Amerifit Brands, which develops and markets consumer health products, in February. Martek was born out of researchers' work at contractor Martin Marietta studying the use of algae in long-term space flight.

Maximus

11419 Sunset Hills Rd.

Reston, Va. 20190

703-251-8500

www.maximus.com

Founded: 1975

President and CEO: Richard A. Montoni

Employees (local): 6,834 (485)

Maximus launched programs in 2010 aimed at helping state health and human services agencies contend with the impact of health care reform, particularly the expansion of Medicaid services and digitization of medical records. The company offers consulting, systems and program-management support. It has sold a handful of business units in recent years to focus the company around child-support programs, as well as government health care and unemployment services.

Micros Systems

7031 Columbia Gateway Dr.

Columbia, Md. 21046

443-285-6000

www.micros.com

Founded: 1977

Chairman, President and CEO: A. L. ÒTomÓ Giannopoulos

Employees (local) 2,408 (993)

The company provides computer applications for back-office functions at restaurants and for property management at hotels, motels and retail shops in more than 130 countries. In 2010, Micros acquired TIG Global, a Chevy Chase-based firm that provides interactive marketing services -- social media, mobile media, Website design and search engine optimization -- for the hospitality and travel industries around the world. The acquisition is aimed at linking the hotels and restaurants to a broader customer base.

MicroStrategy

1850 Towers Crescent Plaza

Vienna, Va. 22182

703-848-8600

www.microstrategy.com

Founded: 1989

Chairman, president and CEO: Michael J. Saylor

Employees (local): 1,816 (750)

Clients use MicroStrategy software to analyze the reams of data they generate in order to make informed business decisions. The company's products have expanded beyond the desktop computer and Web, and now include applications that operate on mobile devices, specifically the iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry. MicroStrategy is bullish on mobile within its own company as well. In fact, executives have integrated hundreds of iPads into the company's daily operations as tools to increase efficiency and productivity. The company moved its headquarters in October, adding a training center for customer education programs and an area to display mobile products.

NCI

11730 Plaza America Dr.

Suite 700

Reston, Va. 20190

www.nciinc.com

703-707-6900

Founded: 1989

Chairman and CEO: Charles K. Narang

Employees (local): 2,700 (about 837)

NCI provides professional and information-technology services to the government. Among the company's specialties are services related to health IT, cybersecurity and network engineering. NCI works extensively with defense and intelligence agencies as well as with various civilian organizations. In 2010, the business won a contract to support the Defense Information System Agency's relocation to Fort Meade, but the award was protested. In April, NCI learned that the protest had been withdrawn.

Neustar

46000 Center Oak Plaza

Sterling, Va. 20166

571-434-5400

www.neustar.biz

Founded: 1996

President and CEO: Lisa A. Hook

Employees (local): 980 (629)

Neustar appointed a new chief executive in October in Lisa Hook, who joined the company two years ago as president and chief operating officer. Neustar maintains large databases of Internet addresses and other data to help telecommunications and Internet companies make the cross-network connections needed to facilitate phone calls, mobile messages, data and other services. Neustar has made moves in recent years to expand its business into mobile payments and financial services, particularly through the alliance it formed with Visa in 2009.

NII Holdings

1875 Explorer St.

Suite 1000

Reston, Va. 20190

703-390-5100

www.nii.com

Founded: 1996

CEO: Steven P. Dussek

Employees (local): 14,000 (271)

NII Holdings sold Nextel wireless services to 8.6 million subscribers in Latin America as of Sept. 30, a 22 percent jump compared with the year before. The company has announced plans to deploy a third-generation network in Mexico in the next year-and-a-half after being granted a license for more spectrum there. Similar plans are underway in Brazil and Peru as the company looks to sell data-heavy smartphones that operate best at broadband speed. However, the company has at least temporarily tabled plans for Grupo Televisa, a Spanish media company, to take a 30 percent equity stake in Nextel Mexico for $1.44 billion in cash.

