DOLLARS & SENSE: Industry Firms Develop Niche That is No Longer Secret
For some firms, security work was a pronounced niche long before 9/11. "We've been a firm in this area for 15 years," says George Anastos, executive vice president of Springfield, Va.-based Versar Inc.'s AEC group. The firm has worked extensively for military and federal clients whose security consciousness was raised long before last year. It continues as a major player in anthrax decontamination and has developed other strengths. "We manufacture suits that federal first responders use," he says.
RTKL Associates, Baltimore, also has had a steady stable of federal clients, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, with "high-end security design issues," says David V. Thompson, vice president. "Most business development then was nonexistent. It was all word of mouth," he says. "Three years ago, we put our experience in a format to use for marketing, but it went to a limited audience."