loudoun business august 202

AUGUST 2012 VOLUME 9 NO. 7

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #78

Springfield, VA

INSIDE

Wineries Fuel Growth In Rural Economy

......Page 6

By Therese P. Howe, For Loudoun Business

Commercial Outlook: 'Cautiously Optimistic'

Prologis recently signed two leases for buildings six and seven at

Prologis Park Gateway in Dulles, which received its certificates of

occupancy in July.

Continued On Page 3

Therese P. Howe/Loudoun Business

Source: Loudoun Economic Development

Despite flat demand in some sectors of Loudoun com-mercial real estate, many local and regional industry profes-sionals continue to view the market's outlook with cautious optimism as they point out a host of factors they hope will fuel future growth. Office and retail continue to lag behind flex and industri-al, which have been strong thanks to burgeoning data centers and the perennial draw of Dulles International Airport for the transportation and freight industry. In fact, Loudoun leads the metro region in net absorption in the second quarter with large new leases for flex inventory, according to the Cassidy Turley industrial market report for the second quarter. “This is the first time I can recall our flex number [being at] 12 percent,” Loudoun Economic Development Business Infrastructure Manager Robyn Bailey said. “I had never recalled our flex number being much below 14, 15 percent even during really good times because it's easy to add new product and it's what we have the most zoned land for. “It's somewhat of a unique product for this area,” she added. “I don't know that all markets have the flex that we do, which is more one-story product but can have quite a bit of office space in it. It's a nice price differential for us and quite frankly, that's where all the data centers have been going.” With 40 data centers covering almost 4.7 million square feet and more projects in the next 18 months to include anoth-er million, the outlook for flex remains strong. Most recently, Sacramento-based RagingWire opened a 150,000-square-foot facility built by DBT Data at 44664 Guilford Drive. While county officials largely credit Economic Development Assistant Director Buddy Rizer with developing and growing the data center sector, state legislators this year have aided Loudoun with legislation that expands the state's data center sales tax exemption to include data center ten-ants. While office and retail have been stunted by the downturn in the economy, the county still has its demographics working for it. “We're still one of the most attractive retail markets in the country,” Bailey said. “We are young, we have disposable

income, dual incomes, tons of children—all of that is very attractive to retailers, it's just they're being a little leery about making the real estate moves right now but we are first on their list when the market returns.” The advent of large mixed-use communities such as One Loudoun and Kincora also are cause for optimism, as is the recent vote by supervisors to move ahead with the Silver Line extension into the county. While Loudoun's office space is dwarfed by that of neighboring Fairfax, “we believe that with

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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK

OFFICE: Ed Zigo, Clarke-Hook While Loudoun was spared major move-outs due to BRAC closures that other areas of Northern Virginia saw in the second quarter, demand for office space remained flat. Besides the uncertainty brought on by federal bud-get concerns and the upcoming presidential election, Loudoun's 13.5 million square feet of office space com-petes heavily with Fairfax County, which at 106 million square feet has considerably more product. But “we believe that with rail coming, there will be a lot more opportunities that we'll be able to compete on that we may not have in the past,” Economic Development Infrastructure Manager Robyn Bailey said. The sentiment was echoed in a Cassidy Turley office market report for the second quarter of 2012: “In addition to providing mass transit in the long term, the construction of the Metrorail extension is expected to improve office demand from associated contrac-tors in the region.” Further, the report also noted that despite flat demand and multiple relocations within the market—citing as exam-ples Bohler Engineering and MC Dean vacating a total of 38,000 square feet at 22630 Davis Drive —“average asking rents increased for a fourth consecutive quarter during the second quarter of 2012, rising 11 cents over the previous quarter to $24.03 per square foot on a full service basis.” From a boots-on-the-ground perspective of small space users, activity has been slow but steady, Clarke-Hook President Ed Zigo said. The family-owned development company and boutique brokerage focuses on the small- to mid-sized busi-ness market for office, light industrial, research and develop-ment and retail users. Loudoun properties include University Commerce Center in Ashburn, Loudoun Commerce Center and Technology Trading Park in Sterling and The Capitol Building at Dulles Trade Center. “The first six months we saw a consistent flow of

deals. We didn't get some of them but some of them we did get. What I was look-ing at is that con-sistency, and that is what has given me some confidence—not that I want to take the plunge and start building our next building.” In response to the uptick in activ-ity and anticipa-tion of growth, the company is ramping up its construction division, which had been downsized when the market slowed to primar-ily perform mainte-nance work and smaller jobs such as tenant fit-outs. “In the next year or two if activity continues to grow, we'll probably enlarge that group with more personnel,” Zigo said. The company also is eyeing moving forward on its University Commerce Center, where two of four planned build-ings have been built. Located amid the George Washington University Science & Technology Campus, the center is a mixed business-use center with office, training, supporting retail and R&D uses. “If we proceed as we anticipate, our next building will front George Washington Boulevard [opposite the first GWU building, Exploration Hall] and will be a single

story office/R&D facility totaling about 30,000 square feet. [There is] no set date for groundbreaking but we are hoping for a 2013 completion date,” Zigo said. While the move is dependent on favorable market conditions, “it means that we as owner developers are seeing enough activity to want to build enough inven-tory,” Zigo said. “You can call it spec, but I want to have enough so that when the market turns, we have available space in a quality business environment that we can offer to those who are starting to grow and are wanting to take advantage of it.”

RETAIL: John Fainter, Cypress Equities

Despite vacancy rates remaining flat in the sec-ond quarter, Loudoun remains a very attractive retail market, according to Economic Development’s Robyn Bailey. “The good news is that we’ll be bringing in new product potential with some of our mixed-use commu-nities,” she said. At Leesburg's first mixed-use property, Village at Leesburg, retail has lagged behind residential leasing at the 1.2 million-square-foot center. Cypress Equities, which man-ages more than six million square feet in projects throughout the United States and Caribbean, was brought in to develop the commercial component of the four-story urban village that opened in spring 2010. The center originally opened with 335 residential units, 520,000 square feet of retail/res-taurants and 208,000 square feet of office space. Currently, retail space is 77 percent leased, compared to 96 percent for the residential portion, which is managed by DC developer and property manager Kettler, Cypress Vice President of Development John Fainter said. He noted that retail around the country has struggled over the past few years with the economic downturn, but that lease negotia-tions continue with national and regional retailers. In June, for instance, Village at Leesburg announced

made-to-order hamburg-er chain BurgerFi signed a lease for 2,474 square feet in Suite 130 of the 1608 block of Village Market Boulevard. It has also seen leasing activity in office space, which is at 60 percent capacity, with the most recent being new data analytics company Voodoo Lunchbox taking 2,942 square feet. “We've leased 40,000 to 50,000 square feet of office in 2012,” Fainter pointed out, adding that those employees offer retailers a “healthy day-time population that's going to shop, eat or stay after work.” He remains positive in his outlook, adding that “when you look at the greater metro area, it's one of the markets earmarked for invest-ment by retailers or other businesses looking to relo-cate.” That, combined with Loudoun’s strong income

and population demographics, has Cypress “very bull-ish on our prospects. We’re excited to be part of the Loudoun County landscape..."

University Commerce Center

Village at Leesburg



AUGUST 2012 Loudoun Business | PAGE 3


INDUSTRIAL: Mark Levy, PrologisLoudoun's industrial sector primarily revolves around the

Rt. 606 corridor, where Prologis, the world's largest warehouse owner, recently completed construction on two new industrial facilities totaling 171,000 square feet.

Two leases have been signed for the Class A , state-of-the art buildings at 45190 and 45200 Prologis Plaza are the sixth and seventh in a nine-building park, according to Mark Levy, Prologis' vice presi-dent in charge of acquisitions and development in the mid-Atlantic and Florida.

He declined to name the tenants, characterizing them only as an automobile manufacturing company and a relocation company that does a lot of work with the government. Both are relocations from within the market by companies that are expanding themselves or their facilities.

Interest is high for the remaining space as well. “We've got inter-est from [a] freight forwarding group and we've got half a dozen or so other companies that we're in conversation with,” he said. Businesses seeking to relocate account for half, while the other half are new to market.

Second-quarter industrial market reports for the entire metro region also indicate improving conditions. "I think if you looked at holistically and asked why that's happening: there are three things that are happening and this also resonates in the Loudoun market," Levy said.

“No. 1, there's been a tremendous amount of consolidations within our customer base. Lots of our customers have merged with their competitors. And when consolidation happens, there's a need to create new efficiencies and that means identifying better space in which to operate in.