Northrop Grumman

1840 Century Park East

Los Angeles, Calif. 90067

310-553-6262

www.northropgrumman.com

Founded: 1939

President and CEO: Wes Bush

Employees (local): 120,000 (16,600)

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman builds manned and unmanned aircraft; electronic systems such as sensors; ships; and communications equipment, and provides technical services such as training and system maintenance. The firm kept the local business community on edge in 2010 as it sought new corporate headquarters, eventually settling on a Falls Church building. Northrop Grumman also continues to reshape its business, announcing earlier in the year that it is considering selling off its shipbuilding unit. The company had a major stumble when a network failure crashed multiple Virginia agencies' computer systems for more than a week.

NVR

Plaza America Tower I

11700 Plaza America Dr.

Suite 500

Reston, Va. 20190

703-956-4000

www.nvrinc.com

Founded: 1980

President and CEO: Paul C. Saville

Employees (local): 2,688 (650)

The first half of the year was a boom for NVR, its stock price climbing to over $750 a share in March before taking a slide that the company began turning around in the fall. NVR has four companies in its homebuilding unit: Ryan Homes, NVHomes, Fox Ridge Homes and NVR Mortgage. It also has a mortgage banking unit called NVR Mortgage. The company builds homes in 11 states and performs settlements and title services to buyers through NVR Settlement Services.

Online Resources

4795 Meadow Wood Lane

Chantilly, Va. 20151

703-653-3100

www.orcc.com

Founded: 1989

President and CEO: Joseph L. Cowan

Employees (local): 618 (358)

Online Resources provides Web- and phone-based financial, electronic payment and marketing services to financial institutions and their biller clients. This past year was one of transition for the company. Out went the company's chief executive of more than 20 years, Matthew P. Lawlor. In came Joseph L. Cowan, a former chief executive for Manugistics Group. Cowan is aiming to set the company on a new strategic direction. The company warned it may incur restructuring costs, depending on what course it pursues.

Orbital Sciences

21839 Atlantic Blvd.

Dulles, Va. 20166

703-406-5000

www.orbital.com

Founded: 1982

Chairman and CEO: David W. Thompson

Employees (local): 3,600 (1,788)

Orbital Sciences creates small- and medium-class satellites that transmit television signals, conduct scientific research, support space missions and protect national security, among other purposes. In the spring, the company paid $55 million in cash to acquire the satellite development and manufacturing business of Falls Church-based General Dynamics. Analysts said the purchase could make Orbital Sciences more of a contender for federal contracts issued by defense and intelligence agencies.

Pepco Holdings

701 Ninth St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20068

202-872-2680

www.pepcoholdings.com

Founded: 2000

Chairman, president and CEO: Joseph M. Rigby

Employees (local): 4,408 (2,425)

Pepco Holdings has four energy-delivery subsidiaries -- Pepco, Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco Energy Services -- as a result of the 2000 merger between Pepco and Conectiv. The holding company touts a customer base of 1.9 million in the mid-Atlantic region, specifically Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and the District. The area is considered one of the most demanding of electricity in the country. As a result, Pepco Holdings intends to build a 150-mile transmission line by mid-2015, called the Mid-Atlantic Pathway Project, that it says will improve the reliability of the region's electric grid.

Primus Telecommunications Group

7901 Jones Branch Dr.

Suite 900

McLean, Va. 22102

703-902-2800

www.ptgi.com

Founded: 1994

Chairman and CEO: Peter D. Aquino

Employees (local): 1,729 (50)

Primus Telecommunications has at least partial ownership of 23 transoceanic fiber optic cable systems that allow the company to deliver voice and data services to parts of North and South America, as well as Europe, Asia and Australia. The executive ranks at Primus underwent a significant transformation during 2010 with the departure of co-founders John DePodesta and K. Paul Singh, formerly the chief executive and chairman, as well as Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kloster. Peter Aquino was appointed chairman and chief executive in October 2010. In July 2009, the company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after restructuring its finances.

Radio One

5900 Princess Garden Pkwy., 7th floor

Lanham, Md. 20706

301-306-1111

www.radio-one.com

Founded: 1980

Pres., treasurer, CEO: Alfred C. Liggins III

Employees (local) 960 (140)

The nation's largest radio broadcaster aimed at black audiences owns 53 stations in 16 markets, including Washington's WKYS (93.9 FM) and MAJIC (WMMJ, 102.3 FM). The broadcaster struggled with fluctuating advertising revenue related to the economic downturn. Early in 2010, the company abruptly abandoned a deal to relocate its corporate headquarters from Lanham to a site in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington near Howard University. The company in 2010 continued an on-air campaign, featuring founder Catherine L. Hughes, aimed at defeating a measure in Congress that would compensate recording artists by charging radio stations a fee for playing their music.

