Fairfax County’s sluggish job market is expected to get a small boost in the coming months, thanks to a Reston-based contractor.
The technology company Data Machines has committed to investing $849,000 in an expansion of its headquarters in RTC West (12100 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 605), a move that will create 75 new jobs, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced yesterday (Thursday).
“Northern Virginia has been a fantastic home for us since our founding, with its unique combination of technology, talent, and proximity to the government missions we support,” Data Machines CEO Matt Quinn said in a statement. “More than doubling our headquarters footprint gives us room to grow our team, collaborate more closely, and take on increasingly complex challenges for our government partners.”
The expansion will add approximately 10,000 square feet to Data Machines’ existing 6,500-square-foot headquarters, according to Data Machines Chief Operations Officer Catherine Schymanski.
“We’re hoping we’ll have work completed by March 2027,” she told FFXnow by email. “… The hiring won’t have to wait for the expansion to be complete, we’re hoping to work up to that 75 starting immediately!”
The additional space will enable the company to establish a dedicated innovation and engineering office where employees will tackle “complex work in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, data analytics, cyber defense, software engineering, and modeling and simulation,” the FCEDA said.
Data Machines was founded in 2016 by Eric Whyne, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who still serves as the company’s president and chief innovation officer after ceding the CEO position to Quinn.
The company provides a variety of data science and information technology services to the federal government, including intelligence and national security agencies, as well as research labs and commercial clients, according to its website.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn congratulated Data Machines on its planned expansion. McKay called the move “a strong vote of confidence” in Fairfax County as “an ideal location for innovative companies” based on its skilled workforce, infrastructure and proximity to D.C. as the center of the federal government.
“This expansion means 75 new jobs and real investment in our community,” Alcorn said. “I’m thrilled to see a veteran-founded company choose to grow its roots in Reston, and I want to thank the entire Data Machines team for the complex work they do in support of our service members and our national defense. I’m excited to see what comes next.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to keep Data Machines in Reston. To support the expansion, the partnership will provide consulting services and funding to help the company recruit and train new employees through the state’s Jobs Investment Program.
Since taking office in January, Spanberger has announced over $5 billion in new business investments and more than 3,200 new jobs for Virginia, her office said.
“Data Machines’ decision to continue to invest in Virginia is a testament to our people, our talent, and our status as a top state for business,” Spanberger said. “As cybersecurity and national security become ever more related, companies like Data Machines are rising to the challenge to deliver innovation, and it’s Virginians who are making that possible.”