“No. 2 is that on a larger scale there's a flight to quality. Compa-nies today are operating in much more sophisticated ways as it relates to warehouse space. Some people think of warehouse space as just a place to store things—sort of just turn off the lights and forget it. But in a lot of warehouse facilities, there are robotics and all sorts of automation that's used...So there's been significant investment being

placed by companies in their warehouse space. The whole critical thing is speed to market; how am I going to get the goods from point A to point B to point C the fastest way possible. And that's really what drives the business, everybody's trying to do it faster. That's why you see so much automation and technology being put into these facili-ties.

“The third thing that's happening is that there's always been a battle within all sorts of companies that distribute goods: Are you better off building a million-square-foot facility in a more rural loca-tion and servicing lots of markets from that location, or are you better off building smaller facilities that are closer to the population? So there's sort of a battle that goes on within the supply chain manage-ment community as to what the right answer is.

“I think we see this a lot in Northern Virginia, there are a lot of companies that say, 'You know what, we want to be closer to the consumer and we want to be able to [serve] that consumer more readily,' so they may have a big distribution facility somewhere that then distributes to a facility in Northern Virginia.

“I think there's going to be tremendous opportunity in the smaller distribution centers in markets like Loudoun. The great part about Loudoun is that for the most part the warehouse inventory in Loudoun is newer and it's better quality. Loudoun has a really good stock of warehouse inventory as it compares to a lot of other places, which is great.”

In terms of challenges, Levy noted that the market has a limited supply of industrial land available for development, which creates a “high barrier to entry for developers and for others that want to develop industrial projects."

"I think that's good for you if you own industrial real estate be-cause essentially it helps to enhance and maintain the value of your buildings but I think that it also creates some significant impediments to being able to grow the market in a meaningful way long term,” he said.

Prologis Park Gateway

OutlookContinued From Page 1

rail coming, there will be a lot more opportuni-ties, positive opportunities that we'll be able to compete on that we may not have in the past,” Bailey said. Beyond Loudoun's demographics—a highly educated workforce, strong consumer population, lower land costs compared to other areas in Northern Virginia—recent develop-ments on the political landscape have bright-ened prospects for the market. “It's taken a long time but we're now seeing in Loudoun County that the stars are lining up, we're doing all the right things,” Clarke-Hook President Ed Zigo, who is a mem-ber of the county's Economic Development Commission, said. Chief among those is “a more business-friendly board” that early in its term pushed for a number of initiatives including the creation of a community group to work on a Zoning Ordinance amendment aimed at boost-ing commercial and industrial development in the county. “We have over the last two years we worked hard as a joint effort with county staff and group of stakeholders to create and envision the Rt. 28 corridor through the Comprehensive Plan Amendment,” Zigo said. “As a result, that corridor from Rt. 7 to the toll road has now got the building blocks to build tomorrow's multi-use work places.” In addition, this month the Department of Economic Development is introducing eased restrictions in the fast track process that stream-lines the plan review process for qualified busi-nesses in targeted industries. Previously, one of the requirements had been that the office, flex or industrial project had to be more than 75,000 square feet to qualify, but that has been removed, Bailey said. “We're opening the door wider for com-mercial development that will add to the tax base,” she said, adding that to qualify, busi-nesses will have to be prepared to move quickly once approved. “They have their team in place, they have their land ready, they have a good estimated timeline and expectations, and they have to plan to deliver. “The one risk that has been brought by developers as well as county team members is if everybody becomes special, is anybody really special,” she added. “That's a great ques-tion because the stricter criteria that existed before really meant you had to be pretty signifi-cant development wise. That is something we'll evaluate in the weeks forward.”




By Therese P. Howe For Loudoun Business

Sacramento-based data center builder and operator RagingWire has expanded east, opening its second location in Ashburn to great fanfare and an enthusiastic welcome from local and state officials. “We need more visionaries and more entre-preneurs,” like RagingWire founders Constantine “Deno” Macricostas and his son George, Gov. Bob McDonnell, who cut the ribbon July 31 to the 150,000-square-foot facility, said. Dubbed “The Bolt,” the collocated data center features 70,000 square feet of raised floor space and client amenities such as a customer lobby, conference rooms, a lounge, drop-in work spaces and more. State-of-the-art security measures include iris scanners with visual and voice confirmations, and a “man trap” security portal at the entrance that looks like something you'd see on a Star Trek set. In his remarks to the 400 politicians, business leaders and industry executives who attended the ceremony, McDonnell called the Macricostas' achievement “an American Dream story.” “A 150,000-square-foot, $40-million capital investment like the one you're standing in today doesn't just happen by accident,” McDonnell said. “There's a lot of dreams and a lot of work and a lot of risk-taking, and a lot of innovation and entrepreneurship that go into making a place like this. Deno told me his story of 58 years ago coming off a boat from Greece with not a lot of money, but a lot of heart and dreams and innovation and aspirations about what American meant to him.” McDonnell also lauded Loudoun's Board of Supervisors for its efforts in attracting busi-nesses in the industry. “They've been just ter-rific in the support they've shown for the folks at RagingWire in terms of how to be a business-friendly community, to open doors, to break down barriers, to reduce bureaucracy, to get permits done…they've done a terrific job.” Supervisors Matt Letourneau (R-Dulles) and Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run), in turn, took the to the podium to express their appreciation to RagingWire for its investment in Loudoun. “We're very excited to welcome RagingWire to Loudoun County and its state-of-the-art facil-ity that represents the next generation of data centers,” Letourneau said in an interview after the ceremony. “It's fitting to have RagingWire here because Loudoun County truly is the country's leader in Internet traffic.” McDonnell also thanked the General Assembly for its work on legislation this year that expands the state's data center sales tax exemp-tion to also include data center tenants such as DreamHost. The Los Angeles-based Web-hosting company has signed on to become the anchor tenant at RagingWire's first East Coast facility.

RagingWire Opens Data Center in Ashburn

Clockwise from top left: RagingWire's data bay;

Gov. McDonnell cuts the ribbon with founders

George and Deno Macricostas; the entrance

to the facility on Guildford Drive; security portal

doors become transparent when open, allowing

access into the 150,000-square-foot data cen-

ter that represents a $40 million investment in

Loudoun.

Photos by Therese P. Howe/Loudoun Business



Easterns Automotive Group is returning to Loudoun, consolidating its Manassas and Laurel, MD, reconditioning centers and Reston headquarters into a 140,000-square-foot facility off Randolph Road.

The used car dealership has revenues of $100 million through its retail locations in Winchester, Manassas and Maryland.

Close to 100 workers will be shifted to the new Dulles center, which it officially opened Aug. 6, and CEO Robert Bassam said with most of the staff living in the Sterling and Ashburn areas, “they are su-per excited to come home to Loudoun.”

Besides consolidating its two recondi-tioning centers so “we can gt more consis-tent product to our consumers,” he cited the location's proximity to the airport and access to major highways for its delivery trucks in choosing the Rt. 606 area

“It's a dream of mine to be in that par-ticular part of the world. Just seeing the big companies like AOL, AutoNation and

CarMax—it's where big business happens and we are just super excited to be a part

of that,” Bassam said. “We're going to make a big investment in being here. We intend

Easterns Moves To Dulles CenterCOMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OUTLOOK

Easterns Automotive Group's new headquarters in Dulles combines operations from

its Manassas and Laurel, MD, reconditioning centers. CEO Robert Bassam said the

new location provides better access to trucks delivering vehicles to the used car deal-


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Expanding Wineries Fuel Rural Economy


Despite the recession, or perhaps because of it, Loudoun's winery industry is going strong and owners are making major investments in their businesses.

That success is reflected throughout the state, as a recently released report indicated that the industry contributes $747 million annually to Virginia's economy. The 2010 Economic Impact Study of Wine and Wine Grapes of the Commonwealth of Virginia, released in February, compared 2010 data with that of 2005.

"The Virginia wine industry is one of the fastest growing segments of Virginia's diverse agricultural industry," Todd P. Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, said in a statement when the report was released. "Most of the invest-ments made, jobs created, taxes generated, and tourism driven expenditures around the wine industry are in rural areas, where they are making a big impact on localecono-mies.”

Truer words were never said."The Loudoun wine industry is, in a

word, thriving,” Stephen Mackey, owner of Notaviva Vineyards and president of the Loudoun Wineries Association, said. “We continue to lead Virginia in terms of winer-ies per county at 33 with several more in the pre-planning stages. The relationships our industry has forged with our various county government entities ensures a continued open dialogue as we seek to collaboratively manage the growth of our businesses.

“Though we face the same challenges

as our other rural businesses—specifically development pressure, land prices, zoning, taxation and a sustainable educated work-force—our proximity to the Washington metropolitan area ensures access to a robust market interested in artisanal wine, local cuisine and vibrant tourism experi-ences."