Saul Centers

7501 Wisconsin Ave.

Suite 1500

Bethesda, Md. 20814

301-986-6200

www.saulcenters.com

Founded: 1993

Chairman and CEO: B. Francis Saul II

Employees (local): 65 (63)

Saul Centers manages a total of 8.4 million square feet, including 52 shopping centers and dozens of office buildings. About 82 percent of the company's cash flow comes from the Washington and Baltimore areas. The company is the public arm of the much larger B.F. Saul Co., which has extensive commercial real estate and property management holdings.

Science Applications International Corp.

1710 Saic Dr.

McLean, Va. 22102

703-676-4300

www.saic.com

Founded: 1969

CEO: Walter P. Havenstein

Employees (local): 45,000 full-time equivalent (17,000)

Contractor SAIC provides a broad range of services to both the defense and intelligence communities as well as civilian agencies. Its work includes managing supplies and equipment for the Pentagon, designing health-care applications and supporting tests of Air Force systems. In 2010, the company repositioned for what it expects to be a slowdown in defense spending, consolidating four operating groups into three. SAIC also refocused on high-growth areas such as cybersecurity, formally opening a cyber innovation center in Columbia. The firm purchased Reveal Imaging Technologies, which makes equipment for screening airport baggage, and CloudShield Technologies, an online data inspection company.

Sourcefire

9770 Patuxent Woods Dr.

Columbia, Md. 21046

800-917-4134

www.sourcefire.com

Founded: 2001

CEO: John Burris

Employees (local): 347 (221)

Sourcefire is a cybersecurity firm known for creating Snort, an open-source technology that detects and prevents cyber intrusions. The company also offers cybersecurity-related services to a wide variety of industries, from the government to higher education institutions and telecommunications firms. In 2010, Sourcefire announced it would expand into the next-generation firewall market as well as release an open source framework able to conduct deep inspection.

SRA International

4300 Fair Lakes Ct.

Fairfax, Va. 22033

703-803-1500

www.sra.com

Founded: 1978

President and CEO: Stanton D. Sloane

Employees (local): 6,341 (4,131)

SRA International provides systems engineering, consulting and technical services to a wide variety of government customers, from national security agencies to the intelligence community to civil agencies. Additionally, the company works with private clients. In 2010, SRA bought Reston-based systems integrator and software developer Platinum Solutions as well as Bethesda-based energy management consulting firm Sentech.

Strayer Education

1100 Wilson Blvd.

Suite 2500

Arlington, Va. 22209

703-247-2500

www.strayereducation.com

Founded: 1996 (Strayer University was established in 1892)

Chairman and CEO: Robert S. Silberman

Employees (local): 2,130 (753)

Strayer is a post-secondary education juggernaut, operating 87 campus locations in 20 states, with plans for eight more in 2011. Some 60,711 students enrolled in Strayer University for the 2010 fall term, an increase of 12 percent. The company has found itself on the defensive of late as the Obama administration considers new regulations for the for-profit education industry to deal with alleged problems in the way some schools recruit students and benefit from financial aid programs. Strayer has defended its practices.

Sunrise Senior Living

7900 Westpark Dr.

Suite T-900

McLean, Va. 22102

703-273-7500

www.sunriseseniorliving.com

Founded: 1981

CEO: Mark Ordan

Employees (local): 30,000 (3,600)

After peaking in the spring, Sunrise's stock price in 2010 was on the rebound in the fall after a tough summer. The company develops housing communities for senior citizens, providing facilities and services for those who need assisted or independent living as well as those who need Alzheimer's-related care. Sunrise and its subsidiaries currently operate about 400 communities with more than 35,000 housing units in the United States, Canada and Britain.

TeleCommunication Systems

275 West St.

Annapolis, Md. 21401

410-263-7616

www.telecomsys.com

Founded: 1987

Chairman, president and CEO: Maurice B. Tos{Zcaron}

Employees (local): 1,200 (315)

TeleCommunication Systems specializes in providing mobile communications technology, whether it be text messaging, secure connections or wireless location services. Much of its business is with the government, but it also produces the technology behind the turn-by-turn navigation system offered by Verizon Wireless and others. The company is a major provider of wireless, Internet phone and landline enhanced 911 services, and it expects its cybersecurity work to grow in the coming months.

