Margarita Howard Built HX5 Into a Government Contracting Powerhouse
Business, Executive, LeadersMargarita Howard, sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, has grown her Fort Walton Beach, Florida-based company from a modest startup founded in 2004 into a contractor employing more than 1,000 people across 34 states and 90 government locations. The firm provides professional mission support services to the Department of Defense and NASA, and its trajectory reflects Howard’s disciplined approach to building a business in one of the country’s most demanding sectors.
Before founding HX5, Margarita Howard served in the military and later took a pivotal role in rolling out the Tricare program, the Department of Defense’s health care initiative. “I was part of the Tricare implementation team when it was first introduced,” she has said. “Before that, the military’s care had never been managed in such a fashion.” The experience managing regional operations across seven southeastern states sharpened her understanding of government structures and contracting requirements.
Early Momentum Through the 8(a) Program
Howard credited the federal 8(a) program, which provides contracting opportunities and support for small businesses facing social and economic disadvantages, as instrumental in getting HX5 off the ground. “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,” she explained. Rather than rely solely on those sole-source awards, Howard pushed HX5 toward open competition, a decision that distinguished the company from many peers.
“We had been in the industry, we knew small businesses in our area, and that’s what many of them did,” she said of firms that depended on sole-source work. “And once the program was over after nine years, they were done. They had never competed.” By building competitive capabilities early, Margarita Howard positioned HX5 to win work on its own merits long after the 8(a) benefits expired.
Today, compliance and record-keeping remain central to HX5’s operations. Howard stresses that government work demands meticulous documentation. “Businesses must invest in educating themselves about these regulations and ensure strict adherence to them,” she 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.” For Howard and HX5, that commitment to detail has proven a durable competitive advantage. Refer to this article, for related information.