SAIC to acquire engineering firm

Science Applications International Corp. is buying Geo-Centers Inc., an 1,100-employee engineering and professional services firm, SAIC announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

SAIC will improve its homeland-security and defense capabilities with the purchase of Geo-Centers of Newton, Mass., SAIC Chairman and CEO Ken Dahlberg said. The acquisition is expected to close in September.

Geo-Centers provides research and development for chemical and biological weapon detection, infrastructure assessment and protection, life science research, rapid response equipment and support, and sensor systems and integration.

SAIC will acquire Geo-Centers subsidiaries EAI Corp. and FOCIS Associates Inc. Geo-Centers' customers include the Homeland Security and Defense departments, as well as state and local government agencies. The company also develops training-course materials and trains first responders at the DHS Center for Domestic Preparedness and provides preparedness and response services and products to government and private industry clients.

McLean, Va.-based investment banking firm of Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin served as the financial advisor to Geo-Centers on the transaction.

SAIC has more than 43,000 employees and $7.2 billion in annual revenues. The company ranks No. 3 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue.