Business group set to welcome BRAC

Base Realignment and Closure 2005 will bring an influx of new personnel to Quantico Marine Corps Base and Fort Belvoir and the opportunity for businesses outside both installations' gates to grow.

That's the message of the Quantico/Belvoir Regional Business Alliance, a not-for-profit business organization that is working to position the region as a welcoming and supportive community to the mili-tary and its business partners.

"Maybe that's the overarching myth," said alliance advisory panel member Tim Jack-son, president of MDA Technologies in Woodbridge. "That BRAC is always a negative thing. We're trying to alleviate that thought process."

An outgrowth of a nine-month community dialogue project begun by Northern Virginia Community Col-lege's Woodbridge Campus, the alliance has brought together community and business leaders in a series of focus groups that initially explored BRAC's impact on Prince William County. It now includes participants from Stafford and Fairfax counties.

The alliance boasts 16 founding members: Prince William County, the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus, DIDLAKE Inc., the Flory Small Business Center Inc., the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger, MDA Technologies Inc., the Mason Enterprise Center at George Mason University, Patton Harris, Rust and Associates, ProChain Solutions Inc., Potomac Hospital, Minnieland Private Day School, the Prince William County/Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, HP Floors and More, Employment Enterprises Inc. and Belvoir Federal Credit Union. Each of the founding members made a $1,500 commitment to the alliance.

"One of the things that's very important for our group to do is position ourselves as supporters of both these military installations," said alliance advisory panel member Sara Jennings, owner of HP Floors and More. "Our position is, while everyone knows there are challenges associated with growth, that this BRAC initiative and the other initiatives that will come down the pike with regards to keeping the installations here is a good thing."

Miles Friedman, a principal in Economic Development Strategies and Technologies in Woodbridge who facilitated the focus group discussions, agreed with Jennings' assessment.

"There are more opportunities than downfalls when it comes to BRAC," he said.

Fort Belvoir will gain a new hospital, 7 million square-feet of new office space and around 19,300 addi-tional personnel by Sept. 15, 2011, as a result of BRAC. Quantico will gain an additional 2,600 personnel and 712,000 square-feet of office space.

"Business is always looking for opportunities, not obstacles, and this is an opportunity," said Dr. Sam Hill, community college provost.

The alliance recognizes that some may see the coming BRAC expansions at Quantico and Fort Belvoir as having negative effects on the area's already overburdened transportation and public school systems, Friedman added.

"Growth can be a huge boon to the community," he continued. "It can also challenge it."

Communities need a workforce with a variety of skill sets and employers who offer a wide range of jobs to succeed, Friedman continued. As a result of BRAC expansion, a whole host of new jobs, everything from high-paying engineers and other skilled jobs on down, will be created.

"BRAC will provide opportunities for a wide spectrum of businesses, including community services like private schools," aid Andrea Autry, marketing director for Minnieland.

Friedman stressed that the alliance's mission is to facilitate a positive outcome for area businesses and the workforce.

"We are a business-driven organization and we are looking at it from that perspective," he said.

The alliance has extended the Mason Enterprise Center's business services to NOVA's Woodbridge Campus; is exploring customer service training opportunities for the region's employ-ees; and is in the process of designing its Web site, which will be found at qbrbusinessalliance.com, Fried-man continued. The alliance has also received a grant from the commonwealth to fund workforce develop-ment.

"We are rapidly becoming the model that the state would like to see replicated in other parts of Virginia," he said.

Friedman stressed that the alliance is working to ensure that businesses and the workforce can "capture the optimum amount of opportunity that's coming out of this increase in jobs."

The military is "a business that you like because of its economic impact, but you also like them because they're so important to the United States," added Jackson.

If businesses and the workforce are ready for the coming expansion at the military installations, they will also grow, Friedman continued.

"If they're not ready, you may find, for example, that they might have to bring workers in from outside and that actually compromises the existing workforce," he said.

Betty Dean, director of communication and foundation development for Didlake Inc., is both a major fed-eral contractor and non-profit organization in Manassas that provides jobs and other services for those with disabilities.

"We see this as a unique opportunity for people with disabilities," she said. "There are a lot of families coming here. At least one out of every 10 families has or is connected to someone with a disability."

Dean said that Didlake has already seen two major contracting opportunities come its way as a result of its work with the alliance.

"That has already happened for us as part of this alliance," she said.

The alliance will hold its official kickoff event on Friday at noon at the Fort Belvoir Officers Club.

For more information on the alliance, contact Friedman at 703-730-2020 or via e-mail at mfried-man@edsandt.com.

Staff writer Julia LeDoux can be reached at 703-369-5718.