NIITEK, a division of Chemring Group, was already a successful Loudoun business when it explored expansion options in 2009 and 2010. The company was founded in 2000, and has experienced tremendous growth through the successful launch of its ground-penetrating radar systems. NIITEK is now an established world leader in lifesaving mine-detection technology, and its systems have proven invaluable to U.S. and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
As orders for NIITEK systems grew, Loudoun County Economic Development already had an established a working relationship with company CEO Juan Navarro. NIITEK was not only as a successful business, but a good corporate citizen, always looking to partner with other organizations in the county. In one instance, the Department of Economic Development played a key role helping NIITEK find a Loudoun County manufacturing partner, and that partnership has thrived.
Once facility expansion discussions began, Hargan assisted NIITEK early in the process of their decision to maintain a Loudoun headquarters, and to expand into additional research and development space a year later. In the end, Loudoun’s technical talent was a key decision factor for CEO Juan Navarro.
“We chose Loudoun as a headquarters because the majority of the technical folks that we have at our headquarters live in Loudoun,” explained Juan Navarro, president of NIITEK. “The great thing about Loudoun County is that there’s a great talent pool of technical skill sets that we need in developing the systems and the software that we deploy throughout the world.”