Verus Research announces the expansion and buildout of a new research facility in Northeast Albuquerque.  The fast-growing technology company will move into the empty big-box retail space, formerly Babies R Us, at 45 Hotel Circle NE in August.  In addition to the new 41,240 square feet of research and office space, Verus Research will maintain its multi-floor headquarters at 6100 Uptown Boulevard NE in Albuquerque as well as its two other lab and office spaces throughout the city.

Working with Verus Research since 2014, Resolut RE, a commercial real estate company located in Albuquerque, has supported the company’s growth during the past seven years and was tasked with helping the company expand in a limited industrial real estate market.  As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted retail space, it provided Resolut RE with a creative way to support its client as well as the Albuquerque business community.  “To meet the growing needs of Verus Research, we had to creatively look at the problem and find the right space to accommodate the company’s expansion in Albuquerque,” said Rob Powell, principal with Resolut RE.  “Once we identified the unique big-box location, we collaborated with Improve Group and Design Plus to develop a cutting-edge interior design transforming a retail space into a state-of-the-art research location for one of New Mexico’s leading technology companies.”

For the space to accommodate Verus Research’s needs, Improve Group, a design and construction integrator based in Albuquerque, collaborated with Design Plus Architects and developed a systemized construction system using DIRTT (Doing it Right this Time) and other systems which utilized the flexibility and sustainability of the space to encourage growth.  “We helped create a workplace systems approach for Verus Research that incorporates the company’s vision of solving problems through innovative solutions.  The smart component-based system we developed where walls can be moved like Legos will help stimulate and accommodate internal growth for the next 10 years,” said Matt Procter, president of Improve Group.  “Verus Research encouraged us to take a different design approach and we reinvented the space through technology and modernization, creating a workplace that will improve employee experiences, encourage collaboration among team members and inspire innovative solutions for clients.”

Design Plus, an Albuquerque-based architectural design firm, worked closely with Verus Research to create a solutions-oriented work environment built around the vision, collaboration, and achievements of its scientists and engineers.  “We developed an anthology of space(s) that became the underlying philosophy and logic for the Verus Workplace System (VWS).  This determined an integration between public and private activity, the manifestation of the company’s culture, the creation and implementation of an innovative interior design system, and more.  Verus Research made a unique investment in its physical and virtual work environments and encouraged us to bring a new perspective to the design and construction of its newest laboratory,” said Rupal Engineer, president of Design Plus.

AIC General Contractor, an Albuquerque-based general contractor, will perform and manage the construction of Verus Research’s new 41,240 square feet research facility beginning this week.  “We have worked with Verus Research since its initial expansion six years ago and we are thrilled to help them convert a retail space to offices and a laboratory testing area for their clients,” said David Shaffer, president of AIC General Contractor.  “We will work closely with Improve Group and Design Plus to complete the layout of partition walls and infrastructure needed to accommodate the DIRTT-based interior, build ramps, bring the facility up to current codes and install rollup doors, and more to help bring Verus Research’s vision to life.”

The building at 45 Hotel Circle NE is part of the commercial property portfolio of Gardenswartz Realty, a substantial New Mexico property investment company.  The lease agreement was signed on March 15, 2021.  “Verus Research is an outstanding forward-thinking company and its expansion to the new building will allow it to grow, provide more jobs and research opportunities in the state, and help improve the local economy,” said Art Gardenswartz and Sonya Priestly, managing partners of Gardenswartz Realty.  “We are thrilled to have Verus Research as a tenant and able to provide a locally-owned company with the opportunity to improve its business and the community it supports.”

“Verus Research was founded in 2014 and it has always been our goal to remain in Albuquerque and support the community where our employees live, work and play, through growth and recruitment, new job opportunities, and economic development for the city and state.  Resolut RE, the Improve Group, Design Plus, AIC and Gardenswartz Realty have taken leadership roles and worked together to support our vision of creating a scientific research and development environment built around creatively solving our customer’s most difficult technical problems,” said Hank Andrews, managing director and CFO of Verus Research.  “Our expansion will provide room for offices, team collaboration centers, testing facilities, equipment and product storage, large open laboratories and 10 program-specific laboratory stations all under one roof.  The size and location of the space and its futuristic interior design will provide Verus Research with the ability to grow and support our customers and community for many years to come.”