Tier Technologies

11130 Sunrise Valley Dr.

Suite 300

Reston, Va. 20191

571-382-1000

www.tier.com

Founded: 1991

President and CEO: Alex P. Hart

Employees (local): 220 (100)

Tier Technologies provides electronic bill payment services for organizations such as the Internal Revenue Service. If you paid your taxes electronically, chances are you have used Tier's technology. The company typically collects a fee or percentage of the transactions, and revenue has been hurt by the downturn in the economy. The company named a new chief executive this year. Alex P. Hart was president of a company that sold fuel charge cards for fleet operators. He also previously served as executive vice president and general manager of CheckFree's electronic banking services division.

TNS

11480 Commerce Park Dr.

Suite 600

Reston, Va. 20191

703-453-8300

www.tnsi.com

Founded: 1990

CEO: Henry H. Graham Jr.

Employees (local): 1,239 (379)

The company enables the exchange of data and information over its networks, enabling financial instructions to connect with ATMs, retailers to process payments and telecommunication companies to connect phone calls. The company boasts a global footprint, with a presence in countries across Europe, Australia and Asia. In October 2010, TNS finalized its acquisition of Cequint, a Seattle-based provider of caller identification services, for about $112 million.

Trex

160 Exeter Dr.

Winchester, Va. 22603

540-542-6300

www.trex.com

Founded: 1996

Chairman, president and CEO: Ronald W. Kaplan

Employees (local): 600 (400)

The nation's largest maker of Òwood-alternativeÓ decks and railings expanded in 2010 into furniture, lighting and other areas. The company, which specializes in recycled materials, introduced a line of outdoor dining tables and chairs made from a blend of polyethylene raw materials, including discarded milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles. Trex also launched an outdoor lighting system that enables homeowners to use their decks into the evening hours and a drainage system that creates a dry space beneath the deck. Still, while the company experienced a strong first half, it said during the summer that consumer interest in outdoor products waned, reducing the number of orders.

United Therapeutics

1040 Spring St.

Silver Spring, Md.

301-608-9292

www.unither.com

Founded: 1996

Chairman and CEO: Martine A. Rothblatt

Employees (local): 466 (136)

United Therapeutics is the second major corporate venture for Martine Rothblatt, who before founding the company in 1996 served at the helm of Sirius Satellite Radio. She created the biotech to focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension, a lung disease from which her daughter suffers. The company now markets three drugs for the disease, Remodulin, Tyvaso and Adcirca; the rights for the latter drug were purchased last year from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly. Remodulin continues to lead the company's revenues, but sales of both Tyvaso and Adcirca increased substantially in 2010 following Food and Drug Administration approval in 2009.

USA Mobility

6850 Versar Center

Suite 420

Springfield, Va. 22151

800-611-8488

www.usamobility.com

Founded: 1986

President and CEO: Vincent D. Kelly

Employees (local): 559 (55)

USA Mobility is a communication services provider that sells the equipment and wireless networks needed to support one-way communication devices, such as pagers and alert systems, as well as two-way devices, such as mobile phones. The company focuses on non-consumer markets and has a client base that includes companies, hospitals and government entities. In addition to its own technology, the company is an authorized representative of Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile.

USEC

6903 Rockledge Dr.

Bethesda, Md. 20817

301-564-3200

www.usec.com

Founded: 1998

President and CEO: John K. Welch

Employees (local): 2,908 (93)

USEC operates the only U.S.-owned uranium-enrichment facility in the United States through a subsidiary and provides enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Talks have begun with the Energy Department over the terms of a $2 billion loan guarantee that would allow USEC to complete construction of a more technologically advanced facility in Ohio, called the American Centrifuge Plant. In May, the company finalized a three-phase investment from Toshiba and Babcock & Wilcox, both of which agreed to put forward $100 million for the project. USEC also continues to be part of the Megatons to Megawatts program, which converts uranium from dismantled Russian warheads into fuel for American nuclear power plants.

Versar

6850 Versar Center

Springfield, Va. 22151

703-750-3000

www.versar.com

Founded: 1969

CEO: Anthony L. Otten

Employees (local): 450 (150)

Versar is a professional services company that works with government and industry. The company supports homeland defense programs such as Defense Department counterterrorism efforts, offers environmental compliance management services and provides staff when needed. In 2010, the company bought Charleston, S.C.-based Advent Environmental, a consultancy that works on military environmental projects involving restoration efforts and unexploded ordnance cleanup. Advent works with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence and the Navy.

VSE Corp.

2550 Huntington Ave.

Alexandria, Va. 22303

703-960-4600

www.vsecorp.com

Founded: 1959

CEO: Maurice ÒMoÓ Gauthier

Employees (local): 2,900 (850)

Defense contractor VSE provides support services for maintaining and modernizing products, equipment and services in the energy, environment, information-technology and defense services markets. In 2010, VSE bought Hawaiian firm Akimeka to expand its health services information-technology consulting business. VSE is also relocating its headquarters, planning to move into a new Springfield building in 2012.

Vocus

4296 Forbes Blvd.

Lanham, Md. 20706

301-459-2590

www.vocus.com

Founded: 1991

President and CEO: Rick Rudman

Employees (local): 395 (395)

The company, which provides software for public relations professionals to better interact with the media, is in growth mode. This year, it acquired three companies: BDL Media in China, which distributes wire stories online; Datapresse in France, which connects P.R. firms to journalists and bloggers; and U.S.-based HARO or Help a Reporter Out, a query service for journalists. Vocus is especially focused on the China market, which has more people studying public relations than practicing it in the United States. The expansion has prompted the company to promote chief marketing officer Bill Wagner to the newly established position of chief operating officer to oversee international growth.

The Washington Post Co.

1150 15th St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20071

202-334-6000

www.washpostco.com

Founded: 1947

Chairman and CEO: Donald E. Graham

Employees (local): 21,500 (2,700)

The Washington Post Co. describes itself as an education and media company since its Kaplan education unit now accounts for more than half of the company's revenue. The Washington Post newspaper is perhaps the company's best known media property. The company also owns Cable One, TV stations, Slate and the local Gazette newspapers, among other publications. In 2010, the company sold Newsweek magazine to Sidney Harman, the founder and chairman of the consumer electronics giant Harman International. Former General Motors chief executive G. Richard ÒRickÓ Wagoner joined the board this year; Melinda French Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, stepped down.

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust

6110 Executive Blvd.

Suite 800

Rockville, Md. 20852

301-984-9400

www.writ.com

Founded: 1960

President and CEO: George F. McKenzie

Employees (local): 300 (300)

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust's experienced rocky growth through much of 2010. The company owns nearly 90 properties, including land, office buildings and housing developments, including 11 million square feet of commercial space and 2,540 residential units. Among its major local acquisitions in 2010 was the $88.35 million purchase of Gateway Overlook, a 528,000-square-foot retail center located off of Interstate 95 in Columbia.

WGL Holdings

101 Constitution Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20080

703-750-2000

wglholdings.com

washingtongas.com

Founded: 1848

Chairman and CEO: Terry D. McCallister

Employees (local): 1,410 (1,410)

WGL Holdings began 2010 with the news that its subsidiary, Washington Gas, and Minneapolis-based Honeywell were selected by the General Services Administration to build a power plant for the District's St. Elizabeths west campus, soon to be home to the Department of Homeland Security. Washington Gas is one of the region's largest natural gas providers, with more than 1 million customers across Maryland, Virginia and the District. Terry McCallister, who took over as chief executive in October 2009, reported that the company's 2009 earnings had increased 3 percent over the year before.

W.R. Grace

7500 Grace Dr.

Columbia, Md. 21044

410-531-4000

www.grace.com

Founded: 1854

Chairman, president and CEO: Fred E. Festa

Employees (local): 6,328 (1,114)

The specialty chemical and manufacturing giant has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since 2001 after it was hit by an avalanche of asbestos-related lawsuits. It spent much of the past year finalizing its exit plan. In the meantime, it's been business as usual. In November, the company said it wrapped up its acquisition of Synthetech, a manufacturer of fine chemicals. It also announced that it has reached an agreement to purchase of Wuhan Meilixin New Building Materials, a manufacturer of waterproofing products located in China.