Area delivers high-tech solutions to the medical and military communities.

by JOHN W. McCURRY john.mccurry bounce@conway.com

Athena Technologies, a fast-growing developer of navigational systems for drones used by the military, is building a new corporate headquarters in the Vint Hill development near Warrenton, Va.

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ew firms can boast a lofty 1,200- percent growth rate over the last five years. Athena Technologies can, and that's why it is building a new 43,000- sq.- ft. (4,000- sq.- m.) corporate office in Warrenton, Va. A major reason for Athena's rapid rise has been the proliferation of world conflicts since 2001. Athena, founded just eight years ago, is a developer of flight control and navigation systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly referred to as drones. Athena's primary market is for military uses, both by the U.S. and countries in Europe and the Middle East. The company broke ground for its new building on Aug. 2.
   Athena systems have logged more than 100,000 flight hours in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, guiding UAVs such as General Atomic's Warrior (the updated version of the Predator) and AAI Corp.'s Shadow. These highly successful UAVs have helped Athena become the leading provider in its market.
   Steve Hamric, Athena's CFO, says the company moved to Warrenton three years ago from Manassas as its growth was taking off. The location on the western side of northern Virginia has been highly beneficial in terms of costs and avoidance of the region's notorious traffic woes, he says.
   Appropriately, Athena's current location and its new building, which will open next summer, are located in Vint Hill, a former U.S. Army communications base that is now a 695-acre (281-hectare) mixed-use development. Vint Hill is home to more than 60 companies, many of them in the high-tech sector.
   "We found space that allowed us to move in at a reasonable cost and was a central location to most of our employees," Hamric says. "It's real attractive to be on the western end of northern Virginia. For our employees that live close to Washington, it's a reverse commute and they don't have to spend hours in traffic on I-66."
   Athena employed 25 when it moved in 2003. It employs 65 now, and that number will grow to 80 or more when its new facility opens. While the region is fertile ground for recruiting the specialized employees Athena requires, the company recruits nationwide.
   "We like to reach out and get folks from top universities around the country," Hamric says. "Because of the nature of the technology our company develops, the pool of candidates is limited."
   Hamric says another benefit to Athena employees is the region's rich equestrian heritage. Many of its employees are followers of the sport and the company is a sponsor of local 2008 Olympic equestrian hopeful Jennifer Simmons.
   Defense, security and law enforcement technology mean big business across the Mid-Atlantic region, in part due to federal agencies. An eclectic assortment of firms in this sector have found homes or expanded in the region over the past several months. These include:
   • Calgary-based Ceramic Protection, a supplier of products for ballistic protection, has expanded capacity at its Newark, Del., facility by 50 percent to handle increased demand for its products. The company supplies an array of armor for personnel, vehicles, aircraft and marine vessels.
   • VSi, a pioneer in applications used by the intelligence community, is one of several firms in the security/defense sector to move into the Chesapeake Innovation Center in Anne Arundel County, Md.