Onyx Ranked on Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
ALEXANDRIA, VA—August 30, 2011—The Onyx Group is pleased to announce that it has been ranked on the Inc. 5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. As a growing firm in the Government Services industry, Onyx ranked No. 3230 on the list, and No. 249 in the industry.  This marks the second consecutive year that Onyx has ranked on the list.

The 2011 Inc. 500|5000 measured companies’ percentage revenue growth over the three-year period from 2007 through 2010.  Closing the 2010 year with revenue of $9.1 million, The Onyx Group experienced a growth rate of 60% since 2007.  Despite the fact that most of this year’s measuring period took place during the latest recession, Onyx was one of the notable firms that was able to maintain its success.

“We are honored to be recognized for the second consecutive year for making the Inc. 500|5000,” says Tom Oettinger, chief financial officer at Onyx.  “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the commitment and hard work from all of our employees. As an employee-owned company we recognize that each of us is ultimately responsible for our profitability and growth.”
In a stagnant economic environment, the median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year's list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on www.inc.com/5000.

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years.

Onyx Awarded DPRI Planning Group Task Order in Japan
ALEXANDRIA, VA—May 26, 2011—The Onyx Group has been awarded a task order to support the Marine Corps Bases Japan (MCBJ) Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI) Program Office at Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan.  The task order was awarded under Onyx’s DPRI Planning Group Support Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) which was put in place last September to support MARFORPAC’s decision-making requirements and timely development of installation support capabilities in the facilities, environmental, training, and program management domains.

The Onyx team will be working onsite at Camp Butler in Okinawa to directly support the MCBJ DPRI Program Office in the areas of construction coordination and management, facility requirements and analysis, and engineering analysis.  Specific tasks will include planning, design, equipment procurement, control of facility assets, charrette documents, basic criteria packages, and construction designs of facilities projects funded through the MILCON program and Government of Japan.  

“We look forward to supporting the MCBJ DPRI Program Office in Okinawa with the development and implementation of the Futenma Replacement Facility, Okinawa Consolidation Plan, and other initiatives,” says Gordon Sliwinski, information management director of Onyx and task order principal. “We have assembled a highly skilled team of professionals ready to support the mission.”

Onyx looks forward to the challenge and success of this award.  This achievement further attests Onyx’s reputation as a firm that continues to deliver quality and professional services nationally and worldwide.  The official start date for the task order will be June 27, 2011 with a one year period of performance.  

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years.

Onyx Takes Runner-Up in 2011 AACE Awards
ALEXANDRIA, VA—May 12, 2011—The Onyx Group has been selected by the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Association as Runner-Up in  the 2011 Annual Awards for Communications Excellence (AACE) Printed Materials category.  The AACE Awards are sponsored each year by the ESOP Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members.  This year, the awards were presented at the 20th Annual Awards Banquet hosted in Washington, D.C.

This award marks the fourth AACE Award that Onyx has received in the past three years it has participated in the AACE Awards.  The Printed Materials category is for submissions of materials distributed in printed form, including printed informational materials, newsletters, and brochures, which a company uses to communicate its ESOP to its employee-owners and the public.  Onyx submitted a bound document comprised of the company’s marketing materials, newsletters, printouts, and ESOP game boards that were distributed throughout the year.  Each printed material served an informational, educational, or interactive purpose relating to ESOPs. 

“Education is our best ally,” says Georgia Meckes, office manager of The Onyx Group, who spearheaded the Printed Materials submission, “and we use every opportunity, place, and time to educate our employees on the importance of our position as owners.”

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communications.  Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee-owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement and/or response of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality.

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years. 

Onyx CFO Tom Oettinger Wins 2011 SmartCXO Award
ALEXANDRIA, VA—April 13, 2011—The Onyx Group is pleased to announce that Chief Financial Officer Tom Oettinger has received the 2011 SmartCXO award from SmartCEO magazine.  Mr. Oettinger has earned this award in the CFO category.  This is SmartCEO’s first annual award that recognizes chief executives who have gone above and beyond to support their organization’s initiatives. 

The criteria for selecting the SmartCXO CFO winners included the demonstration of unique cash-flow management, effectiveness at raising capital, and flawless execution in financial projects, reporting, and integration of business processes.  Amongst Mr. Oettinger’s many contributions to Onyx that were featured in the April issue of the Washington edition of SmartCEO magazine, Mr. Oettinger launched the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) program and improved the value of the company four-fold over the course of seven years.  Because of his efforts, Onyx will also be able to fully convert to an ESOP two years ahead of schedule.  Mr. Oettinger is also responsible for having restructured corporate accounts and instilling a level of financial and performance accountability from each company division that had not existed before. 