That customer base has helped local wineries weather the economic downturn better than other industries.

“If anything people are making choices. The scenery is free [so] it really doesn't cost very much to come out for the after-noon and enjoy the winery,” Sunset Hills Vineyard owner Mike Canney said. “Maybe the recession stops people from feeling like they have to fly all the way out to California to spend the weekend at a winery. They can just get in their car and drive here. So it actually works well that there's a recession because we're a great alternative to flying far away.”

To keep up with demand, Canney and his wife Diane have renovated a barn that once held his beloved race cars to trans-form it into a winemaking facility that will double their production from 7,000 cases to about 14,000 a year.

To achieve that production, they've purchased two 50-acre plots in Upperville and Shenandoah this spring and planted 20 acres of grapes to add to their 22 acres under vine on their 50-acre Purcellville property. “There's a shortage of grapes that we saw over the last few years and

Growers Hard-Pressed To Keep Up With Demand

First Lady Samples Loudoun On Wine Tour By Therese P. Howe, For Loudoun Business

Loudoun poured and plated some of its best wines, beers and meals as Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell toured the county last month as part of a two-day visit to promote the Northern Virginia wine region. After visiting Fauquier County ven-ues July 26, the first lady was joined by her husband Gov. Bob McDonnell at an evening reception hosted by Sheila Johnson at Salamander Resort & Spa. About 200 wine enthusiasts, county offi-cials and other VIPs attended the recep-tion at the Middleburg resort, where artistic renderings illustrated the luxuri-ous welcome that awaits guests when the establishment opens August 2013. Bob McDonnell took the opportu-nity to thank Johnson, who is among the 100 women who are members of the first lady's FLITE team. The First Lady's Initiatives Team Effort program recogniz-es achievements in the areas of economic development, preventative health and wellness, military families and women. “As we talk a lot about how in

America we're going to get people back to work and create jobs, a lot of people talk about it,” the governor said. “Sheila Johnson does it and I think you can see the evidence of that right here, putting people to work building the place, a the tremendous number of jobs that will be created with the full-time staffing of this resort.” The McDonnells also unveiled a new road sign that will help the Northern Virginia wine region. Four of the five signs will be located in Loudoun, with a fifth to be placed in Fauquier. The four signs will be on Rt. 15 and St. Clair Lane in Leesburg; Rt. 9 and Sagle Road in Purcellville; Rt. 287 and Tollhouse Road in Purcellville; and Rt. 7 and Clayton Hall Road in Bluemont. The next day, about 30 wine enthusi-asts and journalists joined the first lady and Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore on a tour of three Loudoun wineries, starting in Purcellville. There, Sunset Hills Vineyard owners Mike and Diane Canney proudly described the work it took five Amish brothers to restore an 1870 barn and transform it into

Ben Renshaw, owner of 8 Chains Vineyard, partners with several vineyards in the

county from which he gets his grapes, including Otium Cellars at Goose Creek Farm

Winery.

Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell, left, and Virginia Agricultural Secretary

Todd Haymore enjoy a taste of wine at Sunset Hills Vineyard.

Continued On Page 8



Sheila Johnson, above, hosted Gov. Bob McDonnell and First Lady Maureen McDonnell at her Salamander Resort & Spa, where they unveiled new road signs to be installed in the region. Below, the first lady with Corcoran Brewing's Kevin Bills and Jim Corcoran.

Guests at the first

lady's reception,

hosted by Sheila

Johnson, were

given a tour of the

long-awaited resort

in Middleburg.

Artist renderings

helped guests

envision the warm

and elegant inte-

SNEAK PEEK: SALAMANDERRESORT & SPA

their award-winning tasting room and event facility. Their showcase of wines included their 2011 Viognier paired with lobster beurre blanc with roasted cherry tomatoes and crisp shallots; the 2011 Sunset White paired with braised pork carnitas and citrus mashed yucca; and 2009 Cabernet Franc paired with grilled veal and pork terrine, grilled leek, roasted shiitake caps and a wild mushroom reduction. Fusions Cuisine catered the event, pro-viding international small bites that complemented the wines. The next stop took place at Corcoran Vineyards in Waterford, where winemaker Lori Corcoran greeted the group with a tasting of her apple wine, prompting the first lady to exclaim, “It's better than my grandmother's!” The wines that followed, including Corcoran's Rose, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin, were accompanied by Monk's BBQ brisket, pulled pork and chicken, mac and cheese, and beans. Monk's owner Brian Jenkins won diners over not only with the meal, but with his accompanying sauces, such as the Raspberry Chipotle Merlot, that incorpo-rate Corcoran wines. Jenkins, whose day job is director of business strategy and research at Visit Loudoun, has cultivated a following at Corcoran where he smokes and barbecues meat on the weekends. With time to spare before the next stop, Jim Corcoran took the opportunity to open his brewery and introduce the first lady to brewmaster Kevin Bills' libations using hops grown on the property. Among the offerings on tap that day was the Round Hill Root Ale, a grown-up version of root beer

that incorporates alcohol. Maureen McDonnell's final stop on the tour also was in Waterford, where 8 Chains North winemaker Ben Renshaw prevailed upon his sister, Mom's Apple Pie owner Avis Renshaw, to create the sweet and savory treats he paired his wines with. Guests made quick work of the fresh asparagus quiche while sampling his 2011 Sauvignon

Blanc and a blackberry tart paired with his 2009 Merlot, made entirely with grapes from their Furnace Mountain Vineyards. Butter crust lemon bars accompanied the 2010 LoCo Vino, a blend of Traminette and Vidal Blanc cold-fermented in stainless steel tanks, while a dark chocolate brownie complemented the 2009 Furnace Mountain Red, an unrefined and unfiltered blend of all five Bordeaux reds. In thanking the wineries for the efforts, Maureen McDonnell noted that she has joined their ranks in overseeing the planting of 10 Chambourcin grapevines in the garden of the Executive Mansion. The grapes from the micro vineyard will be used to create a wine in celebration of the mansion’s 200-year anniversary in 2013, she said.


rior, which

will

feature

sumptuous

finishes and

details.

The resort

is scheduled

to open in

2013.


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more important than a shortage of grapes, I wanted to make sure we got good quality grape to make good wine,” Canney said.

Now, Loudoun leads the state in grape production: In 2011, local growers produced 1,296 tons of grapes, a 25 percent increase over the 2010 harvest of 1,036 tons, accord-ing to the 2011 Commercial Grape Report.

But that isn't enough. “We need anoth-er thousand or 2,000 acres of vineyards,” Jim Corcoran, proprietor of Corcoran Vineyards and chairman of the Virginia Wine Council. “It's a big concern. If we just look at the growth of the wineries themselves, it's been tremendous. We haven't seen that same growth in the planting of the vineyards.”

Loudoun wineries are doing their best to catch up, though. A report in the June Virginia Vineyards Association newsletter indicated 10 grow-ers were putting in new vines but the concern about the quality of fruit likely has more local winery owners supple-menting their vineyards.

“The challenge is to not just have fruit show up on the crush pad the day of harvest we want the fruit we want to show up. I don't want just Chardonnay; I want the clone I want, I want it grown the way I want to make the wine that I want to make,” Ben Renshaw of 8 Chains North, said.

He just added another 4 acres to the 6 already under vine on the Waterford property, and he'll be getting grapes from some of the other vineyards he manages. “I have brought in grapes from Nelson County in Charlottesville but this year as my Sauvignon Blanc catches up, no more. I will grow every grape that I turn into wine.

That's my goal.” Besides the grape shortage, other con-

cerns arise out of recent political devel-opments in neighboring Fauquier County, where supervisors approved a new ordi-nance aimed at restricting winery events. While Loudoun already has some policies in place, the concern is that nobody, includ-ing new winery owners, rocks the boat and prompts calls for more restrictions like Fauquier's. "We don't want to mess up what we have right now because it really is a good thing," Corcoran said.

Overall, however, winery owners' out-look ion the industry s positive.

"I think it's a really exciting time to be a part of the Virginia wine industry," Tarara Winery General Manager and winemaker Jordan Harris said.

"I moved here in 2007 strictly because I thought it's an incredible place for an emerging wine industry. I think that we have the opportunity to grow in leaps and bounds. There's going to have to be a lot of hard decisions but I can see it going in a good direction."

Wine IndustryContinued From Page 6Notaviva Vineyards

expands to BerryvilleBy Therese P. Howe For Loudoun Business

Stephen and Shannon Mackey are expanding their winery’s retail operations and creative agency with the opening of the Concertino Wine Tasting and Listening Room in Berryville.

