Two New Board Members at Onyx
ALEXANDRIA, VA—December 3, 2010—The Onyx Group announced today the addition of two new external members, Carolyn W. Carter and Joe Golden, to its board of directors.

Carolyn W. Carter is currently an independent consultant providing executive management and financial consulting services to clients in a variety of industries.  Prior to establishing her own consulting practice, Ms. Carter was president and CEO of the Genetics & IVF Institute, Inc. (GIVF) – a company specializing in high-tech reproductive health technologies and medical and identity applications in genetics – during which she developed, financed, and implemented the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan.  Prior to joining GIVF in 1992, Ms. Carter was a partner with Ernst & Young for 19 years where she was the first woman ever transferred to the firm’s National office.

Ms. Carter, a summa cum laude graduate of American University with a double major in computer systems and accounting, has served on the board of directors and as chair of the audit and finance committees of the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (AIR), PADCO, Inc. and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation.

Joe Golden, a senior managing director of The McLean Group, has worked with middle market businesses for more than 30 years, during which time he has been the founder, owner, and president of four businesses.  Since 2002, Mr. Golden has orchestrated sales of middle market companies while also serving as an outsourced CFO and/or advisory board member for a variety of companies across several industries.  Mr. Golden was CFO and COO of a venture-backed, privately-owned leading provider of supply chain management optimization software for major retailers/manufacturers. He also served as VP of sales, developing and executing a projected $20 million reseller and marketing agreement with a major technology company.

Mr. Golden holds a B.S. in Accounting from Virginia Tech, where he graduated summa cum laude. A CPA and Certified Management Accountant since the early 1980s, he is a former chair of the Virginia Governor's Conference on Small Business, and a former member of Northern Virginia Technology Council’s CFO Steering Committee.

“We want a board of directors that will challenge our senior management team to continually improve our performance.  Ms. Carter and Mr. Golden bring the experience, knowledge, and strength of character to set up the challenge,” says Phil Rush, chief executive officer of The Onyx Group and fellow board member.  “With them on the Board, I think we will see a hard serve to management’s end of the court.”  

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 Welcomes New Director of Planning
ALEXANDRIA, VA—October 25, 2010—The Onyx Group is pleased to announce that John M. Hart, AICP, AIA has joined the firm as the director of Planning. In his role, he will be leading the Planning Division and be responsible for managing business development, coordinating large multi-disciplinary teams, and serving as a liaison for ongoing federal planning programs.

Over the course of his 31 years of domestic and international experience, Hart has designed, managed, and led projects for federal, state, local, institutional, and commercial clients in the Washington Metropolitan area as well as projects in the West, South, and Northeast regions of the United States.  His international design experience includes planning for development and urban design in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.  His background includes hazard mitigation, urban design, and campus planning. Hart is also currently serving a six-year appointment as commissioner on the National Capital Planning Commission. Onyx proudly welcomes John Hart to the firm and looks forward to his contribution to the growing company.

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 Named One of Washington Business Journal’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies
ARLINGTON, VA—October 7, 2010—The Washington Business Journal today honored The Onyx Group as one of the top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies in the Greater Washington region.  The official rankings were announced during the awards ceremony at the Carnegie Institute of Science in which Onyx placed in the top half of the list at 21st place.

The Washington Business Journal published the names of the 50 companies that made the list on Thursday, September 23, 2010.  Representatives from each company were then invited to the awards ceremony for the reveal of their official ranking and to receive a commemorative plaque. 

“We are pleased to be recognized for growing,” says Phil Rush, chief executive officer of The Onyx Group, “But more importantly, we are pleased that as an employee-owned company we daily see the reasons for that growth through the dedication of the Onyx staff as they address client needs.  The Onyx staff commitment to create a significant return-on-investment for our client, collaborating with our clients to develop innovative solutions, is the hidden foundation for the recognized growth of our company.”

