For Media Fusion, it's a feel-good story

Firm wins $10 million contract to help NASA explain goals, successes

A small Huntsville company recently won its first large prime government contract.

Media Fusion is the prime contractor on the nearly $10 million NASA contract, according to Tim McElyea, the company's CEO and creative director.

The American Indian-owned small business was awarded a contract for print and communications for NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The contract began in May and is expected to run for five years. SAIC is subcontractor, and the work is split 60/40, McElyea said.

Media Fusion has 22 employees on site at Marshall Space Flight Center and 19 under contract in the Washington area, McElyea said.

Among the projects the Huntsville business will tackle under the contract will be a book called "Exploration 101."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin asked for the booklet to take to Congress, McElyea said. Its purpose is to explain NASA's goals and accomplishments.

McElyea is no stranger to producing books and pamphlets about the adventure into space.

Earlier this year he produced a small paperback called "Project Constellation," available from Apogee Books at www.apogeebooks.com. It's a pocket guide to help the reader understand Project Constellation, the NASA program to create a new generation of spacecraft for human spaceflight. McElyea said he didn't write the book by himself: It was a task "of weaving things together," he said.

A few years ago McElyea was involved in the publication of another space-related book, "A Vision of Future Space Transportation," also available from Apogee.

Winning the NASA contract is clearly a dream come true for McElyea, who grew up in Huntsville. "It's a personal passion of mine," he said. McElyea sees the award as his "opportunity to help NASA tell its story clearer and better."

McElyea sees his job and that of his company as assisting clients with communication.

"We help tell stories," McElyea said, adding, "Everybody has a story to tell. NASA has a great need to tell its story ... so this was a perfect opportunity."

McElyea's talents, his passion for space, and his American Indian status all probably helped Media Fusion win the NASA contract, but the CEO also gave credit to partner and mentor SAIC.

SAIC has a long relationship with NASA. "That was essential in our win," he said.

Media Fusion was founded in 1995 by McElyea and has grown from an initial $50,000 in revenue to $3 million in 2007. The firm provides multimedia, television, graphics and animation services.

Last year, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce presented Media Fusion with a Small Business Award in the Business Services category.