"Expanding westward brings us closer to the relatively untapped wine markets of neighboring Clarke County, Winchester and the Interstate 81 corridor. With our globally unique brand identity of pairing wine and music, we also intend to nurture the vast array of musical talent from Washington, D.C. to the Shenandoah Valley,” owner and winemaker Stephen Mackey said in a statement.

The new venue will offer tastings of Notaviva wines as well as flights of Virginia wines. "Visitors to Concertino will have the opportunity to enjoy a Notaviva tasting, or they may choose from our monthly selection of wine flights,” Mackey said. “For example, a viognier flight might include the Notaviva 'Vincerò' as well as others from Loudoun and Clarke counties. A cabernet franc flight might

pair the Notaviva 'Cantabile' with one from the Monticello AVA [American Viticultural Area] and another from the Shenandoah Valley AVA. By demonstrating the superb quality of Virginia wines as well as illustrating the differences in regional terroir, we believe we can both edu-cate our customers as well as foster camarade-rie within our industry."

In keeping with Notaviva's pairing of wine with music at its Purcellville location, Concertino will offer regional musicians a new venue.

"In addition to expanding our winery presence, we are also expanding our creative agency, Mesh Multimedia," Mackey said. "The space above Concertino will house a video and recording studio, editing suite, and board room. As Notaviva continues to develop new media initiatives, Concertino will become a key aspect of those capabilities."

Concertino, located at 1025 W. Main St., was scheduled for an Aug. 11 grand opening in preparation for the Clarke County fair Aug. 12-18. More information can be found at www.ConcertinoWineBar.com.

Les and Annette Bell survey their recently planted vineyard earlier this year at their Cana Vineyards and Winery in Middleburg, scheduled to open sometime this year. The Bells planted three acres of Petit Verdot, Viognier and Petit Manseng.

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With one wedding taking place even before it officially opened and seven more on the books, The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards already has established itself on the Loudoun Wine Trail.

“The venue lends itself to weddings,” Craig Garten, who owns the vineyard with his wife Kim and business partners Andrew and Maryann Fialdini, said.

Longtime friends, the two couples decided on a new venture two years ago after first exploring a business partnership with a vineyard that was starting up in Fauquier County. In the end, they decided to go into the winery business on their own and began searching for properties closer to home, as the Fialdinis live in Ashburn and the Gartens live in Herndon.

They eventually settled on the fourth property they looked at, a 10.5-acre former dairy farm they pur-chased from the Polk family in September. At the time of purchase, the property included the main house, two bank barns, a silo, a milk house, a smokehouse and a garage. They envi-sioned using the main house as the tasting room initially while they cleared the barns, which had been used for storage.

“There was so much work to do to get the barns [usable as a tasting room] that we thought it wouldn't be attainable for two or three more years,” Craig Garten said. A general contractor who owns a full-service Class A construction company, he is overseeing the renovations on the prop-erty. They started work in mid-December by putting in a patio in back of one of the barns, then excavating that barn's cellar and pouring concrete for the cellar floor.

“It just snowballed from there,” Craig Garten said.

“We saw the potential and we got excited,” Maryann Fialdini added. Today, they're just as pleased with the outcome. Attention to details that showcase and complement the 1910 structure's original design are evident throughout, from the Edison-style lighting in the cellar to the barn pulley and rope that hold the chande-

lier from the ceiling. “Ninety percent of the wood on the main level was all reclaimed from within the barn and from the barn next door,” Craig Garten said.

In the tasting room, they're pouring their 2011 vintages of two whites, a rosé and three red wines. The 2011 Meritage, a reserve blend that bears the charac-teristics of a classic Bordeaux blend, will be released in October. All were made under the supervision of their winemaker, Charlottesville-based international vintner Michael Shaps, through a partnership that began even before they purchased the property. Meanwhile, they have two acres of the property are under vine, equally divided between Petit Verdot and Viognier.

As they wait for the first crop of wine-ready grapes to be harvested, they are con-tinuing to renovate the other facilities on the property. Eventually, the second barn will be transformed into an event space and Craig Garten envisions a winding stair-case leading to a rooftop patio on the silo, which now houses a pair wild turkeys.

For now, however, they're quite busy getting ready for their grand opening on Saturday and hosting the upcoming wed-dings. “People like it because it's not really a wedding production facility, it's more of a family-type venue,” Maryann Fialdini said. They've already cemented close rela-tionships with their current brides and grooms, several of whom have pitched in and helped plant the vineyard.

With some of their adult children work-ing in the tasting room, it has become truly a family business. “And we intend to keep it that way—very relaxed, very comfortable. We want people to come here and feel like they've come home,” Kim Garten said.

Brides Flock To Hamilton Winery

The tasting room at Hamilton Station Vineyards is a reno-vated 1910 barn featuring many of the original materials.


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A local news outlet recently asked me about sequestration, the process by which discretionary federal spending will be automati-cally cut beginning Jan. 3, 2013, if Congress is unable to agree on additional steps to reduce the federal deficit. Sequestration will automati-cally cut more than $1 trillion from the federal budget without regard to merit over the next 10 years. $500 billion will be cut from the Department of Defense over 10 years, meaning national defense will incur $50 billion of spend-ing cuts in 2013 alone.

The threat of sequestration is causing mass uncertainty in the country and specifically in our region, because business owners who provide services to the federal government and the DOD have no idea where those $50 billion in cuts will fall. According to Reuters, Lockheed Martin CEO and Chairman Robert Stevens testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee, warning that if sequestration goes through, come 2013 they will need to cut 10,000 jobs companywide. Under the WARN Act (The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) companies are required to inform employ-ees 60 days prior to a mass employee reduction. Because Lockheed is completely uncertain of where the $50 billion in cuts will fall on Jan. 3, 2013 they would have no choice but to prepare the company and their employees, for the worst.

The job loss implication of these across the board cuts will be devastating—to the tune of more than 2 million private industry jobs lost. If sequestration isn’t stopped, it may drive the na-

tional unemployment rate 2 percentage points higher. This isn’t another “scare tactic.” This is the reality that has been decided for us by political “leaders” who are unwilling to make the tough decisions.

Telos does a lot of business with the gov-ernment, with the military and intelligence com-munities as our primary customers. But it’s not only as a businessman that I’m concerned about the sequestration implications and the general direction in which our country is headed. It’s as a taxpayer and a parent that I’m most appalled. It’s not just those in the contracting community who have a stake in this issue—we all do.

The lack of leadership in both Congress and the White House is astounding. Please don’t mistake that statement as a political commentary on either the Democrats or the Republicans—it is simply the truth and should be applied equally to both parties. It is truly appalling that the White House and Congress can’t work together to address our enormous deficits and ever-growing debt. Rather than definitively saying which budget items are strategically important to the best interests of the United States, and as a direct result, which budget items are NOT strategically important to the best interests of the United States, both Congress and the White House have chosen the spineless alternative: a mindless, across-the-board whack at discretionary spending. “Whack-ing” discretionary spending is not a replacement for making tough decisions.

No business leader would blindly cut 10 percent off the top of a budget. They would

determine what functions are essential for the success of the company, and begin cutting the nonessential pieces, knowing that those cuts may affect employees, suppliers and partners. But leadership requires making tough decisions that are in the best interest of the whole.

Did you know that 50 years ago federal entitlement spending was 21 percent of the federal budget, and today it has grown to more than 50 percent of the fed-eral budget, according to the Office of Manage-ment and Budget? That means that 50 percent of our federal budget is spent on autopilot. If that isn’t alarm-ing enough, our unfunded promises and entitle-ment liabilities are well over $60 trillion. Why is no one talking about our entitlement and mandatory spending problems? Pretty simple actually. Politicians try to please everyone because they want to be re-elected. Because their desire to be re-elected is often a driving force, they are comfortable making promises they can’t keep—including the unsustainable

entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that are bankrupting our country.

Sequestration puts the entire burden of deficit reduction solely on the back of discretionary spending—both defense and non-defense—and completely ignores the real problem, part of which is our entitlement spending and unfunded entitlement liabilities. Sequestration does not address what I have previously called the other two essential legs of the deficit reduction stool: entitlements and revenues. If politicians are to ever get anything done, they have to quit digging in their heels on their own preferred leg of the stool in the hope that someday their point of view will completely prevail. Everyone needs to understand compro-mise is not a dirty word, particularly if it achieves the greater good of getting meaningful deficit reduction.

Everyone has priorities. But collectively our nation has accumulated so many “priorities” that it is preventing us from taking effective action on what has to be our number one national priority – reducing our unsustainable deficit and debt burden. It’s time for sacrifices. It’s time for leadership. And it’s time for action.

I invite you to watch the documentary IOU-SA and IOUSA Solutions at www.iousathemovie.com. These short films take a non-partisan look at our national debt burden and the impact of out of control spending.

Sequestration Shows Zero Political Leadership

By John Wood CEO, TelosA Bu

sine

ss P

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Join, Lead, Engage: Build Business, Community“Be a Part of It!”That is our tag line at the Loudoun County

Chamber. But more than just a tag line, it is a call to action to business owners and commu-nity leaders to not just join their local Chamber, but to get personally engaged in the collective effort to build the strongest and most effective business advocacy and networking organiza-tion in Northern Virginia.

More importantly, “Be a Part of It” also is a call to action to every member of the Loudoun community to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to help create a world class location to live, work, grow a busi-ness and raise a family.

The benefits of accepting our invitation are clear. Look around and you will see that the most successful companies and business lead-ers in our County are also those that are most engaged in building a stronger community for every one of our neighbors.

In my role as president of the Loudoun County Chamber, I am naturally asked one question far more than any other: “What should I do to get the most out of my Chamber mem-bership?”

My response is always the same: don’t just

join our Chamber, but get engaged in way that defines you and your business as a leader in our organization and our community.

Please note that dual reference to a Chamber member’s role in their business and in their community. Increasingly, Chambers of Commerce are fully realizing that a healthy busi-ness environment depends on having a healthy community in every respect.

Several years ago, the Association of American Chamber of Commerce Executives commissioned a study to determine what America’s communities wanted from their chamber of commerce.

What ACCE discovered was both obvious and profound. In counties, towns and cities across our nation, businesses were demanding more than networking and marketing op-portunities from their chambers, though those fundamental benefits of Chamber membership are still in high demand.

What business and community leaders are increasingly demanding from their local chambers are the opportunities to build stron-ger communities, ones that foster a climate of success and growth for all citizens.

At the Loudoun County Chamber of Com-

merce, we have been out ahead of this trend for several years. Some of the examples of our community-minded focus are the Non-Profit Initiative, a program created to offer Loudoun’s many out-standing non-profit groups the oppor-tunity to network with each other and with for-profit lead-ers, and to learn best practices that can improve their operations.

It is evidenced in our annual Small Busi-ness Awards, which honors outstanding small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout our county, regardless of Chamber membership.

It also is seen through the Chamber’s

Green Business Challenge, which seeks to raise awareness for environmentally sustainable busi-ness practices that allow companies to “Save Green by Going Green.” Or the Chamber’s Public Policy Agenda, which focuses more on advocat-ing policies that will build a stronger Loudoun community, than on just business issues.

Of course, to a Loudoun County reader-ship, I might be preaching to the choir. This County has a strong tradition of community engagement, and that is on display every day. You see it in those who volunteer as coaches for youth sports, participate in a ministries at their houses of worship, serve as Scout leaders or give generously of their time and expertise to support one or more of the County’s many non-profit groups.

It is that tradition of community engage-ment that has fostered the Loudoun County Chamber’s own community minded priorities.

For those who are looking for opportuni-ties to build their business while building a stronger Loudoun County for their family and neighbors, the Loudoun County Chamber invites you to “Be a Part of It!”

By Tony Howard

Loudoun Chamber of Commerce CEOFr

om th

e Ch

ambe

r


By Lindsey Brookbank, Staff Writer

Growing up, Chantal Gibson’s house was always decorated with the trendiest furniture and accessories, as her mother extracted styles from the fashion sphere, where she was a buyer and designer. “‘Cool’ is the word for it. Every friend of mine would say, ‘Gosh, your house is so cool. I love it.’ It was just beautiful,” Gibson said. “It had beautiful furniture, Moroccan pieces of pottery, the TV set with the big red square box, the red circle chairs—really contemporary. For the '70s, '80s and '90s, [my mother] changed it all the time. It had every year’s look.” Since she was a young girl, Gibson—who has a French, Moroccan heritage and calls herself a “mutt”—has been designing and decorating rooms, with her mother’s “magic touch” flowing through her veins. But Gibson didn’t decide to pursue the decorating industry professionally until last year. For 12 years, Gibson served as an exec-utive assistant at AOL before being laid off. During that time—15 years—she was also a professional organizer, while selling jewelry on the side. When she lost her primary job, things changed. “At that point, I decided to take a risk and do what I love all the way,” she said. In March 2011, Gibson, an Ashburn resident, launched It’s DONE, a business focusing on five aspects: organizing, color and paint, staging, interior design and accessorizing. Gibson enters clients’ lives and gets things done, mainly to improve the functionality and appearance of their homes. When Gibson is hired to organize a space, she gets rid of items that clutter her client’s life, while placing necessary items in proper spots. “I am trying to get everybody to have more time, save money, be healthier and have less stress in their life by organizing each room in their house or office,” she said. “I motivate people to get rid of things. People need their hands held, but I am really sensitive to their things, and I don’t want to get rid of everything. I just want to make things more clear and open.” Choosing paint colors, however, is Gibson’s favorite pursuit. “It’s the cheap-est way to change your house and have that wow factor,” she said. “It increases the value of your home, it is healthier because there is less dust and it is just fun.” Her clients’ homes often include stark white walls, and they are unsure of what color to paint them. “I help them pick the colors that fit their personality and make it a happier, warmer place to be,” Gibson added. Gibson also stages people’s homes, in hopes that they will sell quickly. “I either help them or give them guidance on what they need

to do to get their house ready for the sale,” she said. “Things are very emotional during that time period, and I like to give them that comfort.” Andrea McSorley, a Realtor for Long & Foster, heard about It’s DONE through a friend of a friend—her clients now utilize Gibson’s staging and organizing services before putting their homes up for sale. “She walks them through and holds their hands as they go through the process—purging, getting rid of things,” McSorley said. “My clients absolutely love her. They get very attached to her because she does really help them emotion-ally plan for a sale…and keep everyone focused on the end goal.” Gibson’s staging abilities have proven quite successful, in McSorley's opinion. “Most of the houses she stages go right off the market. She has a great track record,” she said. “Most clients end up using her when they move. They call her when they are on the other side, after they get into their new house.” As an interior designer, Gibson typically helps people pick out furniture for new homes or old rooms in need of uplifting. “I give them ideas, shop for them or go shopping with them,” she said. Gibson can even help clients simply move around their current furniture for a fresh change. Lastly, Gibson accessorizes people’s homes, giving them personality. “I will go shopping for you—you can give me a budget or not—and I will pick a bunch of things to accessorize a room,” she said. “You can take what you like and what you don’t like, and I will go back and return things.” She will also make use of existing accesso-ries. For example, she likes to revamp blank walls with groupings of family photos. People can take advantage of one, some or all of Gibson’s talents. Janis Swain, an Ashburn resident, recently hired Gibson to reorganize her entire home. Throughout the process, they are working together to redecorate, as well. So far, the venture has been going well, Swain said. “I will quote my daughter—she is 13. She said working with Chantal is ‘magical,’” she said. “I consider myself a very organized person, and Chantal has put me to shame, and she is just—not in a mean way—very much a task master. She is not chit chatting with me, she is utilizing my time very efficiently.” Indeed, Gibson has made a big difference in Swain’s life over a short time period. “We have been living in this house for 11 years, and we have four kids, a dog, and both my husband and I work full time, so it has been eye-opening for me to see the black hole we have been living in that I didn’t even realize,” Swain said. “I thought I was organized, but I had really let that go because of life.” During their time together, Gibson and Swain haven’t just formed a professional rela-tionship, but also a personal bond. Swain said Gibson is already on the guest list for an annual party she throws. And it isn’t unusual for Gibson to gain such a connection with her clients. “Most people I work with I become friends

with,” Gibson said. “I get emotionally involved with their family, and I am very, very conscien-tious of their feelings. I am not one of those people who come in and say, ‘Get rid of it, it is hideous.’ I want to work with you. I want to make things nice, but the way you want it and the way you like it.” Channeling her background, Gibson has a contemporary, European-type style when it comes to her personal decorating taste. However, she works with clients who bear vari-ous styles—traditional, international, contem-porary and more. “I just work with what the person’s style is,” she said. Gibson charges clients based on an hourly rate, which she would not disclose but said was a reasonable amount. Depending on the hefti-ness of a project, she may cut clients a deal if she is spending large chunks of time working with them. Regardless, she stressed that she’s a quick worker and doesn’t waste clients’ time. “I don’t mess around. I am in to do a good job, and then I’m out,” she said. Typically, Gibson stays within a 30-mile

radius of Ashburn to do business. She will travel to nearby places such as Tysons, McLean, Vienna, Oakton, Leesburg and Purcellville. As of now, Gibson mainly works on her own, unless she needs help with an extreme organization job. However, with business pick-ing up—Gibson said she is constantly working, even on weekends—she may hire an assistant in the future to handle billing and marketing. She has also considered employing someone to help with organization jobs. “But I will probably always be doing my own interior design and accessorizing because that’s my thing, and I love it,” she said. “It’s new and exciting and very busy, so I am taking it one day at a time.”

Interior Decorator Ensures ‘It’s DONE’ For Clients

It's DONE designer Chantal

Gibson transformed this kitchen

seating area with simple

additions, creating a warmer and

more inviting space for the

homeowner,

Before &After

“I help them pick the colors that fit their personality and make it a hap-pier, warmer place to be."

~ Chantal Gibson


Appointments, New HiresJim Herbert, former managing partner at management consulting firm GlobalStrat, has been hired as business develop-ment manager for Loudoun E c o n o m i c Development. He takes the position former-ly held by Buddy Rizer, who was promoted to assistant direc-tor earlier this year. Herbert brings more than 25 years of experience in business management and development to his new position, including more than five years at Middleburg-based GlobalStrat. He also served as vice president of business devel-opment for E.J. Krause and Associates, a Bethesda trade show management compa-ny with international and national clients. Herbert also co-founded and was a partner in the Association Management Bureau, which provided professional staff and administrative support for nonprofit trade organizations. Among Herbert's duties will be to recruit three additional business development officers whose positions were approved by the Board of Supervisors ear-lier this year to help the department focus on commercial development. “Jim will lead our eight-member commercial business development team, which is focused on attracting, expanding and retaining com-panies in identified industries,” Rizer said. “That includes small businesses and entre-preneurs.”

Hans Rouillard, for-merly a culinary director and chef for the Disney empire on both coasts, has been hired as the new executive chef at Lansdowne Resort. Rouillard has almost 30 years in the hospitality industry including serving as an executive chef at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, and director of culinary operations for Disney Regional Entertainment in Los Angeles. He also spent nearly a decade with Hyatt hotel properties in Arizona, Tennessee and Los Angeles. “I am very excited about joining the Lansdowne team as the resort has a tremendous reputation for culinary excel-

lence,” Rouillard said. “With five dining outlets, plus, the large volume of weddings, social functions, and the meetings and conference side of the business, the oppor-tunity lends itself to enormous creativity and growth.”

Teresa Larroque has joined Gloria Banks' team at RE/MAX Allegiance in Ashburn. A Realtor since 2003, Larroque is a graduate of the University of Barcelona and speaks Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

Jordan Waddell has joined The National Conference Center as a sales account executive. Waddell is responsible for securing and organizing meetings for the property in all mar-kets with a focus on corporate and gov-ernment events. A graduate of James Madison University, Waddell spent nine months in Qingdao, China, teaching English as a second language.

Gov. Bob McDonnell recently appointed several residents and those with ties to local agencies to state boards. They include Lynn Chapman of Ashburn, president of MDS, to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; Douglas R. Fahl of Leesburg, executive vice presi-dent of Dewberry & Davis to the Virginia Housing Development Authority; Scott R. Bergeron of Leesburg, CEO of Liberian Registry, to the Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners; and Alexander I. Vanegas of Manassas, assistant director of Public Works for the Town of Purcellville, to the Board of Conservation and Recreation.

Steven Barber has joined Leesburg-based Kelly Insurance Agency as its newest agent. Barber has experience in large insurance organiza-tions, having worked with Allstate prior to joining Kelly. “Steven is a great addition to the team,” CEO Dario Campolattaro said. “His strong belief in consumer education is a perfect fit with our philosophy of person-alized service.”

Leesburg-based RxAlly has made several

new hires recently: Tom O'Grady as gen-eral counsel and executive vice president of corporate development; Wayne Oliver as vice president for pharmacy advocacy and government relations; and Michael Groh as chief information officer. RxAlly is a first-of-its-kind alliance of more than 22,000 pharmacies nationwide. O'Grady formerly worked with McGuireWoods LLP, where he focused on transactional law for health care and other technology-enabled companies. Oliver previously has worked as vice president at the Center for Health Transformation, founded by former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; lead lobbyist and chief spokesperson for the Georgia Pharmacy Association for 19 years and managing editor of the Georgia Pharmacy Journal. Groh, a trained phar-macist, most recently served as CIO for excelleRx, a Philadelphia-based national hospice pharmacy and medication therapy management company.

Technology journalist Kim Hart has joined Neustar as director of corporate communications and will report to Neustar Senior Vice President and General Counsel Scott Blake Harris. “As Neustar continues to grow, we are excited to add Kim’s indus-try expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and media savvy to our already strong team,” Harris said. She was formerly Politico’s se-nior technology reporter and focused on policy issues affecting the technology and telecommunications industries. She also covered technology as a business reporter and columnist for The Washington Post.

New BusinessesCooking Up Books Education Studio in Leesburg celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting and open house, Aug. 11. Located in the Bellewood Commons shopping center, the business integrates cooking with other curriculum such as math, science and other areas of educa-tion with a fun, hands-on experience. Its core programs are morning, afternoon and after-school academies for students ages 5-12 and small-group tutoring in reading, writing and math. Cooking Up Books also offers cooking classes for all ages, classes for home-school students and birthday parties.

Loudoun Credit Union opened its new location at 801 Sycolin Road SE in Leesburg with a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 6. With assets exceeding $29 mil-lion, LCU has more than 6,900 mem-bers and serves county and town employ-ees, Loudoun Water and Inova Loudoun Hospital. The new branch has additional staff offices and work space, an enhanced new member services area, free Wi-Fi in the lobby and a walkup ATM. "This relocation and space enhancements help reiterate LCU’s commitment to continue providing

our members with an exceptional service experience coupled with the best possible financial programs at the lowest cost,” LCU Board Chairman Cindy Mester said. The grand opening coincides with LCU's 35th anniversary and to celebrate, it will provide three $3,500 grants to nonprofits serving Loudoun residents. The deadline for submitting requests to the selection committee is Sept. 20.

Management and leasing company Clarke-Hook Corp. has expanded commercial brokerage services with the recent agree-ment with SugarOak Holdings to be the exclusive agent of Technology Trading Park at 401 Glenn Drive in Sterling. The six-acre property features 75,000 square feet of office/flex warehouse space, zoned commercial and industrial, and mature landscaping. “Clarke-Hook is pleased to announce this exclusive opportunity, which definitely highlights our long-stand-ing experience and background in building, managing and leasing commercial proper-ties,” Clarke-Hook President Ed Zigo said. Serving clients for more than 50 years in Virginia and Washington, DC, the full-service developer's most recent develop-ment is University Commerce Center near George Washington University’s Ashburn campus.

Paladin Real Estate, a full-service com-mercial real estate brokerage and proper-ty management firm, has been selected to lease and manage the George C. Marshall International Center properties in down-town Leesburg. The agreement covers the salons, retailers and businesses, the Shops at Dodona and other properties surround-ing Dodona Manor, historic home of Gen. George C. Marshall. “The property owners and tenants will benefit from a unique-ly effective management process, which combines responsive personal service, advanced technologies and market exper-tise with the goal of enhancing property values and optimizing the Client’s experi-ence,” principal broker Jim Sisley said.

Business Moves

Loudoun Anesthesia Associates, a physi-cian group practice that provides anes-thesia services at Inova Loudoun Hospital and Inova Loudoun Ambulatory Surgery Center, has been acquired by Florida-based MEDNAX. Loudoun Anesthesia

In Brief

Jordan Waddell

Steven Barber

Oatlands greenhouse

Hans Rouillard

Jim Herbert


Associates' 12 anesthesiologists and 17 anesthetists now join MEDNAX's American Anesthesiology division, which consists of more than 1,200 anesthesia providers in seven mid-Atlantic and southern states. "Joining American Anesthesiology will pro-vide us with the resources we need, from research, education and technology to infrastructure and administrative support, to ensure the future success of our prac-tice," Dr. Lorna Miller, the Loudoun prac-tice's chairman who will become American Anesthesiology's medical director, said.

Awards, Grants Oatlands Historic House and Gardens has received more than $250,000 in grants that will be used toward making essential repairs to the glass roof of the 1810 greenhouse. The grants came from The Historic Sites Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Loudoun Preservation Society and The Virginia Horticultural Foundation. “We are so grate-ful to our partners in preservation. Their initial support will help get the greenhouse repairs under way,” Oatlands Executive Director Andrea McGimsey said. The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative ranked highest in custom-er satisfaction among midsize electric utilities in the South and among the 126 largest United States electric utili-ties, according to a 2012 study by J. D. Power and Associates. The study asked customers about their utility’s power qual-ity and reliability, price, billing and pay-ment, corporate citizenship, communica-tions and customer service. NOVEC scored highest in the industry in power quality and reliability, price and communications; and second highest in corporate citizen-ship. Despite an earthquake, Hurricane Irene and a major tropical storm last year, NOVEC’s overall scores improved over the 2011 study results. Inova Loudoun Hospital received high marks in U.S. News & World Report's 2012 Best Hospitals rankings, garnering No. 8 in the Washington, DC, metro area and 11th in Virginia. Inova Loudoun also was named among the Best Hospitals in Northern Virginia in the report. “Our care model emphasizes collaboration between physician, patient and family underscor-ing wellness, education, research and care management as part of our commitment to improving the health of the community we serve,” Inova Health System CEO Knox Singleton said. Inova Loudoun Hospital was recognized for its high performanc-es in the specialties of gastroenterology, geriatrics, nephrology, orthopedics, pulm-onology and urology. U.S. News collabo-rated with North Carolina research group RTI International to create the report. Highlights of the most recent rankings will appear in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2013 guidebook, which is available for pur-

chase this month. Loudoun has once again been named one of the most technologically advanced county governments in the country, an honor it has achieved since 2004. The 2012 Digital Counties Survey, conducted by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties, rec-ognizes leading examples of counties using information and communications technol-ogy. “This year, counties are focused on saving money where they can by simpli-fying their information technology infra-structure and sharing systems with other governments,” center executive director Todd Sander said. “Many of them have found ways to provide better information security, transparency and citizen engage-ment with innovative uses of social media” and other technologies. Among the chang-es the county has instituted are a collabo-ration with the public schools on a new system that has saved millions of dollars in software, hardware and implementation costs. Loudoun also has been recog-nized by the International City/County Management Association with a 2012 Certificate of Achievement for superior performance management efforts. The award highlights the county’s commitment to continuous improvement and communi-ty engagement through reporting of perfor-mance data to the public through budgets, newsletters and/or information provided to elected officials; data verification efforts to ensure reliability; and staff training. Loudoun is one of just five jurisdictions to receive the award this year. Ashburn resident George Millar won the 2012 SHELFGEN Award for edg-ing out 250 ShelfGenie designers and franchise owners in total self-generated sales nationwide. Millar is a designer for ShelfGenie of Northern Virginia, which sells custom Glide Out shelving solutions for homes. Millar received the award at the company's annual awards dinner in June.

He won for the largest total self-generated sales nationwide.”George is a model for all ShelfGenie designers. His unassuming and straightforward manner instills trust in his clients,” Joe Johnson, owner of the ShelfGenie of Northern Virginia franchise,

said. “Instead of trying to just 'close' a sale, George works with his clients to devel-op complete solutions for their problem areas. This translates into confidence that ShelfGenie will not only solve their prob-lems now, but be there for the long-run.” Goodstone Inn and Restaurant recent-ly was named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2012 America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants. The magazine’s list of 100 restaurants were chosen by a team of editors and tasters for excellence in fine dining, visionary wine selections and exceptional service. The honor is the lat-est in the Middleburg resort's collection of awards this year, including TripAdvisor's 2012 Certificate of Excellence; Condé Nast Johansens Luxury Travel Guides' Most Excellent Inn in North America finalist and Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway in North America finalist; and The 10 Best Overall Restaurants in the Washington, D.C. Area for July by OpenTable diners.

Coming Soon The deadline to submit nominations for Loudoun County Chamber's 2012 Small Business Awards is Aug. 17. The annual event ecognizes the achievements of local small business, entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Nominations will be accepted through 5 p.m. Aug. 17 at www.loudoun-chamber.org. You can nominate as many businesses as you would like but you will only need to submit one nomination for each organization. Winners will be named at a Nov. 9 gala at The National Conference Center; tickets can be purchased online on the chamber's website. Tickets for the Virginia Women's Business Conference on Nov. 16 are now on sale. Formerly the Northern Virginia Women's Business Conference, this year's event presents Fabienne Fredrickson as the keynote speaker. Fredrickson is the founder of ClientAttraction.com, which teaches entrepreneurs how to attract more clients. To register for the event, go to www.virginiawomensbusinessconference.com. The Center for Innovative Technology is seeking nominations for a new state-wide awards program that recognizes the next generation’s most promising vision-aries, in the areas of life sciences, technol-ogy and energy. The GAP 50 Entrepreneur Awards honor innovative business entre-preneurs creating high-growth companies. CIT will hold an award banquet in October for the final recipients after nominees vote through an electronic ballot. Nominations can be submitted at www.GAP50.com. Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 20.

ShelfGenie designer George Millar is presented with the 2012 SHELFGEN

Award at a recent ceremony.


A communications satellite built at Orbital Sciences' Dulles manufacturing facility was successfully launched into space, where it will be used by London-based Avanti Communications Group to provide telecommunications services for its international clients. HYLAS 2 was launched Aug. 2 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the European Spaceport in French Guiana. It will undergo several weeks of in-orbit testing and sys-tems verification. Then it will begin pro-viding data and video services to Eastern and Southern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and across the Caucuses, according to an Orbital statement. “HYLAS 2 introduces a new market application for Orbital’s commercial com-munications satellites, bringing broad-band communications into the range of space systems we offer our customers,” Christopher Richmond, Orbital’s senior vice president of communications satel-lites, said in the statement. “The HYLAS 2 spacecraft is one of the most sophisticated commercial satellites we have ever built and we are looking forward to putting it to work for our Avanti customer.” Orbital designed, built and tested the HYLAS 2 spacecraft at the company’s satel-lite manufacturing facility in Dulles.

Dulles-Built Satellite Deployed To Provide Global Data Service

HYLAS 2, one of Orbital's communica-tions satellites, will facilitate high-speed delivery of data to clients in Africa, Europe and the Middle East for Avanti Communications Group. It was launched Aug. 2 from the European Spaceport.

Photo courtesy Orbital Sciences

Do you have a submission for In Brief? Send information, and if possible a high resolu-tion image, to: [email protected].


Aug. 16Chamber MixerLoudoun Chamber of Commerce5:30-7 p.m. Springhill Suites AshburnEvery third Thursday of the month, mem-bers of the Chamber of Commerce are in-vited to a mixer to meet Chamber officials and Board members. Register online by 2 p.m. Aug. 16. For more information, go to www.loudounchamber.org/

Aug. 21Women in Business Fall Fashion PreviewLoudoun Chamber of Commerce5:30-8 p.m. Belmont Country ClubJoin Women In Business for their fifth annual Fall Fashion preview, Through the Looking Glass: Reflecting the Right Image. Altar’d State Clothing Store, EBRADA Alilier Bridal, and many more boutiques will have display booths. Guest emcees include Angie Geoff from NBC news, and Annette Harris from Harris ImageWorks. Admission is $35 for members, $50 for non-members. All information for this event is at www.loudounchamber.org.

Start Your BusinessSmall Business Development Center6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. GWU Virginia Science & Technology CampusRobin Suomi, executive director of Loudoun SBDC, and Arthur Thompson, principal at Keyser Thompson Insurance Agency, will be presenting everything you need to know about how to start your small business. Topics including taxes and licensing, business plan develop-ment, marketing, sources of financing, insurance, and entrepreneurial traits will be discussed. Register online at www.loudounsbdc.eventbrite.com.

Aug. 22Productizing 101MIT Enterprise Forum6-9 p.m. George Mason University Loud-oun, 21641 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Marketing and sales risk management expert Andy Rudin of Outside Technolo-gies helps entrepreneurs connect with their target market and investors in this interactive workshop and networking event co-sponsored by the Loudoun Small Business Development Center. Cost is $40, but call the Loudoun SBDC for a special discount code to use when registering online at www.mitefdc.org.

Aug. 272012 Golf ClassicLoudoun Chamber of Commerce10 a.m. Creighton FarmsYour company can be a sponsor in Lou-doun County’s 30th Annual Golf Classic. This event will create great marketing exposure for companies with the added bonus of a relaxing day of golf. More information can be found at www.loudoun-chamber.org.

Aug. 28Green Business Challenge “Coffee Series”Loudoun Chamber of Commerce8 a.m.-10 a.m. George Washington Uni-versity Virginia Science & Technology CampusLocal businesses have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and Loudoun County Office of Transporta-tion Services Employer Outreach Program over coffee and breakfast. The 2012 Lou-doun County Green Business Challenge will be discussed, and participation in the Challenge can reduce business’ carbon footprints. Information for this event is at www.loudounchamber.org.