The list of 50 Fastest measures year-over-year revenue growth in a three-year period, calculating the growth between the first two years and averaging that percentage with the growth from the past two years.  This year’s list calculated the revenue growth between 2007 and 2009. Onyx had a 43.85 percent average revenue growth rate, the second highest in the Professional Services industry on the list.  This is Onyx’s first appearance on this prestigious list, but given the company’s growth rate and success, its dedicated employees are making it clear that it certainly won’t be the last.

For Washington Business Journal’s full article that includes the complete list of this year’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies, visit http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/10/11/tidbits1.html.

The Washington Business Journal is owned and operated by American City Business Journals, the nation’s largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers. American City Business Journals also includes Bizjournals, the new media division, which operates the Web sites for each of the company’s 41 print business journals. The Washington Business Journalhas been Greater Washington’s leading source of business news and information for more than 20 years, providing over 150,000 business executives with comprehensive news on local people and their companies, as well as industry trends, tips and strategies and award-winning critical analysis. For more information, please visit http://washington.bizjournals.com.

Onyx Ranked on Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
NEW YORK, NY—August 24, 2010—Inc. magazine today has ranked The Onyx Group amongst 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. 2069 on the magazine’s fourth annual list and No. 218 in the industry.

The 2010 Inc. 5000, unveiled today on Inc.com, showed that the Government Services sector was the second-fastest-growing sector in terms of median revenue growth, posting a 202 percent gain over the 2006-2009 measuring period. More than half of these companies are based in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  With a 128 percent growth in revenue over the three-year period, Onyx is honored to be included on the Inc. 5000. 

“The leaders of the companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have figured out how to grow their businesses during the longest recession since the Great Depression,” said Inc. president Bob LaPointe. “The 2010 Inc. 5000 showcases a particularly hardy group of entrepreneurs.”

Despite the fact that most of this year’s measuring period of 2006-2009 took place during the latest recession, aggregate revenue among the companies on the list actually increased to $321.6 billion, up more than 50 percent from last year. This year’s Inc. 5000 employ a record 1.4 million people, up from one million on last year’s list. With unemployment remaining stubbornly high, policymakers and business leaders will do well to look to the Inc. 5000 companies for fresh ideas on achieving growth and creating jobs.

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.

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,647, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology.

Onyx/G&O JV Awarded USACE Europe District Contract
ALEXANDRIA, VA—August 4, 2010—The Onyx Group / Greenhorne & O’Mara (G&O) Joint- Venture (JV) has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Europe District.  The projects will be located throughout the EUCOM Area of Operations – composed of regions including Europe, the Middle East, West Asia, Africa, and the former Soviet States – at any Army, Air Force, or other US Government agency installation, or wherever US troops may be deployed.

This contract will employ Architect-Engineer (A-E) services to prepare installation and facility master plans, related concept designs, complete designs and supporting documentation.  The Onyx/G&O JV will provide  management support  services for projects assigned to USACE, Europe District, that include labor, management, facilities, supplies, equipment, and materials.  

“We are most excited to return to Europe and look forward to serving the European District’s planning and design needs throughout their Area of Operations,” says Terry Spencer, managing principal of the Joint Venture team.

The JV of Onyx and G&O was formed to bring together base and installation master planning and military program support for Army, Navy, and Air Force clients, worldwide. The firms combined have access to nearly 700 architectural, engineering, planning, and related professionals, with more than 50 professionals devoted exclusively to planning and programming support for DoD clients.

Greenhorne & O'Mara (G&O) is a full-service engineering consulting firm that provides public and private sector solutions in the areas of civil, transportation, environmental, and water resources engineering; information technology and GIS, and hazard mitigation and security services. G&O's 17 offices support projects located throughout the United States and overseas. Founded in 1950, G&O is an employee-owned firm that is consistently ranked by Engineering News Record among the top architectural/engineering design firms in the United States.

State of Hawaii Deploys Web-Based Flood Hazard Assessment Tool
HONOLULU, HI—June 2010—To proactively assess and address flooding risks to the public, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has developed the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This program was created by Congress in 1968 to help provide a means for property owners holding federally backed mortgages to financially protect themselves in the event of a flood.  In Hawaii, all four defined communities, which align with the four counties in the state, participate in the program.

