Northrop makes a big T-X announcement — and snubs BAE Systems

It’s strictly business, BAE Systems. It’s not personal that Northrop Grumman Corp. dropped your aircraft like a hot potato in a multibillion defense program.

That’s what happened Friday when Northrop announced it would pitch a newly designed aircraft for the U.S. Air Force Trainer-X (T-X) competition, rather than moving forward with its plan to pitch an adapted version of the BAE Hawk AJTS aircraft.

It’s likely BAE Systems Inc. was aware of Northrop’s plan for a while, but could Northrop (NYSE:…

Acquisition boosts Maryland company's share of global email traffic to near 30 percent

Columbia-based software company Message Systems Inc. announced Feb. 5 that it will acquire San Francisco-based Port25 Solutions, expanding its already hefty share of the email infrastructure market. Terms of the stock and cash transaction were not disclosed.

“Email infrastructure” is industry parlance for the platforms that handle the delivery of emails across cyberspace, and the deal is expected to boost Message Systems’ market share to near 30 percent.

The company currently supports 23 percent…

GSA pitches cheaper plan for DHS consolidation: Move FEMA to west campus

The General Services Administration and Department of Homeland Security are proposing a new plan for DHS’s massive consolidation at St. Elizabeths in Southeast D.C. given congressional resistance.

The proposal would shave about $800 million from the project’s tab, bringing the total cost down from $4.5 billion to $3.7 billion, by making more efficient use of the 60-some historic buildings on the Congress Heights campus. Notice of the new plan was included in the president’s 2016 budget proposal.

The…

Aerojet Rocketdyne to buy solar from largest array in Arkansas

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced Friday it signed agreements to buy electricity from what will be the largest solar array in the Arkansas.

The company, which has a 1,200-acre campus in East Camden, Ark., will buy the power generated by a 12 megawatt array to be built on about 100 acres nearby. Aerojet Rocketdyne is a subsidiary of GenCorp Inc. (NYSE: GY), which is based in Rancho Cordova.

In spring 2010, Aerojet expanded its photovoltaic array in Sacramento County to 6 megawatts over 40 acres, which…

After $1B IPO, Columbia Pipeline Partners' stock soars in NYSE debut

Columbia Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE: CPPL) stock was trading around $28 shortly after making its debut on the New York Stock Exchange the morning of Feb. 6.

It dipped down to $26.70 around midmorning before creeping back up to about $28. It finally closed at $26.79 per unit, up about 16.48 percent.

Houston-based Columbia Pipeline priced its initial public offering of more than 46.81 million common units at $23 each on Feb. 5.

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The upsized…