A considerable amount of DOD spending is concentrated within 5 miles of 189 military bases, according to a recent study issued by Bloomberg Government. Although some spending has shrunk recently, bringing with it uncertain times for local communities, spending on professional services, IT and other support services remain strong. The two leading states for military base spending are Virginia and California. The data underscore the point that a considerable amount of federal spending decisions are made outside of the Washington D.C. area and that it is vital for contractors to maintain a strong presence in communities where there are substantial military or federal civilian installations. The Bloomberg report, for example, comes on the heels of a story released earlier last week showing that significant federal spending is concentrated in areas such as Orlando, Fort Worth and Huntsville. No one company can be everywhere at once, but it’s good to know where the major opportunities lie. Creating and maintaining relationships in these places can be key to growing or sustaining federal business.