Storage Strategies Celebrates Grand Opening in Manassas Park

Storage Strategies company locates in city’s HUB zone

 

Storage Strategies Inc., a 7-year-old firm providing a variety of information technology services to help government leaders make wise technology investments recently opened their new headquarters at 1 Park Place in Manassas Park.

Virginia Senator Charles Colgan, Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones, and Ms. Syd Dorsey from the Office of the Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade joined SSI President/CEO Steve Mackie in making remarks and cutting the ribbon to commemorate the opening.  The festivities continued with a luncheon and tours of SSI’s new facility. 

SSI’s Manassas Park location is in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) as designated by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  Steve Mackie, President and CEO, was enthusiastic when discussing his decision to locate within the Manassas Park HUBZone calling it “a natural choice” for SSI.

HUBZones promote economic development in historically underutilized business zones through access to federal procurement opportunities.  Program benefits for HUBZone certified companies include competitive and sole source contracting and a ten percent price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions, as well as subcontracting opportunities. 

The event attracted a significant crowd of business leaders, supporters, and elected officials to highlight both the achievement of SSI and the business-friendly climate of Manassas Park.  Senator Colgan, the longest serving state senator in Virginia history, told the crowd that he introduced the bill to make Manassas Park an official city during his first term in office. 

Mayor Jones stated that SSI is a great fit for the HUBZone location and he and his staff want to do whatever they can to help other businesses interested in locating within the City’s HUBZone. 

Pastor Ralph Weitz of Immanuel Bible Church gave the Invocation and made brief remarks in which he congratulated the City of Manassas Park for “discovering Steve Mackie.”  Pastor Weitz had the pleasure of working with Mr. Mackie on a number of community and charitable projects and knew firsthand his ability to get things done.

Syd Dorsey, Advisor for Small Business Equity and Development for the Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade, was pleased to help celebrate SSI’s opening, particularly given that Information Technology is one of Virginia’s key industries.  She noted that small business has been the biggest creator of jobs since the 2008-2009 Recession.  Ms. Dorsey also applauded SSI’s commitment to and investment in the local community, particularly their establishment of a workforce development program through the SSI Career Resource Center.

SSI’s Career Resource Center is a new service provided free of charge to the Manassas Park Community as a collaboration between SSI and City of Manassas Park.  The Center is the innovative brainstorm of Mr. Mackie and his colleagues who wanted to provide a tangible service to the local community.

The mission of the Career Resource Center is to help local residents learn the necessary skills to work in jobs requiring basic Information Technology skills.  SSI’s friendly, bi-lingual staff can help residents with a number of different activities on the computer, both job related and for personal use including:  basic computer use, Microsoft Windows basic use, web browser use, email setup and use, basic internet search skills, basic use of Microsoft Office Suite and resume formatting.

SSI was founded in 2007 by Steve Mackie, a retired Navy Commander, to enable government leaders to make technology investments based on real needs, rather than the sales cycle of an equipment vendor.   SSI is a Department of Veterans Affairs verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and certified by the U.S. SBA as a HUBZone Small Business. 

The company employs over 30 employees, 12 of whom reside in Manassas Park or the surrounding community.  Forty percent of SSI’s workforce are veterans and six percent are active Reservists.  SSI is a Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC) providing certification testing services for a number of information technology vendors including Microsoft, Adobe, and CompTIA.

SSI serves a number of customers across a variety of sectors including the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and Civilian Federal Agencies.

To interview Steve Mackie or obtain additional information, please contact SSI at 703-451-1860.

For information on the U.S. SBA designated HUBZone in the City of Manassas Park, please contact Linda Decker, President and CEO of the Flory Small Business Center, Inc. at 703-335-2500.