Tysons East Aims to Keep ‘Creative Class’ Around — “Lots of people come to the glitzy, suburban Tysons East neighborhood to work, but most of them leave as soon as the workday is over. Tysons wants to change that.” [Greater Greater Washington]

USA Today ‘Firmly Entrenched’ in Tysons — “The company split in 2015, spinning off TEGNA as a separate broadcast television and digital media entity that will soon to move to a new home atop Boro Tower in Tysons Corner. Gannett and USA Today remain firmly entrenched on Jones Branch Drive in the impressive, two-tower campus now known as Valo Park, where the news of the nation and world continues to be filtered through a bustling newsroom.” [FCEDA]

Local Companies Making Acquisitions — Two Tysons-based companies are making notable acquisitions. Global IT services provider Avineon is buying Michigan-based InfoGraphics, Inc. while Capital One is acquiring Wikibuy, a “tech start-up used by millions to price-check while shopping on Amazon.” [Citybizlist, CNBC]

Forum on Anxiety in McLean — “The Safe Community Coalition and McLean High School PTSA will host a screening of the documentary ‘Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety’ on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at the high school.” [InsideNova]

Update on 11/30/18 — A Wawa spokeswoman says the company is still looking to open a store in Vienna, but not at the site discussed below.

Wawa is working to open a new store at the busy corner of Maple Ave and Park Street in Vienna, TysonsReporter.com has learned.

The store will replace a shuttered gas station at the corner and an adjacent property that houses two well-liked businesses: a tailor shop and the Arthur Christine salon.

The Vienna Town Council approved the redevelopment of the properties into a new gas station and 2,500 square foot convenience store — the identity of the store operator was not revealed — by a 5-2 vote in May. The development includes 11 parking spaces, wider sidewalks and the placement of utility lines underground, the Sun Gazette reported.

In response to an inquiry from Tysons Reporter, Wawa confirmed that it was working to open a new store at the location, though no opening timeframe has been set.

“We are pursuing this site in Vienna,” said Wawa Public Relations Manager Lori Bruce. “While it’s too soon in the land development phase to confirm a timeline for construction, we can say that we are excited to have the opportunity to bring Wawa to this community.”

Wawa has been expanding across the D.C. area after announcing plans last year to add 30-50 stores in the region. The convenience store chain currently has locations in Sterling, Chantilly and the District.

Mr. Foutah, the owner of the tailor shop that is set to be redeveloped, said his lease expires in June 2019 and he has been told that the building will be torn down.

Foutah, who prefers to only go by his last name, said he has been in the location at 109 Park Street NE for 20 years. He added that he is planning to move to a new storefront somewhere in Vienna.

“I’m optimistic about the move,” he said. “It’s a lot of memories, but the way I think about it is that it’s going to give me a good opportunity to clean up the place.”

Rachel Grante, who co-owns the Arthur Christine salon with her husband, said the business moved out of the 113 Park Street NE location on Oct. 1, after seven years there, and is now temporarily operating out of the nearby Michel Rene salon at 165 Maple Ave E. She called the move “bittersweet,” adding that “it will be interesting how the town adjusts” to the new Wawa store.

Dusan Grante said the couple is looking for a new, permanent location and “trying our best to stay here” in Vienna, though they’re also scouting storefronts in Merrifield and Reston.

Photo via Google Maps

Home Prices Up, Building Permits Down — The latest Fairfax County economic indicators show that home prices are up 5.8 percent year-over-year, but single-family building permits are down 25.9 percent. [Fairfax County]

Dental Office Celebrating 15 Year Anniversary — “While The Boro and other developments are in progress nearby, Nicole Van’s dental office has become a mainstay in the community.” [Patch]

Local Teen Performing at Kennedy Center — Fourteen-year-old Falls Church resident Makenzie Hymes “will have the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage of her still-young dancing career so far as Clara in Ballet West’s new production of The Nutcracker, which will have its Washington, D.C., premiere at the Kennedy Center Opera House on Dec. 5.” [Fairfax Times]

The Changing Face of Fairfax County — “We have a greater diversity of racial and ethnic population than we did two decades ago. Compared to 2000, Asian and Pacific Islanders made up the highest increase, from 13.1 to 19.5 percent in 2018.  Our Hispanic population increased from 11 to 16.2 percent.” [Fairfax County]

FCPD Social Media Star Retiring — “In bittersweet news, our beloved K9 Moose is retiring! On more than 250 posts, Moose has earned over 40,000 combined likes across all of our social media platforms.” [Facebook]

Three companies based in Tysons are on a new list of the fastest-growing tech companies.

