At a time when most employment in Washington, DC was directly by the US federal government, Melpar became an early private sector contracting company training a high technology workforce in the area.

In 1945, after the conclusion of World War II, the founders of Melpar Inc (Thomas Meloy and Joseph Parks), at the suggestion of the United States Navy, moved from New York City to the Washington, DC area to obtain government contracts.

[2] In late 1945 Parks accidentally killed himself in a hunting accident; nevertheless Meloy continued to promote developing Melpar as an engineering and production company doing business with the Armed forces.

Events such as the Berlin Airlift, the detonation of the nuclear weapons by the Soviet Union, and the outbreak of the Korean War helped Melpar's business.

The new building, surrounded by fields in a campus-like setting 400 feet (120 m) back from the road, had a pond, willow trees, a brick facade, and parking behind the plant.

To accommodate Melpar, Fairfax County revamped its zoning laws to help relieve the tax burden on property owners.

The company won two large contracts for B-58 aircraft electronics and Minuteman missile guidance components, requiring a buildup of manufacturing plants and an associated technical workforce in the Washington area.

Technology schools such as the Capitol Radio Engineering Institute expanded to help train designers and draftsmen to build products for space and missile programs.

Universities conducted technical courses in Melpar's facilities for employees on their own time, in programs praised by the Secretary of Education.

Intense development occurred in areas of microelectronics technology such as the fabrication and layout of miniature circuits, and the use of thin film devices and plastic components.

Melpar performed studies in cell biology, food chemistry, composite materials (light weight, high temperature), solar energy, meteorology, virology and immunology (cancer research), air and water pollution, air traffic control, global navigation (constructed a prototype map of the Global Positioning System), and underwater acoustics and optics.

Offshoot products from laboratory technology included resins, varnishes, foam, nonsmudge ink, adhesives, photoelectric readers and frequency standard instrumentation.

While most of Melpar's efforts were technical, some involved the social sciences–creation of a stock index of S&P 500 companies for Business Week, and operation of a Job Corps center.

The company participated in early uncrewed (Vanguard and Explorer) and crewed space programs (Mercury and Apollo), providing antennas and semi-dried food for lunar missions.

Melpar also produced more than a dozen flight simulators, including many for the Air Force's century series fighters and helicopter systems for the Navy.

These simulators enabled more realistic and demanding training, saving pilots' lives and reducing fuel consumption during the 1970s energy crisis.

A company newspaper editorial in 1957 stated, "We have sought the breeder job, the line of inquiry promising to expand a general field of engineering endeavor or open a new one.

In 1963 Bobby Baker was Secretary for the Majority Democratic caucus in the US Senate, and closely linked to Lyndon B. Johnson - he held perhaps the most powerful nonelected position in Congress.

A Melpar vending machine contractor filed a lawsuit against Baker, accusing him of influence peddling to switch the contract to a competitor, with which he had financial ties.

Over the last 25 to 30 years the company performed some government electronics contracts, such as production and support of ground systems for the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Additionally this facility managed information systems for agencies such as the US Department of Education, and fabricated and tested electronic products.