“Verus Research has been a part of Albuquerque for nearly 10 years,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “It is a testament to the city’s strength throughout this pandemic that we are continuing moving toward recovery and seeing growth. Congrats to Verus Research on its expansion and thank you for continuing to be an integral part of the community and the city’s emergent role in tech.”

Verus Research has won its largest ever contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, the center of excellence for space technology research and development.

The $9.7 million, 57-month effort is part of the Research Options for Space Enterprise Technologies (ROSET) focusing on future space communications.

Verus Research teamed with a group of industry-leading technology companies and institutions in winning this work, including Vulcan Wireless, PnP Innovations, IDEAS Engineering & Technology, Libration Systems Management, SA Photonics, Tau Technologies, Fibertek, and the University of New Mexico.

The scope of this effort includes research and development, modeling and simulation, algorithm development, and hardware development all geared to advance state of the art in satellite communication systems.

Work will include design, fabrication, integration, and test of advanced network architectures, components, and systems, such as radio-frequency and free space optical communications platforms.  This will include research and development in autonomous coordinated satellite control and communications, from algorithm development through hardware-in-the-loop testing.

Initially, Verus Research will develop solutions for coordinated satellite control and help stand up the Local Intelligent Networked Collaborative Satellites (LINCS) Laboratory at AFRL.

The Verus Research Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) effort passed a major milestone in December 2020.  Following a rigorous, multi-disciplinary review, the DPF transitioned from a pure “science and technology” (S&T) program to now being on track to deliver a robust pulsed neutron test capability under the Central Test & Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP). CTEIP is the overarching test infrastructure creation and management arm of the Department of Defense.

This post-S&T effort will extend Verus Research’s prior technology development successes and will now include coordinating with White Sands Missile Range to integrate the technology into a fully functional pulsed neutron test facility for the Army.

Extending its innovative support for U.S. Army programs, Verus Research has won its first award under the Modernizing Instrumentation Solutions for Test and Evaluation (MISTE) contract vehicle managed by TMC Design Corporation for the Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). MISTE takes an enterprise approach to modernizing operational and developmental test instrumentation across the test and evaluation communities.

Verus Research won a 4-year, $15M delivery order under the MISTE to provide Rapid Test Systems for Directed Energy (RaTS-DE) applications. Under the RaTS-DE umbrella, Verus Research will design, develop, fabricate, integrate, and test multiple RaTS-DE capabilities, including specialized sensor systems to measure newly emerging high-power microwave (HPM) capabilities, the development of novel battle damage assessment tools, and the design and delivery of all-new surrogate threat systems to better simulate the HPM environment.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Verus Research a third task order under the RDH-1 Call 6 High Power Microwave (HPM) Effects contract.

Following on to Verus Research’s success in task orders 1 and 2, AFRL’s High-Power Electromagnetics Division will look to Verus Research to assess weapon system performance and target effects, while also enriching understanding of causal effects mechanisms to help guide future HPM system development. Under this effort, Verus Research will also continue improvements to the Joint Radio-frequency Effectiveness Model (JREM) and its application for test planning, mission modeling, and weaponeering.

The Verus Research task order 3 team will also support HPM test and evaluation efforts at multiple test ranges across the country in Joint HPM system assessments, enabling the HPM community to transition this innovative technology to the warfighter.

The U.S. Army xTech program is accelerating innovative technology solutions to solve Army challenges.  To support this goal, xTech has awarded Verus Research a $1.7M, 18-month Phase 2 Small Business Innovative Research contract to develop Coherent Chaos-based Low Probability of Intercept (LPI)/Low Probability of Detection (LPD) Communication Systems.

This is the largest win for Verus Research in the radio frequency communications domain. Outcomes from this effort will support the Army’s need to develop an Ultra Narrow-Band Emergency Radio with strong LPI/LPD and LP-Geo capability, making it difficult for adversaries to detect and geolocate the platforms using them.

AFWERX, the Air Force framework that seeks to expand technology and talent and transition partnerships to deliver rapid and affordable commercial and military capabilities, recently awarded two Small Business Technology Transfer (Phase 1) contracts to Verus Research.