The companies, plus five others from Fairfax County, are included in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list, which looks at the fastest-growing technology firms in North America. That’s according to the latest Fairfax County Economic Development Authority email newsletter.

The Tysons-based firms are:

• GTT Communications, a telecommunications infrastructure company
• KLDiscovery, which provides data-driven software and services to law firms, corporate legal departments and government agencies
• Digital Harbor, an enterprise software company focused on the healthcare industry

Other Fairfax County companies on the list are: LookingGlass Cyber Solutions of Reston (“leads local companies on the list with an 883 percent growth,” per FCEDA), GoCanvas of Reston, Research Innovations of Alexandria, Acero Health Technologies of Alexandria and ScienceLogic of Reston.

Black Friday makes the headlines, but this upcoming Small Business Saturday (Nov. 24) will give locals a chance to check out some of the small stores throughout the area and maybe get some holiday shopping done.

The Vienna Business Association has put together a list of all small businesses in the areas with special deals on Saturday, including:

• Bards Alley LLC (110 Church St NW) — A book store in Vienna that will have giveaways for purchase over $50, refreshments, and a signing by local authors Katy Upperman, author of The Impossibility of Us, at 11:00 a.m., Eugenia Kim author of The Kinship of Secrets, at 1:00 p.m., and Anna Whiston Donaldson, author of the book A Hug from Heaven, at 3:00 p.m.
• Elements Massage (122 Maple Ave W) — A massage parlor offering $30 discount off of your first one-hour massage session. The deal will run both Saturday and Sunday.
• Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom (258 Maple Ave E) — The mattress store will be offering 30 percent off all Savvy Rest Mattresses and 25 percent off all other products.
• Bikes @ Vienna (128 A Church Street NW) — This store bicycle, which specializes in non-traditional models, will be offering 10 percent off select bicycles and accessories.
• Aesthetic Medical Center (8150 Leesburg Pike) — Calling the clinic (703-992-7979) on small business Saturday will net a 15 percent discount on any single treatment through Dec. 31.
• Colleen’s Creations, LLC — This online-only business run out of a Vienna home will be offering a variety of discounts on lipstick and glosses. All cosmetics and skincare materials are 40 percent off. Pickup is available in Vienna or via mail for a $4 charge.
• Generation Code (112 Church St NW) — This kids coding camp will offer five percent off winter break camps.
• Freeman Store (131 Church St NE) — The Freeman Store and Museum, a historically styled general goods store, will offer a 10 percent discount (15 percent for members) on merchandise in the store excluding used books.
• Potomac River Running Store (111 Maple Ave W) — The regional chain is offering buy one, get one 40 percent off. A Potomac River graphic t-shirt is available for $10 with any purchase of $20 or more.
• Skintelligence (421 Church St) — This skincare and spa treatment clinic in Vienna is offering 10 percent off any massage scheduled on Nov. 24 for any day between Nov. 26 and Dec. 23. All skin care products are also 20 percent off.
• John Edwards Hair Design (103 Church St NE) – A cosmetic studio offering 40 percent off any facial or skin care peel.

Meanwhile, for those looking to support small businesses in Tysons and McLean, here is a partial list put together from both American Express’s map of small businesses and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce’s retail directory.

