The West Virginia University College of Business and Economics will be hosting Arria Hines, an award-winning West Virginia business owner, as part of their Distinguished Speaker Series.
Hines, who will kick off the spring sector of the lectures, will present on Feb. 18 at 11:30 a.m. in the Mountainlair.
Her Bridgeport-based company, Allegheny Science & Technology, is an energy, defense and intelligence sector services provider. She founded the company in 2009 and won her first contract from NASA with just two employees. Today AST employs more than 75 people and supports nearly a dozen federal agencies. With the receipt of an $85 million purchase agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy, the company is expecting to double in size this year.
“We are very fortunate to have Arria Hines in our speaker series because our students, University community and business community can learn much from her,” said Jose Zito Sartarelli, Milan Puskar Dean of the College of Business and Economics. “She has been at the center of significant growth for Allegheny Science & Technology, and is an incredible West Virginia and national business success story.”
Hines has excelled in an arena dominated by men, and was strengthened by the personal challenges of working two jobs while raising three children during the start-up and management of Allegheny Science & Technology. She attributes this exceptional growth to unwavering commitment by herself and her employees to strong customer relationships, excellent service and continuous improvement.
That commitment has proved invaluable to the company, helping to garner the many accolades it has received. Inc. 500 named Allegheny Science & Technology the No. 1 company in West Virginia, the No. 17 rated government service company and as No. 268 on its overall list of firms. AST was also ranked No. 7 on the Washington Technology 2014 Fast 50, the industry publication’s annual ranking of top performing small business contractors.
Hines lives in Lewis County with her husband and two children. She enjoys giving back and supporting small businesses in West Virginia. She serves as a director on the Teaming to Win Board, which sponsors an annual small business conference in West Virginia that hosts more than 300 attendees. She serves on the West Virginia University MBA Advisory Board and I-79 Development Council board. Hines was also recently appointed to the West Virginia Governor’s STEM Council.
This is the first of four scheduled events in the B&E Distinguished Speaker Series in the spring 2015 semester. For further information, please visit be.wvu.edu.
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CONTACT: Patrick Gregg, WVU College of Business and Economics
304.293.5131, Patrick.Gregg@mail.wvu.edu
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