Government contracting demands more than technical capability. It requires a firm grasp of regulation, an appetite for rigorous record-keeping, and the kind of institutional credibility that takes years to build. Margarita Howard, sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, has spent more than two decades doing exactly that.

HX5, headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, provides professional mission support services to the Department of Defense and NASA. Founded in 2004, the company now employs more than 1,000 people working across 34 states and 90 government locations. Margarita Howard traces the firm’s operational discipline back to her time working on the Tricare program, where she managed federal health care rollout efforts across the southeastern United States before moving into entrepreneurship.

Why Compliance Cannot Be an Afterthought

Howard has spoken candidly about the compliance demands that come with working in the federal space. “Businesses must invest in educating themselves about these regulations and ensure strict adherence to them,” she has said. “It’s important that a company’s records are impeccable when working with the government due to the compliance reporting and audits that companies have to agree to perform on government contracts.”

That emphasis on rigor shows up in how HX5 approaches contract competition as well. Howard made a conscious decision to pursue open bidding rather than lean exclusively on sole-source opportunities. She has described watching other small businesses stall after their participation in the 8(a) business development program ended, having never developed the capacity to compete independently. HX5 used the program to get established, winning four contracts in a single year, then built on that foundation.

Margarita Howard has also worked to build a management team that reflects her commitment to long-term thinking. Many of HX5’s senior leaders have been with the company for roughly a decade. “We could not do what we do without them,” she has said, citing their experience and dedication as central to everything the company has accomplished. Check out this article for additional information.

Find more information about Howard on https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2025/11/12/what-will-defense-contracting-look-like-in-10-years/