Government intelligence needs spur SpecTal
to the head of the list of state’s fast-growth companies

by Heather B. Hayes
for Virginia Business
May 2006

After 9/11, government intelligence agencies suddenly needed a lot of extra hands to fight a global war on terror. Reston-based SpecTal was there with the right experts at the right time and the right place.

As a result, the consulting company has vaulted to the top of the top of the Fantastic 50, an annual list of Virginia’s fastest-growing companies. Its revenue grew by more than 4,000 percent from 2001-2004, the period covered by the competition. SpecTal’s revenue reached $47 million last year.
SpecTal has more than 300 employees, nearly 40 percent more than it had in 2004, and Ann Holcomb, the company’s vice president and CFO, estimates that personnel rolls will hit 360 by the end this year.

The company provides defense and intelligence agencies with expertise in human intelligence, collection management, targeting analysis, languages, and regional, technical and functional support, along with training and technical development.

SpecTal’s name stands for “Specialized Talent.” Holcomb says that is an indication of the experience and drive of its employees. “People here work every day like it’s their own company,” she says. “We’re like a dot com with profit. That’s the kind of energy you see around here.”

SpecTal’s history is essentially a tale of two companies. Started in 1999 by John and Louise Cross, it functioned as a very small business providing consulting services to the intelligence community until the couple decided to slow down. In 2002, they hired three Electronic Data Systems employees — Holcomb, Ron Hammond and Ed Balint — to come in and take the company to the next level.

“The three of us were actually looking to start our own business and this was really a better deal for us, because the Crosses already had a platform, six employees, a payroll and a contract,” Holcomb says, noting that the Crosses continue to sit on the board of directors.

The company’s new leaders all had substantial experience working for the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies. They identified their existing strengths and knew which people they needed to hire to bolster their services. “We’d all been working long enough in this industry to be able to know, contact and hire the best possible people,” Holcomb says.

SpecTal’s leadership changeover occurred at a critical time for its government clients. After 9/11, intelligence and federal law enforcement agencies needed to rapidly gear up to fight a global war on terrorism. Officials filled their gaps in expertise by turning to companies with the right blend of skills and resources. SpecTal fit the bill perfectly and quickly became a preferred vendor.

Holcomb says one factor that helps keep SpecTal competitive is its commitment to employees. SpecTal gives employees opportunities to contribute to its growth and to develop their potential as future company leaders. For instance, employees that provide successful leads on new business for the company receive a percentage of the first six months of profit. The company also promotes from within based on work ethic, commitment to mission and ability to work as a team member. Holcomb notes that the company’s corps of management directors, many of them in their 30s, was selected from employee ranks. SpecTal also strives to match employee skills and interests to the right position. As a result, employee retention levels are currently at 98 percent.

"A satisfied employee base tends to self-propagate, and that is the best form of advertisement we could have,” says Holcomb.

Since the intelligence community continues to need the expertise and security clearances that SpecTal employees offer, Holcomb and her partners expect its growth to continue unabated for some time. Their goals include establishing a firm foothold in the federal sector while further developing the company’s skills mix so they can expand its client base in state and local agencies and first responder circles.

“Our goal is really to become known as the ‘go-to’ company for the type of specialized talent that we possess,” says Holcomb.