• Color Wheel (1374 Chain Bridge Road) — A family business offering paint and specialty finishes and custom photo framing.
• Mangan Jewelers of McLean (6801 Whittier Ave) — A jewelry store featuring wedding rings, fashion jewelry and estate pieces.
• McLean Hardware Co. Inc. (1445 Chain Bridge Rd) — McLean’s local hardware and household goods shop, offering a variety of gardening, plumbing, electric and houseware supplies.
• Mayflowers of McLean (1363 Chain Bridge Rd) — A florist shop in downtown McLean.
• Treasure Trove (1317 Chain Bridge Rd) — A used merchandise store offering everything from old books to clothing. All proceeds benefit Inova Hospital.
• Mesmeralda’s Gifts (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A gifts and novelty items store.
• Gegi Couture (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A fashion store focusing on custom clothing and tailoring for women.
• Carpet Impressions (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A carpet and handmade rug store.
• The Preppy Pink Pony (6829 Redmond Drive) — A monogrammed gifts and invitations store.
• Tysons Tailors (8099 Tysons Corner Center) — An alterations and tailoring shop inside Tysons Corner Center.
• Tysons Watch and Jewelry Exchange (8150 Leesburg Pike) — a store trading in jewelry, watches and luxury items.
• Aram Boutique (2001 International Dr) — A women’s fashion store in Tysons Galleria.
• Vienna Hot Tubs & Patio (1524 Spring Hill Rd) — An emporium stocking home spas, fire pits and patio furniture
• Shiraz Market (8486 Tyco Rd) — An international grocery store featuring Middle Eastern and Asian goods.

Photo via Facebook

Vienna Buying New Snow Plow — “Winter is coming, and the Vienna Town Council on Oct. 15 voted 7-0 to ride a buy a 2-ton dump truck and snow plow from Henderson Products Inc. and National Auto Fleet Group, using the town’s vehicle-replacement funds. The vehicle and equipment will cost $144,356, or about $20,000 more than had been estimated in the town’s plan.” [InsideNova]

Tech Company Opening McLean Office — “Medallia, Inc., the global Customer Experience Management leader, has designated its office in McLean, VA as its Public Sector headquarters. The office is located just outside of Washington D.Cand houses 50 Medallia employees and growing.” [PR Newswire]

Drug Conspiracy Included Vienna Meeting — The story of a $1 million drug deal bust includes a meeting between the suspect, an informant and an undercover officer at a Vienna hotel. [Washington Post]

Bioretention Areas Proposed in Vienna — “Seeking to piggyback on the installation of ‘choker’ curb extensions to slow down traffic where Meadow Lane, S.W, intersects with Tapawingo and Kingsley roads, S.W., which they approved April 9, the Vienna Town Council on Oct. 15 agreed to pay Urban Ltd. $56,350 for survey and design work for bio-retention areas at those intersections.” [InsideNova]

Opponents Speak Out at Ramp Closure Meeting — “Proponents were more vocal Oct. 18 at the second Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) meeting about possible temporary closures of a ramp leading from Georgetown Pike to northbound Interstate 495 in McLean, but a majority of local residents who have sounded off still oppose it, VDOT officials said.” [InsideNova]

Police: DUI Suspect Kicks Officers in Merrifield — “During the traffic stop, the officer determined that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and arrested Joshua Ginchereau, 37, of Woodbridge. During the arrest, Ginchereau resisted and kicked 3 officers.” [FCPD]

McLean Firm Wins NATO Contract — “MCR, LLC has been awarded a five-year Advisory and Assistance Services (AAS) framework contract by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to provide a wide spectrum of scientific, engineering, project management, acquisition, and military functional expertise” [BusinessWire]

Tysons Company Acquired — “Applied Insight, a government IT services company, is deepening its inroads in the national security and intelligence community markets by acquiring McLean-based Organizational Strategies Inc., a 20-year old company that has worked closely with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fall Foliage Mostly MIA in Va. — “By the final third of October, fiery colors of fall are usually all over the place in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Not this year. While we are still at least a week or two from typical peak fall foliage in the immediate D.C. area, this year’s delay in autumn color is unlike anything in recent memory.” [Washington Post]

Photo via VDOT

Police Release Sketch of Vienna Robbery Suspect — Fairfax County Police have released a sketch of the suspect who robbed a man at gunpoint on Oct. 6 along path to the Vienna Metro station. [Facebook]

Rapid Pace of Tysons Development — The pace of development in Tysons is impressing even seasoned local business people. At a recent Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce breakfast, the gathered crowd was wowed by a slide showing buildings now under construction and approved developments in Tysons. [InsideNova]

Local Firms Place High on Fortune List — From the most recent FCEDA E-Bird: “Hilton and Mars Inc. are among the top three places to work — not just in Fairfax County but in the world according to Fortune.com. San Francisco-based Salesforce, Tysons Corner-based Hilton and McLean-based Mars ranked 1-2-3 based on employee surveys conducted by Fortune partner Great Place to Work around the world. Companies racked up points based on respect, fairness, pride, camaraderie, and trust.” [Fortune]

FCPS Digital Citizenship Week — “This week is Digital Citizenship Week in our county schools and it’s important for parents/guardians to help children become safe, ethical, responsible and respectful digital citizens.” [Fairfax County]

Cvent Makes Big Acquisition — Tysons-based event tech company Cvent has acquired D.C.-based event and venue planning startup Social Tables for, reportedly, more than $100 million. [Washington Business Journal]

Reminder: Social Media Week Fairfax Tomorrow — Social Media Week Fairfax, featuring a number of marquee speakers including Judy Smith of Scandal fame, will be taking place tomorrow (Thursday) from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Capital One HQ in Tysons. A complete agenda is available here.

Fairfax startups are economically strong but disproportionately tied to the public sector, even compared to other nearby jurisdictions, according to the 2017 Startup Census.

Adam Zuckerman, founder of census creator Fosterly, spoke to the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission meeting earlier this month to offer a recap of Fairfax’s role in the survey of local startups.

In total, 48 companies from Fairfax participated in the survey, while 377 businesses from around the region were surveyed in total.

Some findings:

• The Fairfax startups that participated in the survey generated $28 million dollars in revenue in 2017 and projected 194 percent growth in 2018.
• Startups throughout Northern Virginia generated $108 million in revenue and projected 166 percent growth.
• Throughout the entire region, startups generated $193 million in revenue and projected 217 percent growth overall.
• Fairfax County is home to about 12.5 percent of startups in the D.C. area.

According to the survey, startups in Fairfax also derived less of their revenue from consumers or private businesses than the regional average.

• Fairfax startups derived 66 percent of their revenue from private sector customers.
• Regional startups  averaged 89 percent revenue from private customers.

“If you look towards the larger set, only 11 percent of revenue in the overall set came from the public sector,” said Zuckerman. “So Fairfax County companies have a disproportionate amount of public sector revenue than the larger ecosystem.”

Ryan Touhill, chief of staff for the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, said in the survey analysis that the regional shift away from a reliance on the public sector is a positive trend for local economic diversification.

For Fairfax, Zuckerman said this public sector reliance for startups that are generally less than five years old is unusual because most public sector deals require a track record that startups generally don’t have. Most startups, Zuckerman said, start off working in the private sector before dipping their toes into the public sector when the product is proven.

The survey also found that the top five industries in Fairfax for startups were technology and services, computer software, real estate, financial services, and management and consulting.

There was one unfortunate item of news about one company in particular: Fosterly, the company running the census. Unless another organization takes over the mantle, Zuckerman says this year’s census will be the last.

“We’re not doing it again this year,” said Zuckerman. “We’re going to be talking to a few entities to see if they want to continue the census… but the resources weren’t there.”

Photo via Fosterly

Knife Fight in Vienna — “Arriving officers located a man with a laceration to his hand. Witnesses told police the man was trying to break up a fight when one of the combatants pulled a knife, cut the man, then ran off.” [InsideNova]

Fairfax Economic Indicators Look Good — Tax receipts and home prices are up in Fairfax County, while unemployment is down to 2.4 percent. [Fairfax County]

Tysons Company Makes Acquisition — Tysons-based communications firm W2 Communications is acquiring Mesh Omnimedia, a Loudoun County-based creative agency. “This acquisition transforms W2 Communications from a leading public relations and content creation firm, into a full-service communications and branding organization that delivers creative design and digital marketing services,” said a press release. [W2 Communications]