CACI's big NGA win adds fuel to strong year of growth

In a year when CACI International booked a record $11.6 billion of contract awards – $6.5 billion of which was new work – it also signed its largest single contract in company history: a $1.5 billion deal with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency for transport and cybersecurity services.

At the end of its fiscal 2020, CACI had a total backlog of $21.6 billion, up 27.8% from the previous year, and total revenue of $5.7 billion, up almost 15% from fiscal 2019. No stranger to the Top 100 list, the company holds the No. 12 spot this year with $2.9 billion in prime contracts.

“We believe that we are at the forefront of our customers’ needs and are truly aligned to their primary missions,” CACI President and Chief Executive Officer John Mengucci said. “Our continued success and growth demonstrate that our expertise, and technological investments are not just meeting our customers most critical needs but are exceeding and anticipating them in a proactive manner.” 

He highlighted the Defense Department’s selection of CACI’s CORIAN system for the counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) mission of defending against threats from unmanned aircraft systems and drones, and in May, it won a $373 million single-award contract to provide geospatial intelligence expertise to U.S. Special Operations Command.

In April, the company’s national security business won a $447 million contract from the National Security Agency to continue decades-long support of the agency’s cryptology, signals intelligence and network operations, and at the end of 2019, it signed the Customs and Border Protection’s Border Enforcement Applications for Government Leading Edge IT contract, a $1.9 billion deal.

“These strategic wins also position us for future growth and continued solid financial performance,” Mengucci said. “With approximately six decades of success, our employees and shareholders know that our strong culture of ethics and innovation remain key drivers of our success.”

One area of future growth he cited is space. In November 2020, CACI delivered to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory a flight model laser communications transmitter for use on the Psyche spacecraft, which will study the origin of planetary cores in the asteroid belt.

“We were excited to deliver fast and reliable communications leveraging advanced laser-based technologies in support of NASA’s deep space mission,” Mengucci said. “Through our unique expertise, we continue to develop and evolve technologies that address the changing landscapes of electronic warfare, signals intelligence, IT modernization, rapid scaling, data analytics, agile, C-UAS and space.”

Mergers and acquisitions are also part of CACI’s growth strategy, he added, and in 2020, the company acquired three companies: Next Century Corp., Linndustries Shielding Specialties and United Kingdom-based Deep3. Those will help build on capabilities such as advanced geospatial mapping, data analytics and fusion, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and electromagnetic shielding. In August 2020, CACI also acquired Ascent Vision Technologies, which “added best-in-class electro-optical and infrared imaging technologies,” Mengucci said.

Of course, CACI is not without its challenges. Like other companies in the government contracting space, it is focused on hiring and retaining top talent. To that end, it offers career development opportunities and mentoring and internship programs.

“For us, it is a primary business objective to continue to develop our talent in order to provide our customers with access to innovative, forward-leaning expertise,” Mengucci said.

The COVID-19 crisis helped increase that effort, he said. “Since the onset of the pandemic, the CACI Mentoring Program has grown dramatically and we are connecting employees at all levels across functions to foster learning, career development and professional growth. In parallel, we welcomed nearly 300 interns, many of whom were hired for full-time employment.” 

Additionally, CACI established the Center for Research, Application, Development Learning and Engagement, or CRADLE, to foster collaboration, innovation and engagement with customers, industry partners and employees. “It is an environment where we concept design and prototype for innovative new capabilities,” Mengucci said.

The company also experienced a few leadership changes, including two new sector presidents: Meisha Lutsey, who leads the Operations Support and Services business, and Todd Probert, who leads the National Security and Innovative Solutions business. In April, Glenn Kurowski was promoted to chief technology officer.

“This past year, we paid tribute to former Executive Chairman and Chairman of Board Dr. J.P. (Jack) London, whom we lost in January 2021,” Mengucci added. “In many ways, Jack’s legacy continues in CACI today and as we look to the future, we know that our strong values, ethics, and culture will always ensure we stand out.”

Ultimately, CACI’s success stems from its employees, more than 37% of whom are military veterans.

“I cannot emphasize enough that I am immensely proud of our people and their commitment to our customers and to each other,” Mengucci said. “They embraced our culture of good character and innovation, which is foundational to and the force behind our success.”