Sept. 10Women’s Forum Miles LeHane Company4-7 p.m., Glenfiddich HouseJoin Tracy Fitzsimmons, the first female President of Shenandoah University in Winchester, as she discusses her impor-tant role in leading a university in chang-ing times. She will share experiences and new ideas throughout the presentation, and will discuss these topics with the audience as well. The first hour will be devoted to be networking, followed by Fitzsimmons’ presentation. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Go to www.mileslehane.com for more information.

Sept. 13Sterling Women11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Location TBDBrigitta Toruño of Uno Translations and Communications will be the featured speaker for the monthly networking lun-cheon founded by Reston Limousine CEO Kristina Bouweiri. To register and for more details, go to www.sterlingwomen.org.

■ Calendar

Giving BackBUSINESSES

Lens On Loudoun Business

BB&T Opens New Potomac Station Financial Center

BB&T held a grand open-

ing July 24 for its Potomac

Station Financial Center at

680 Potomac Station Drive,

NE, where Angela Davis

will lead the team. The new

center will offer a full array

of services including check-

ing and savings accounts,

business, personal and

mortgage loans, safe deposit boxes, investment services and insurance services..

Loudoun Chamber's Grow Your Business

Business owners from a variety of industries attended the July 17 Loudoun County

Chamber of Commerce's focus group-style meeting led by Mallard Owen, vice presi-

dent of of Business Performance Services with Lindsey Business Group. During the

“Small Business Leaders – How Can We Help You Succeed?” meeting, Owen talked

to business owners about their needs and the challenges they face.

National Conference Center Hosts Summer Interns

The National Conference Center in Lansdowne hosts college students from around

the country every year for a summer internship. As part of the internship, the students

create a new

program at

the center,

and this year's

class devel-

oped “Aspire

Higher,” a

program to

recognize NCC

employees who

have provided

an extraordinary service experience beyond the scope of their jobs. Shown from left,

Lindsay Boyd of NCC's Human Resources department; interns Justin Thompson,

Rachel Lewis, Laura Ransone, MacKenzie Johnson and Garrett Bushby; Human

Resources Manager Ildiko Agoston; and General Manager Kurt Krause.

Photo courtesy of Town of Leesburg

Photo courtesy of National Conference Center


Giving BackBUSINESSES

Long & Foster Ashburn Team Supports Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers Dan Freire and his team at Long & Foster in Ashburn performed a day of service June 6, going to three homes of those who are helped by Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers and cleaning their yards. The team showed up in a large convoy, with lawn mowers, trimmers, weed-whackers, rakes, hoes and pruners. Within hours, bags of weeds, trimmings and branches were lining the curbs of the grateful homeowners' houses. They even took the yard waste bags away from one gentleman’s home to put them out in their trash so he wouldn’t have to try to get them to the curb, LVC Executive Director Susan Mandel Giblin said. “Our goal at Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers is to provide the much-needed assistance many area elderly and disabled adults need to continue to live independently in their own homes,” Giblin said. "And when a team like Long & Foster shows up...well, the results and differences they made in one day were nothing short of astounding...we simply can not thank all of them enough for the all they did that day.”

BB&T Staff Build Home For Loudoun Habitat For Humanity Local BB&T employees rolled up their sleeves June 15 to help Loudoun Habitat for Humanity build a home at the Erin Peterson subdivision near Middleburg. The participation was the third for BB&T, as staff helped with Loudoun Habitat’s first home at Erin Peterson in 2011 as well a rehabbed Salisbury Court property in Sterling in 2010. Earlier, BB&T awarded Loudoun Habitat for Humanity $4,000 through the company's Lighthouse Grant Program. “Our office greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the Loudoun Habitat project. Our community is a fantastic one that embraces our business model for which we are very thankful,” John Hagan, managing director and head of Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Investment Banking at BB&T, said. “The Habitat for Humanity team is incredible to work with and we marvel at how effective they are with the limited resources at their disposal." To date, BB&T’s Team Build contributions have totaled $14,000 in support of Loudoun Habitat’s building efforts.

Quest Diagnostics Donates To Loudoun Free Clinic Quest Diagnostics has donated in-kind services worth $100,000 to the Loudoun Free Clinic, incoming LFC board Chair Patrick H. “Red” McCabe announced. Quest will handle laboratory work for the clinic at no cost. “We met with Quest’s decision makers and this

very significant gift was the result. We are looking at about $100,000 in savings annually—it is definitely a major gift and a valuable partnership that will allow the Clinic to continue serving our rising number of patients,” Mccabe, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, said. Quest's donation comes at a time when the clinic has seen a 57 percent increase in patients over the last year. “The stormy economy has created an urgent vigilance to seek new donors and partners who understand Loudoun's growing need for our charitable medical services. Quest’s generosity is a godsend for the Clinic's thousands of patients need-ing diagnostic care in Loudoun,” McCabe said. To celebrate a decade of medical care, the Free Clinic plans its “Seasons of Care Fall Gala” Sept. 22, at The National Conference Center. The carnival event will include casino games, dancing, a silent auction, themed cuisine and cocktails. Go to www.loudoun-freeclinic.org for more information.

Fundraiser For Homeless Female Vets Raises More Than $11,000

Red White & Blue Final Salute 2012, a fundraiser hosted by Reston Limousine, Sterling Women and Fortessa Inc., raised more than $11,000 that will go toward to the nonprofit organization that provides housing and other supportive services to homeless female veterans and their children.

About 250 people attended the sold-out Aug. 1 event at Fortessa's outlet in Sterling, where guests enjoyed beer from Lost Rhino Brewing Company and foods from a variety of vendors, including Jersey Mike's Subs. In addition to a silent auction that included such items as a flight simulation experience donated by Lockheed Martin Corp. Part of the pro-ceeds from Fortessa's tableware sales of the evening were donated to the cause.

The benefit was coordinated by Gale Paige, business development manager at CEXEC, and her daughters, Jackie Paige of Modern Mechanical and Vanessa Paige of Anatolia Properties.

Lens On Loudoun Business

From left: CEXEC Business Development Manager Gale Paige, Vanessa Paige of Anatolia Properties, Reston Limousine CEO Kristina Bouweiri and Modern Mechanical Business Development Manager Jackie Paige


Four years ago, Reston Limousine CEO Kristina Bouweiri was traveling throughout the Washington, DC, metro area to build her limousine and transportation business. The monthly Sterling Women networking luncheon started with an attendance of about 30 businesswomen in the area for which it was named, but has since grown to about 150 attendees from throughout the DC region. She attributes its success to several factors: no dues require-ment, shopping opportunities ranging from jewelry to cloth-ing to fitness, and inspirational female speakers. "What I’m trying to do with Sterling Women is have people be inspired by real stories, stories of a woman who’s running this interesting business and how she did it, how she deals with work/life balance, how she’s dealt with other challenges and how she’s successful today. I think that’s what people want to hear,” Bouweiri said. Then there are the door prizes. “We’re famous for our door prizes,” Bouweiri said, noting they have at least 50 door prizes every month—“and they are fabulous door prizes,” including jewelry from Tiffany & Co., facials and massages from popular salons and medi-spas in Northern Virginia, and of course, Reston Limousine day trips. “What I love about Sterling Women is I have gone into the community and I have discovered these hidden gems—so many amazing women that are running these businesses that have never wanted any publicity or ever wanted to promote themselves. They’re just busy worker bees but they own these amazing companies. “For example, Cheri Garvin from Leesburg Pharmacy. Now, I’ve lived in Leesburg for 12 years and I never knew Leesburg Pharmacy was owned by a woman. If I did, I would have got-ten my prescriptions there and I would have given back to

a local business owner rather than go to Giant. So Cheri Garvin to me is the per-fect example of a hidden gem in our community who does not promote herself and she had an opportunity to speak at [Sterling Women.] “That lunch launched sev-eral newspaper articles for her, it also got the attention of some other media out-lets and she won several awards. I think that’s what I’m most proud of, that some of these hidden

gems in our community are getting acknowledged for all of their great hard work and a lot of it is behind the scenes." For more information about Sterling Women, including the next scheduled speaker, go to www.restonlimo.com.

Sterling Women Celebrates Four Years

Sandy Lerner, owner of Ayshire Farm, Home Farm Store and Hunter's Head Tavern, addresses the August Sterling Women Networking luncheon at National Conference Center.

Lalaine Estella Ricardo/For Loudoun Business


First Lady Maureen McDonnell's Loudoun Wine Tour: Sunset Hills Vineyard, Corcoran Vineyards, 8 Chains North


loudoun business august 202

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