In 2004, FEMA began a nationwide map modernization process to digitize flood hazard maps [that used data gathered from a Flood Insurance Study] into GIS-ready Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs). The objective of this process was to provide a more powerful tool for flood risk management, insurance activities, and disaster operations. End users can now integrate accurate and timely local data with FEMA flood hazard data to support their work in the NFIP and take advantage of technology to streamline processes.

[Carol Tyau-Beam, the State of Hawaii NFIP coordinator,] had become familiar with a local ESRI partner, the Onyx Group, through the local ESRI user group community. She had seen a presentation at a user group meeting where a solution was presented that was very similar to her situation.  She says, "They presented the opportunities to develop a Web-based application that would be easy for the public to use while providing the sophistication to provide accurate and effective maps."

Development of the initial application, dubbed the Flood Hazard Assessment Tool (FHAT), began in 2007.  The resultant tool was a completely customized solution designed specifically for a wide range of public users.  It included the ability for users to locate their property by one of three ways: location, street address, or tax map key.  The tool was promoted statewide as a valuable resource for obtaining current flood hazard data.

The preceding article was a summation of an article published in ArcNews, courtesy of ESRI.   For the full article and additional information, please click here. 

ESRI was founded in 1969 with the vision that geographic information system (GIS) technology could make a difference in society. Their confidence in GIS is built on the philosophy that geography matters—it connects our many cultures and societies and influences our way of life. ESRI is dedicated to ensure that their customers have obtained the geographic advantage by using ESRI software to address social, economic, business, and environmental concerns at local, regional, national, and global scales.

Onyx ESOP Transaction to Majority Ownership
ALEXANDRIA, VA—May 14, 2010—The Onyx Group celebrated a historic day as its employees completed another purchase of company stock from CEO Phil Rush. This transaction marks the transition for Onyx and its employees to become majority owners of the company since Onyx began its participation in an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) in 2004.

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.

“Winston Churchill said, ‘The price of greatness is responsibility,’” quotes Phil Rush, chief executive officer of The Onyx Group. “I have seen reasons to expect greatness as the outstanding Onyx Group employees have assumed responsibility for the future of the company, creating a great workplace with great products and services.”

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
ALEXANDRIA, VA – May 5, 2010 – The Onyx Group has been selected by The ESOP Association as the first place winner of the 2010 Total Communications Program, Category 1-A in the Annual Award for Communications Excellence (AACE).  The AACE Awards are sponsored each year by the 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 the company’s employees.

The Onyx Group submitted a scrapbook comprised of pages crafted by various Onyx employees.  The scrapbook highlighted the ways in which The Onyx Group communicates the benefits and values of their ESOP.  This year’s theme was “Reflecting on What Our ESOP Brings to Us,” which illustrated the ways Onyx’s work ethic, community outreach, and in-office culture contributes to a thriving and profitable company. 

“Onyx works really hard to educate its employees about our ESOP so that it becomes part of everything we do,” says Nancy Vigna, Onyx senior planner, who spearheaded the scrapbook project. “And because of that, we take pride in being employee-owners and having control over benefits such as our retirement savings.”

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 core cause of The ESOP Association is the belief that employee ownership will improve American competitiveness, increase productivity through greater employee participation, and strengthen our free enterprise economy.

Onyx Group Wins 2009 NAVFAC Design Award
ALEXANDRIA, VA—March 29, 2010—The Onyx Group has received an Honor Award in the 2009 Design Awards Program of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) for its work on the Regionally Integrated Master Program (RIMP). The NAVFAC Design Awards Program seeks to recognize specific design achievements by both the design community and employees of NAVFAC; promote design excellence in all aspects of the built and natural environment; and demonstrate responsible stewardship of public resources.  The jury for the 2009 NAVFAC Design Awards included representatives from professional organizations and firms in the architecture/engineering professions.

