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Frederick County's growing professional and business services sector got a recent boost when SRA International expanded and consolidated its presence in a new building on Progress Drive.

The $1.5 billion Fairfax, Va., company provides technology and strategic consulting services and systems in a variety of markets, including national security, government and global health.

SRA's new building consolidates its five offices in the Frederick region into one 31,000-square-foot location with about 120 employees. The office also provides support to about 180 telecommuters, according to Vladimir Knezevic, director of peer review and science management for SRA's Frederick office.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development classifies SRA as a professional and business services industry, which as of last year employed an estimated 21,066 people in the county, according to agency information. The agency expects that to increase 36 percent by 2018.

The new location is more convenient for SRA's work with federal agencies and the private sector, he said. Among its services, SRA provides assistance with the Pentagon's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, which funds research on diseases such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. SRA has had this contract for more than a decade, Knezevic said.

SRA personnel also provide strategic planning of peer review of medical research, including research on topics such as cancer and neurofibromatosis.

In addition, the company works with the National Cancer Institute and the nonprofit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"The technical assistance expertise that SRA has will nicely complement efforts that [the National Cancer Institute] will bring to Frederick," Knezevic said, pointing out that groundbreaking began last year on a new cancer institute facility behind SRA's new Frederick office.

SRA's building was also designed to be the company's most environmentally friendly to date, including features such as carpeting made of recycled materials and open floor plans with natural light. The paint, adhesives and sealants also have low levels of volatile organic compounds, according to company information.

Laurie M. Boyer, executive director of the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, expressed excitement at SRA's expansion.

"This is just another example of the growing technology base that we have in Frederick County, highlighting the fact that we are the northern anchor of the I-270 Technology Corridor," Boyer said in an e-mail. "We look forward to working with SRA as they grow in our community."

It is always good news when companies are able to diversify and expand, added Helen Riddle, deputy director of Boyer's office.

Frederick County has the second largest cluster of biotech companies in the state, Riddle said, with a mix of larger companies such as Charles River Laboratories and smaller ones such as Jupiter BioScience.

The Riverside Five office park, where SRA's new office is located, is becoming a desirable location for companies because of the planned expansion of the cancer institute and Science Applications International Corp. in that area, she said.

SRA reported net income of $73.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2008, up from $63.4 million the previous year. Annual revenues grew to $1.5 billion from $1.3 billion the previous year.