Streamlined Data-Driven Anomaly Detection, an award in conjunction with the University of Colorado Boulder, will develop satellite anomaly detection software using machine learning. This includes designing onboard data management software to begin to deploy autonomous data and fault management services for satellites. The work will support the Air Force Research Laboratory’s small satellite portfolio, autonomy group, and space security and defense program.

The second effort, Assured and Autonomous Coordinated Inspection, an award in conjunction with the University of Texas at Austin, will provide coordinated satellite control software that will enable autonomous satellite operations. Using this tool, multiple satellites will work together autonomously to achieve a common goal with safety and performance assurances built into the solution. This research will support the U.S. Space Force’s Space & Missile Systems Center.

The U.S. Air Force is conducting operational testing in Africa of the Tactical High-Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR) electromagnetic weapon to protect air bases by disabling drones or swarms of drones. An AFRL team, including BAE Systems and Albuquerque-based Verus Research, developed THOR. Please visit Defense Daily to see the full report.

Verus Research announces the appointment of Grady Patterson as its new chief executive officer.  Effective October 1, 2021, Patterson’s year-long transition to CEO is one component of an advanced planning campaign designed to anticipate and meet the needs of a rapidly scaling and dynamic organization.

“Verus Research has evolved since its founding nearly seven years ago.  It’s time for a new generation of leadership to take the helm and guide the company through the next stage of innovation and growth,” said Wheaton (Tony) Byers, chief executive officer for Verus Research.  “This promotion has been in the works since the creation of the company and I am excited to begin the transition process with Grady.  I am confident in his ability to lead Verus Research as it continues to provide cutting-edge solutions to our customers and incredible opportunities to our employees.”

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to lead this impressive and talented group of individuals.  We have an excellent leadership team in place to collaboratively develop and deliver innovative solutions to our customers,” said Patterson.  “Tony and I will work closely together over the next year to prepare for the change in leadership, while we both continue to support our external and internal stakeholders.”

Byers will transition to a new role as senior director of development in the office of the chief technology officer.  He will focus on creating mid- to long-range opportunities for growth of the enterprise and its employees, as well as scientific creative advancement.  “I am thrilled that Tony will continue to support the organization through his passion for technology creation, providing cutting-edge solutions for our customers.  The fact that he’ll be available to support this exciting and growing organization will make for a seamless transition of leadership,” added Patterson.

To replace Patterson, Dan Treibel, will take over as chief operating officer on October 1, 2021.  Joining Verus Research in 2014 as systems engineer, Triebel has served as one of the company’s technical directors and the company’s senior director in charge of the Sensors and Instrumentation group.   Treibel and Patterson will work closely together during the next year in order to guarantee a smooth transition.  They will preserve and build on the initiatives and policies Patterson and his team have set in place at Verus Research.

“Grady has done an excellent job overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations and positioning us for continued growth.  We will work together to ensure a smooth handoff for the COO position during the year-long transition period,” said Treibel.  “Leading the Verus Research Sensors and Instrumentation group, I bring a strong understanding of company operations to the role.  I will collaborate with Grady to build upon our practices and policies to benefit our employees and continue to deliver exceptional results on behalf of our clients.”

Patterson began working for Verus Research in 2015 and served as a technical director and chief operating officer.  Before joining Verus Research, Patterson worked in several different positions including senior engineer and development lead at TechFlow, Inc.’s Scientific Division, high power microwave modeling and simulation program manager at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (now, Leidos), and he completed a four-year active duty assignment with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s high power microwave division.

Patterson continues to serve in the military as a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina Air National Guard as well as the commander of the 169th Maintenance Operations Flight at McEntire Joint National Guard Base.  A longtime supporter of his community, he has founded two nonprofit organizations focused on increasing educational opportunities for students, and also serves on multiple other nonprofit boards.  Patterson received his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Davidson College in North Carolina.

Verus Research has for the third year running been named one of New Mexico’s fastest growing private companies of any type. Selected in the “large size” category, Verus Research ranks 6th among companies in annual revenue growth measured from 2017 through 2019. Honorees must also be privately held, for-profit companies and be locally owned and based in New Mexico.  We hope you’ll see the detailed coverage in Albuquerque Business First.