Qbase Defense Contract Will Mean Additional Jobs

Dayton Daily News (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)

by Thomas Gnau
Staff Writer

BEAVERCREEK — The U.S. Transportation Command has awarded data organizer Qbase a $1.1 million contract, which will lead to local hiring as well as hiring in another state, the company said Wednesday.

The contract will have Qbase sorting, analyzing and arranging Department of Defense transportation data into a consistent format, Qbase executives said.

"This is big breakthrough for us," said Chief Executive Bill Pardue.

"It's exciting," said David Judson, Qbase vice president for government and health care customers.

Judson said the company will look at data all military services use for property, plant and equipment. Qbase will "cleanse" that data, he said.

The company will use the same Data Discovery software tool that it used to help organize Air Force vehicle data earlier this year.

"The thing that drew them to Qbase is the (work) we were able to do with the (Air Force) vehicle (project)," Judson said.

Pardue said the contract is meaty enough to justify additional employees, initially four to five in Springfield and Beavercreek, where Qbase is based, and at least one in St. Louis. The company's technology team now numbers more than 50.

For the relatively new company, the pace of hiring has been torrid, Pardue said.

"It feels like a juggernaut already in 24 months to go from zero to 110 employees," Pardue said.

To win the contract, Qbase took part in a national contract competition. It was the first one the firm won as a prime contractor.

"We went up against the big guys and won," Pardue said.

It's the second $1.1 million contract Qbase has been awarded in recent weeks, the company said. Last month, Qbase was awarded work by the Institute for the Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology for an image-managing computer system.

Judson and Pardue both spoke by phone from abroad, Judson from the United Kingdom and Pardue from the Middle East. They declined to say precisely what projects were possible for Qbase in those areas.

"It's exciting that the people abroad find the same value that the people in the states do," Judson said.

More large contracts are possible, both men believe.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@coxohio.com.