By Randy Arrington
LURAY — Page County’s HUBZone status wasn’t the only thing that brought Stephen Synnott to town.
“It’s a nice drive,” he said. “But It does help that the entire county is a HUBZone.”
In May 2012, Synnott opened a Luray office for his IT business Syntelligent Analytic Solutions to take advantage of the HUBZone status. The program offers federal contractors tax incentives for locating in an underserved area in need of job creation.
Today, Syntelligent employs 35 people locally — 16 full time and 19 part time. All of the full time employees started out as part time employs, and the majority of the staff lives in Page County. HUBZone businesses must hire at least 35 percent of their employees from within the designated HUBZone.
Syntelligent also pays local taxes on more than $500,000 in local gross revenues each year. With its headquarters in Falls Church, the company’s total earnings exceed $4 million annually.
However, beyond its impact through employment opportunities and tax revenues, Syntelligent has actively played the part of the good corporate citizen and generously contributed to local charities.
“We want to be a part of the community,” said Synnott, who serves on the board of directors for the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce.
For its efforts, the National HUBZone Council recognized the Luray IT company with the Community and Economic Impact Award at its 20th anniversary gala in Baltimore, Md. last month. Syntelligent won the award specifically for its “economic and social impact the company has had in Page County, Virginia since opening a principal office in Luray in 2012,” according to a press release issued by the company.
Since its founding in 2010, Syntelligent has contracted for consulting and professional services with various federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army and at least a dozen others. The owner launched the business after retiring from the Air Force, where he worked in intelligence.
Synnott says the county’s HUBZone status provides a great opportunity, as more federal contractors seek tax breaks in a serene setting. He says he helped bring three HUBZone businesses to town himself, and has spoken with others about the prospect.
“It’s a great place for people to do business,” Synnott said. “I think Page County would be better served to do more to attract [these types of businesses].”
In 2018, the local Chamber named Syntelligent the Service Business of the Year. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce also dubbed the Luray company one Virginia’s Top 5 among its “Fantastic 50” businesses the statewide organization recognized that same year.
To learn more about Syntelligent Analytic Solutions, visit their website at www.syntelligent.com
Be the first to comment