In his featured profile, Mr. Oettinger expresses the valuable reciprocal effect of supporting and recognizing one’s employees and coworkers.  “[Surround] yourself with great people, [then] challenge them, trust them, recognize their accomplishments and be accountable to each other for results.  Communicate to them their importance, and invest in them, as they will be your greatest champions.”

This marks the second award this year that Onyx has received from SmartCEO—the first award being the Future 50 that profiled the company and its chief executive officer, Phil Rush, in their January issue.  The SmartCXO awards ceremony will take place on April 26th where Mr. Oettinger will be honored alongside the finest chief financial officers, chief operating officers, chief information officers, chief technology officers, and executive management teams in the Mid-Atlantic.

The full list of SmartCXO winners can be found in the April 2011 issue of SmartCEO magazine.

SmartCEO is a regional “growing company” publication aimed at providing features, interviews, case studies, columns and other departments designed to help this region’s CEOs face the daily challenge of running a business. They believe that a “growing company” is determined by the spirit, drive and dynamics of a company’s owners and managers, rather than by the size of the building, the number of its employees, or its sales volume.

Onyx Awarded Mid-Atlantic Chapter ESOP Company of the Year
ALEXANDRIA, VA—April 7, 2011—The Onyx Group is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Mid-Atlantic Chapter 2011 ESOP Company of the Year.  The award recognizes outstanding employee-ownership members actively committed to developing the dignity and prosperity of individual employees through their combined efforts.

The Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Mid-Atlantic Chapter encompasses Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and provides a unique opportunity to network and learn from local area ESOP companies and service providers.  Onyx was presented the ESOP Company of the Year award during this year’s annual Spring Half-Day Conference for the ESOP Mid-Atlantic Chapter hosted in Charlottesville, VA.  From there, the Chapter award winners will be submitted to The ESOP Association for National consideration, and will be recognized at the annual awards dinner at the National Conference in Washington, D.C. on May 11, 2011.

“This is a great honor for Onyx and all of our employee-owners.  It’s recognition that our commitment and involvement in our ESOP truly makes a difference,” says Tom Oettinger, chief financial officer of The Onyx Group.  “And we look forward to representing the Mid-Atlantic Chapter at the upcoming ESOP Association’s Annual Conference when competing for National Company of the Year.”

Onyx began its ESOP in 2004 with the intent to transfer ownership of the company to its employees.  As an employee-owned company, Onyx stresses the benefits and responsibilities of being an ESOP owner. Participating in an ESOP program provides a workplace culture that promotes social interaction, community involvement, and commitment to client service. The interaction of Onyx’s employees inside and outside of work produces a more cohesive, effective, and efficient team in the professional workplace.

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years.

Onyx Honored for Excellence in “Employee Ownership” Communications
WASHINGTON, D.C.—April 5, 2011—The Onyx Group has been selected by The ESOP Association as a runner-up in their 2011 Printed Materials category in the Annual Award for Communications Excellence (AACE).   This will be the third year in a row that Onyx has won an AACE Award. 

The AACE Awards are sponsored each year by the ESOP Association to recognize the outstanding communications and educational programs of its members.  The awards are presented each May at the Association’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. to companies who have excelled in communicating the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) and its meaning to company employees.  Onyx’s submission this year was a bound document comprised of printed materials that the company uses to communicate its ESOP to its employees and the public.  Items in the submission included the company’s newsletters, project sheets, game boards, and educational materials.

“Good communication and education are the keys to a successful ESOP,” says Georgia Meckes, office manager at The Onyx Group, who spearheaded the Printed Materials submission.  “Our goal is to make sure that no stone is left unturned in creating a culture of owners who are well-educated and informed about their ESOP.”

AACE Award winners are chosen by a panel of five judges made up of both management and non-management employee owners, each of whom has demonstrated active experience and interest in the field of ESOPs and employee ownership communication.  Awards are based on: overall quality and quantity of employee owner education, contributions of employee owners, integration of the ESOP into company culture, frequency of ownership communications, involvement and/or response of employee owners, encouragement of ownership attitudes, clear explanations, creative ideas, graphic design, and technical quality. 

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years.

Onyx Names Albert H. McCoubrey, III, AIA Company President
ALEXANDRIA, VA—March 16, 2011—The Onyx Group is pleased to announce that, effective May 2011, Albert H. McCoubrey, III, AIA, currently the director of Architecture and Interiors, has accepted the position as the company’s president. Mr. McCoubrey has served in executive leadership roles for the last two decades at nationally recognized architecture and engineering (A&E) firms prior to joining Onyx. 

Since joining the firm in January 2009, Mr. McCoubrey’s leadership has included building successful architecture and interiors studios, and overseeing and administrating various activities ranging from strengthening corporate marketing, communications, and delivery of quality, professional services.

