Defense contractor SAIC will move its corporate headquarters from San Diego to McLean, the company announced Thursday, creating about 1,200 jobs as part of a $25 million investment over the next three years. The move expands the company’s already substantial presence in the Washington area, where it employs about 17,500 people. SAIC announced the move alongside Gov. Tim Kaine, who was flanked by local elected leaders. The governor announced six other business expansions in Fairfax County, creating an additional 334 jobs. The job growth comes at a time when Northern Virginia, like the rest of the state and nation, faces a sharp increase in unemployment over the previous year. Only a handful of employees will relocate from San Diego, creating an influx of high-paying job opportunities. “They’re not just looking for technical people, they also need administrative people and people who run the business,” said Jerry Gordon, president and chief executive of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “But the real emphasis is on the technology and the IT people, and we can help make those connections.” Signs of large-scale construction surrounded the SAIC headquarters Thursday as crews prepared Tysons for a new Metrorail line and toll lanes on the Capital Beltway. Traffic congestion, in the short term, is expected to worsen. But SAIC, Kaine told reporters, has clearly “scoped out Tysons.” “And they’re long-term players in this company, they’re making a long-term bet that Virginia and the Tysons area is going to be a wonderful place for their employees going forward for a number of decades,” Kaine said. He approved a $1.5 million grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to help Fairfax County accommodate the relocation. The state also will dole out $7 million in economic development grants to SAIC. The announcement came as Virginia was named the best state for business by Forbes for the fourth consecutive year, maintaining its status while other formerly high-ranking states struggled in the poor economic climate. Virginia boasts top-three rankings in three of the six categories Forbes used to analyze state business: labor supply, regulatory environment and quality of life. It was the only state to rank in the top 20 in all categories. Benjamin Giles contributed to this article.