The award-winning Regionally Integrated Master Program provided a data-oriented foundation to inform a Navy regional planning vision that recommended best practices for meeting Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) planning goals throughout Naval District Washington (NDW).  The project included a 3-day, Onyx-led charrette that gathered input from installation commanders and other Navy personnel, an existing land use report, existing constraints report, and proposed land use report for 17 installations within the NDW region.

“We are honored that the Navy has chosen to recognize The Onyx Group with this design award,” says Elaine M. Dennehy, Onyx senior planner and comprehensive planning program manager, who served as Onyx project manager for the RIMP. “The RIMP was a true collaborative effort, with important contributions on the part of the contractor team as well as Navy personnel, and we were pleased that the program and recommendations were so well received by the installations and regional command.”

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.

Additional Projects for Onyx/G&O JV
ALEXANDRIA, VA– March 15, 2010 – The Onyx Group / Greenhorne & O’Mara (G&O) Joint-Venture (JV) announced that it has been awarded two new major architecture and engineering design projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District for the Department of the Army based at Fort Bragg, NC. The award enables the Onyx/G&O JV to continue to offer best in class military architectural and engineering services to its Department of Defense (DoD) clients.

The Onyx/G&O JV has been involved in multiple projects for the United States Army based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.  This continued work allows the Onyx/G&O JV to provide more comprehensive architectural and engineering solutions for the U.S. Army and for the Department of Defense as a whole.

“The Onyx Group and G&O are currently providing A/E design services for the 24th STS and the JSOC missions at Fort Bragg.  The Joint-Venture looks forward to providing continued support for both current and future missions in the years to come.”  Albert H. McCoubrey, III, AIA, director of Architecture.

The JV of Onyx and G&O was formed to bring together base and installation master planning and military program support for Army, Navy, and Air Force clients, worldwide. The firms combined have access to nearly 700 architectural, engineering, planning, and related professionals, with more than 50 professionals devoted exclusively to planning and programming support for DoD clients.

Greenhorne & O'Mara (G&O) is a full-service engineering consulting firm that provides public and private sector solutions in the areas of civil, transportation, environmental, and water resources engineering; information technology and GIS, and hazard mitigation and security services. G&O's 17 offices support projects located throughout the United States and overseas. Founded in 1950, G&O is an employee-owned firm that is consistently ranked by Engineering News Record among the top architectural/engineering design firms in the United States.

Onyx and Ortega Awarded D/B IDIQ Contract
Alexandria, VA—January 7, 2010—The Onyx Group has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery –Indefinite Quantity Regional Multiple Award Design/Build Construction Contract at various DHS facilities throughout the U.S. and its territories.  We are a sub-consultant for Design services to The Ortega Group, LLC, (a HUBZone construction firm) whose offices are located in Mt. Vernon, New York. 

In working with The Ortega Group, the Onyx team will perform standard construction, design/build, performance-based construction task orders for general construction, marine construction, demolition, and historical restoration, construction, repairs, and alterations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in District 1. 

“My personal relationship with The Ortega Group goes back nine years, and numerous projects executed for the New York District and Baltimore District Corps of Engineers offices at West Point Military Academy, Fort Hamilton, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Ft. Detrick, and Ft. Meade,” says Albert H. McCoubrey III, principal and director of Architecture.  “Our professional and personal relationship now continues with The Ortega Group with a new D/B IDIQ with the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard.”

Under this contract, task orders will range from $300,000 to $5 million and are for one base year with 6 one-year option periods.  This contract will consist of regional work that includes states from New Jersey to Maine. 

The Ortega Group is headquartered in Mount Vernon, New York, and is a proven US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Department of Defense (DoD) contractor and has been awarded many major USACE contracts since becoming certified as an 8(a) HUBZone firm.  Ortega has seamlessly handled all the complex logistical challenges faced working in the East Coast area and has demonstrated that it is capable of reacting to and solving any logistical, technical or construction issues necessary to support design engineering or construction projects.