“I joined The Onyx Group because I truly felt that I could ‘make a difference’ here at Onyx,” says Albert McCoubrey, emphasizing the company mission for its employees. “I still do. Continued growth and success will depend on all of us ‘making a difference’ here at Onyx together.”

“This will be a big step forward in continuing Onyx’s path towards growth and success,” says Phil Rush, chief executive officer of The Onyx Group. “Mr. McCoubrey has vast industry experience and is highly respected in his field and by his colleagues. We look forward to his continuing contributions to Onyx.”

Mr. McCoubrey’s credentials also include serving as chair of the board of trustees for the Barrie School, a private PK-12 Montessori school in Montgomery County, Maryland; and Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, South America. Mr. McCoubrey received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. He is licensed to practice in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina and is a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). 

The Onyx Group is an employee-owned company dedicated to improving the places where we live, work, and play. The firm has provided land use, facilities planning, environmental, architectural, design, and technology services worldwide for more than 25 years.

Onyx Becomes an NCI-Trained Company
Alexandria, VA—February 28, 2011—The Onyx Group has gained a new advantage in pursuing proposals by becoming an NCI-trained company, certified by the National Charrette Institute (NCI). Training alongside employees from Greenhorne and O’Mara, a Joint Venture partner, Onyx participated in the three-day course that established Onyx with six NCI-certified staff members as well as company NCI certifications for both firms.

The three-day NCI training teaches the tools and techniques for planning and running successful projects using a charrette.  Through interactive and hands-on exercises, participants learn the skills, tools, and techniques to gain a practical understanding of the NCI Charrette System™ to create sustainable communities.  This valuable training is ideal for planners and designers and developers specializing in sustainable development, transportation, public works, and transit as well as citizen advocacy.  Having completed the training, Onyx is making sure to keep up with industry demands and offering clients trained professionals with the most up-to-date certifications in order to meet and exceed client needs.  This year NCI has increased certificate holder exposure with the implementation of their online certificate holder database so that project sponsors and potential team members can now find Onyx’s NCI-certified professionals on their website.

“The charrette process has long been among the tools Onyx has offered clients as an effective element of planning and design, and this training enhances the use of that tool for us and for our clients,” says Melanie Fosnaught, AICP, senior planner and project manager for Onyx, and one of the NCI-certified professionals.  “The workshop discussions and exercises reinforced a number of strategies that Onyx has used in the past, and the process helps us tap the knowledge that resides within our clients, giving them a stronger voice in the planning process and helping to integrate their visions with our expertise as planners.”

In addition to learning practical skills, tools, and techniques to prepare professionals to plan and manage a project that includes a charrette, the NCI Charrette System™ Certificate training is accredited with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for 18 continuing education system (CES) units, with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) for 18 certification maintenance (CM) credits, and with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for 18 LA CES professional development hours (PDH).

The National Charrette Institute (NCI) is a nonprofit educational institution. They help people build community capacity for collaboration to create healthy community plans. They teach professionals and community leaders the art and science of the NCI Charrette System™, a holistic, collaborative planning process that harnesses the talents and energies of all interested parties to create and support a feasible plan.

Onyx Named Amongst Washington SmartCEO Future 50
ALEXANDRIA, VA—January 3, 2011—The Washington edition of SmartCEO magazine has named The Onyx Group and CEO, Phil Rush, as one of their recipients for their 2011 Washington SmartCEO Future 50 award. 

The Future 50 is SmartCEO’s largest and most highly anticipated program of the year, recognizing 50 growing companies based on their revenue and employee growth over a three-year period.  In contrast to other growth awards, the Future 50 award recipients are listed alphabetically, rather than placed in ranks. The Future 50 awards companies that represent the future of the region’s economy and are exemplary leaders in their industries, each earning in excess of $10 million in annual revenue.  They are companies that are steadily growing yet still remain true to their missions to provided exceptional products and services to their customers. 

In his profile in the 2011 January issue of Washington SmartCEO magazine, Onyx CEO Phil Rush emphasizes the importance of success to ensure company growth.  “Growth spurts result from the successful expansion of a service area or from the successful capture of a major new client.  [Onyx] is structured to respond to both growth opportunities.”

The Future 50 announcement is the third award Onyx has received in the past five months that recognizes its growth and success – with the company ranking No. 2069 (No. 218 in the industry) in the Inc. 5000 and No. 21 in the Washington Business Journal’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies. 
For the full list of Future 50 winners, please visit http://www.smartceo.com/.

SmartCEO is a regional “growing company” publication aimed at providing features, interviews, case studies, columns and other departments designed to help this region’s CEOs face the daily challenge of running a business. They believe that a “growing company” is determined by the spirit, drive and dynamics of a company’s owners and managers, rather than by the size of the building, the number of its employees, or its sales volume.