An area tech and analytics firm is expanding, and Virginia leaders are celebrating the news as a major win for the region’s economy.
Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., or SPA, announced plans to double its workforce by hiring 1,200 new employees over the next five years.
The jobs will be based at its Alexandria and Fairfax County locations, and the company will invest nearly $50 million to upgrade those sites.
“We are as large as we’ve ever been, but we’re as small as we’re ever going to be,” SPA CEO Richard Sawchak said.
The announcement on Thursday came at a time when many federal workers have lost their jobs. Sawchak noted that SPA, which works in national security, has a long history of hiring former federal employees and military personnel.
“We’ve had a great partnership with our federal customers over the decades that we’ve been there. … Retired military personnel, as well as retiring or early-departure federal employees, have come in and worked for SPA afterward,” Sawchak told WTOP.
The company also plans to expand its partnerships with local schools, offering STEM lessons and mentoring opportunities for students.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the expansion a sign of confidence in the future of the state.
For those seeking employment, Youngkin added, “I firmly believe the most powerful words in the English language are ‘I love you,’ but right behind them are ‘you are hired.'”
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said the hiring expansion comes at a much-needed time for the region.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of strife and challenges in our local economy because of what’s happening in Washington, D.C.,” McKay said.
He added that the announcement is not only good for Northern Virginia, it’s good for the entire D.C. region.
“Jobs are not Democratic or Republican. These are real people whose lives are being affected,” McKay said. “When we grow jobs in Northern Virginia, that’s good for all of us.”
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the city celebrates both the retention of existing jobs and the arrival of new ones.
“We celebrate the new investments that are going to happen in this building to make it a state-of-the-art facility for national security, collaboration and connection,” Gaskins said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
