WBB Consulting announces Patuxent River office opening.

St. Mary’s County Enterprise
June 15, 2007
By Paul C. Leibe, Staff Writer

Defense contractor WBB Consulting, based in Reston, VA, celebrated the opening of its newest office [June 6th], at Exploration Park on Route 235 in Lexington Park.

The new site joins the company’s growing list of satellite offices in San Diego, Huntsville, Ala., Dayton, Ohio, and Hampton and Virginia Beach, Va., and serves Navy, Army and Air Force operations in those locations.

WBB was started 26 years ago by a former Navy aviator to support naval aviation programs. Over the years the company has expanded and its customers now include all service branches and several government agencies, including NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Veterans Administration.

Mark Converse, a retired naval aviator and former test pilot, has been named to manage WBB’s Lexington Park office.

"The company’s been working with naval aviation from the start," he said, "and now everything has lined up the right way, and we saw this as the right time to open the office here to support the clients at Patuxent River Naval Air Station."

Unlike prime contractors, who provide their customers with finished products, or support contractors that provide continuing long-term support for products or programs, Converse said WBB Consulting offers “short-duration, high-intensity, task-specific solutions” to their customers. The company's services range from developing strategies and performing project analysis to doing studies and compiling project reports.

"We're somewhat unique in this area," he said, "because of the experience base of our folks. We have more than 200 consultants nationwide. Most of them have 20 or more years experience and advanced degrees. Our consultants, for the most part, are retired military or retired civil service" with backgrounds in acquisition, logistics, test, operations and business analysis.

The consultants' diverse backgrounds, said retired Marine Col. Paul Croisetiere, who now works at WBB's Lexington Park office, provides "a collaboration across the company that is an important part of staying current" as projects, programs, requirements and government regulations change.

"We can draw from our entire staff to determine how best to support our customers," he said.

Unlike most defense contractors who provide services awarded on multi-year contracts, WBB jobs “are typically three to six months,” said Converse. "A year for us is a long project. Thirty to 40 percent of what we do is in support of industry. What we offer is to help the customer better understand what the government needs."

Converse said WBB can also help their clients move more smoothly through the review process at the Pentagon "because our people have already been there. In government acquisition, there are always changes taking place. Our people are aware of those changes. Our customers know we’re going to do it right, the first time."

WBB also offers periodic training sessions at its Lexington Park office for military and civilian personnel new to the acquisition field, a program called "How Washington Works."

It was that training, said Croisetiere, that in 2000 first made him aware of WBB when, as a new member of the Marine Corps' acquisition community, he attended the two-day training at the company’s Reston offices.

"It's an important course," he said. "It walks you through the process of how the Pentagon works, the requirements, acquisition and budgeting process. I learned a lot and was immediately impressed with the company."

By July, said Converse, WBB’s Lexington Park office will include a staff of five consultants plus administrative support.

Pictured below are at the grand opening ceremony: WBB's President Kevin Moore (center) cuts the ribbon with the help of (left to right) Mike McCartin, WBB Senior VP; Don Bouchoux, WBB Senior VP; Dan Redgate, WBB Consultant; Mark Converse, WBB Site Lead/Consultant; Paul Croisetiere, WBB Consultant; Hans Welch, Saint Mary’s County Department of Economic and Community Development; Dan Raley, St. Mary’s County Commissioner; Bill McMullen, WBB Senior VP; Pete Ulrich, WBB Consultant.