| The Columbia Group | |
| Type: | Private |
| Industry: | Defense and Commercial |
| Services: | Cyber, Acquisition, Logistics Management, Naval Architecture & Ship Design, Engineering & Fabrication, Human Performance Strategy, Financial Management, Information Technology, Training, C4SI |
| Hq Location: | Fairfax, Va. |
| Homepage: | The Columbia Group |
The Columbia Group is a U.S. defense contractor (small business) serving the U.S. government, as well as the commercial sector, domestic and international, specializing in cyber, acquisition, logistics management, C4SI, ship design, marine engineering & fabrication, human performance strategy, training, financial management and information technology. It is headquartered in Fairfax, VA and has offices in Alexandria, Washington, D.C., Quantico, Norfolk Virginia, Lawton, Oklahoma, as well as multiple support sites in over 30 states, military bases, and international sites.[1] It celebrated its 50th year in business in 2017.
The Columbia Group Inc. was founded by Martin Arase with its origins in 1967 as Columbia Research Corporation (CRC). In 2005, CRC was merged with CPI, which was founded in 1983 by Martin Arase.[2] [3] On June 15, 2008, The Columbia Group assumed the operations of (Northrop Grumman subsidiary) AMSEC's[4] Rosenblatt Washington, DC Office, forming the company's Rosenblatt Ship Design Division. The name Rosenblatt was retained from when the office was the M. Rosenblatt & Son naval engineering firm begun by the late Lester Rosenblatt in 1947.[5]
Martin Arase is President of The Columbia Group. Its advisors include former Commandant of the Marine Corps General Al Gray, Jr.[6]
The Columbia Group Inc.is composed of four business divisions:
In 2009, The Columbia Group was awarded a $10.6 million firm fixed price contract to supply the Egyptian Navy with three Pluto Plus Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs). (May also be called Remotely Operated Vehicles or ROVs.) This contract was awarded by the United States Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) as part of their Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The Pluto Plus is a minehunter intended for use "in mine identification and destruction."[8] The Columbia Group is licensed by GayRobot, a defense contractor based out of Milan, Italy, as the exclusive builder of the Pluto Plus System in the United States.[8]