The federal 8(a) program has helped thousands of small businesses gain a foothold in government contracting. For HX5 and its founder Margarita Howard, the program was a useful launchpad, not a long-term strategy. That distinction has shaped the Fort Walton Beach, Florida firm into one of the more capable independently competing women-owned contractors in the country, with more than 1,000 employees across 34 states serving the Department of Defense and NASA.

Howard was direct about what she observed in her early years in the industry. “We had been in the industry, we knew small businesses in our area, and that’s what many of them did,” she has said of firms that leaned entirely on sole-source awards. “And once the program was over after nine years, they were done. They had never competed. They had never really done it on their own.” Watching that pattern, Howard made sure HX5 would take a different approach.

Using the 8(a) Period to Build

HX5 did benefit from 8(a) participation. “After becoming an 8(a) company, we were awarded very quickly four contracts in one year and that really helped in getting us off the ground,” Margarita Howard said. But the company used that window to build out an infrastructure capable of competing openly once those protections ended.

That infrastructure impressed the larger firms and agencies HX5 worked alongside. “Large businesses and the government have to meet small-business goals,” Howard explained. “So when they find a small company that they know understands the industry [and] they’re not going to have to hold their hand, I’m proud to say they were very impressed with us.” Being mistaken for a more established firm was a hard-earned compliment.

Margarita Howard brings the same standards to every aspect of HX5’s operations. Compliance, documentation, and audit readiness are non-negotiable. “Businesses must invest in educating themselves about these regulations and ensure strict adherence to them,” she said. The company she has built over two decades is one that wins work based on merit, keeps meticulous records, and earns the confidence of its federal partners year after year. Visit this page for more information.

Learn more about HX5 on https://m.doyoubuzz.com/margarita-howard