Although underground contractors might find the use of moles handy, those working on embassies would not. While not quite as cloak-and-dagger as a good George Smiley movie, building and upgrading United States embassies abroad requires security clearances and a different type of employee, concedes Vern Martinez, president of general contractor Martinez International.

Spectrum Electrical Services has been providing electrical design and construction services since 1990, but when it took on its first project for the federal government, it opened the door to a new set of core competencies. The company has diversified to include mechanical and general design and construction services since that initial project in the early 1990s and has performed more than 120 projects for the U.S. State Department. President Philip Pao says Spectrum Electrical Services has become a trusted partner on sensitive projects overseas and developed deeper skills as a result.

Framaco International is building on its 20 years of experience as a “go-to” project partner to the U.S. State Depart­ment. The company, founded in 1992 as a procurement and logistics provider for contractors working overseas, found its niche in 2003 when it responded to the Department of State’s invitations to bid on contracts for foreign embassy and consulate facilities.

A design/build general contractor and specialized construction company, Facilities Development Corporation (FDC) has proven its ability to serve U.S. government departments and agencies by meeting and exceeding their operational and security needs. Headquartered in Reston, Va., the company is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and has shown a penchant for working on projects with unique security and restricted-access concerns.

It takes a lot for a company to be trusted with the U.S. State Department’s Overseas Building Operations (OBO) design/build projects. For Enviro-Management & Research (EMR) Inc. of Virginia, it took the willingness to branch out into new capabilities, strong engineering know-how and the understanding of the customer’s needs to become an important part in the OBO program. President and founder Naresh K. Khosla says working within the OBO initiative has spurred it to evolve, and he says the company expects to continue to grow in the design/build and construction management field as a result.