The Times-Tribune November 29, 2007
SRA plans two offices downtown
By James Haggerty
A major defense and government technology consulting company will locate in the Scranton Enterprise Center within weeks.
SRA International Inc., which is based in Fairfax, Va., and has 6,200 employees worldwide, will open two offices in mid-December in the business incubator at 201 Lackawanna Ave.
Although it will start with only a few employees, employment is likely to expand as the office serves a growing financial services industry expected from the Wall Street West initiative.
“We’re excited about the Scranton area and the whole Northeastern Pennsylvania area,” said Ron Gornto, vice president and director of technology solutions. “I will have three senior people there. ... How much it will grow and how fast is yet to be determined.”
The location of a highly professional and specialized international company downtown is a coup for the city and economic development officials.
“When you’re preparing your Christmas gift list, SRA would be at the top of it,” said Austin Burke, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “SRA is a leading brain trust in advising business and government. As a strategic and technology adviser, SRA requires first-class competencies, first-class thinkers.”
The company provides technology, strategic planning and consulting services to governments, corporate clients and the health care industry, and has offices throughout the United States and facilities in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.
SRA representatives approached local officials about establishing a Scranton operation six months ago.
“They came to us,” Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty said. “These are the smart guys. They are all over the world. That’s a great compliment to the city.”
SRA already has a link to the area because it indirectly provides logistics and supply management consulting to Tobyhanna Army Depot through Fort Monmouth, the Army’s main electronics communications development center in Eatontown, N.J.
Mr. Gornto said the company hopes to land work from Wall Street West, a state effort to convince major New York City financial firms to locate backup operations in Eastern Pennsylvania.
“We’re opening the regional office to service current and potential clients, to include Tobyhanna Army Depot,” Mr. Gornto said. “Many of our competencies strike right at the heart of the Wall Street West challenges.”
Mr. Doherty said SRA could expand employment to more than 100 locally, but Mr. Gornto declined to venture a prediction.
“We’re kind of in the assessment and planning mode right now,” he said.
SRA has a good reputation as a defense contractor and employer, said John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a defense policy think tank in Alexandria, Va.
“It would be a good company to have in town,” Mr. Pike said. “They would bring professional and technical positions there.”
© Copyright 2007, The Times-Tribune
