THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997 TAG: 9701030489
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHRISTOPHER DINSMORE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 39 lines
A Virginia Beach software developer and defense contractor has been bought by a Northern Virginia high-tech firm.
ManTech International Corp. said Thursday that it has acquired Tidewater Consultants Inc., a Virginia Beach-based firm that employs about 180 people.
Tidewater Consultants' offices are in the Chartway Federal Credit Union building on Newtown Road.
The company provides computer systems support services to the Navy and private firms. It did about $14 million of business in 1995.
``This acquisition opportunity was especially attractive to ManTech because it greatly strengthens our support to our Navy customers and expands our commercial presence,'' said Jerry O. Tuttle, ManTech senior vice president and a retired vice admiral.
Fairfax-based ManTech International provides professional and technical services to the federal government and others. Privately owned, ManTech has a contract backlog of more than $1 billion. Among its more than 100 offices nationwide and 20 overseas arethree offices in Hampton Roads - two in Chesapeake and one in Norfolk.
The two companies did not disclose the value of the deal.
Tidewater Consultants President Alan J. Blachman, also a significant shareholder, will become a vice president at ManTech.
``We have always believed that our people are the best of the best and that the only thing that holds us back from conquering the marketplace is our size,'' Blachman said. ``This merger opportunity will provide our people the opportunity to move quickly into larger tasks and larger responsibilities, thus providing a much broader horizon for their personal growth as well as (Tidewater Consultants'). ''
Founded in 1976, Tidewater Consultants was Hampton Roads' 58th largest defense contractor, in the 1995 federal fiscal year, handling about $6.8 million of contracts.