When Margarita Howard founded HX5, she brought professional experience and a vision of how systematic excellence could transform government contracting relationships. With over 1,000 employees across 34 states and 90 government locations today, HX5’s growth demonstrates how structured leadership can turn ambitious goals into operational reality.
Howard’s path to entrepreneurship emerged through deep immersion in federal programs. After serving in the Air Force, she gained crucial insights working on major government initiatives. Her experience implementing the Tricare program, the military’s managed health care program, provided a comprehensive view of federal contracting dynamics.
“I really saw that process of bidding, contract award, implementation, and then the transition. I saw all the areas of securing a government contract,” Howard says.
Following her success with the Tricare program implementation, she sought a broader industry perspective through a position with another government contractor. This calculated career move provided crucial insights into contract management, team development, and agency relationship-building — foundational knowledge that would later shape HX5’s approach to partnership development.
Building HX5 for Scale: Infrastructure and Relationship Development
When launching HX5, Howard translated these industry insights into concrete operational strategies. Understanding the critical role of financial systems in government contracting, she prioritized infrastructure investments that would position the company for sustainable growth.
Early decisions focused on building robust operational foundations. “If you don’t know how to compete, then it’s a daunting task. You just have to know and build a good team, have the infrastructure in place. Right from the beginning, we invested heavily upfront in purchasing and implementing a specialized accounting system developed for government service contracting firms,” Margarita Howard notes.
“A system we knew the government was very familiar with and that would provide us the necessary accounting tools to pass government billing audits and gain government approval for use in the performance of our government contracts.”
Howard recognizes that sustainable growth requires more than technical capability. “We know that what we do is not easy to do, and it’s very expensive to ensure it’s done right. A phrase we use often is, ‘If it were easy, everyone would do it,’” she shares.
The company developed sophisticated approaches to opportunity identification and relationship building. “Building relationships with government procurement officers, government customers, prime contractors, and other stakeholders can enhance the chances of winning prime contracts by providing a better understanding of the government’s needs and challenges,” Howard explains.
This strategic focus extends to talent development. “Our field is R&D and in specialty areas, primarily STEM science, technology, engineering, and math. So across DOD and NASA, those are the specialties that are our primary workforce. And so, they very often have to have advanced education.”
Margarita Howard adds, “We prefer to hire experienced individuals, so we look for people that have worked with, or supported, NASA or the Department of Defense, as this experience is always very helpful. Experience in their respective fields, while supporting these agencies’ respective programs and missions, is very different than experience gained from working in the commercial world.”
Recruiting and retaining individuals with STEM-based education and certification is crucial for maintaining high standards and operational efficiency in these fields. The company invests in training programs that provide employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. This includes regular training on security protocols, compliance requirements, and the latest industry standards.
Margarita Howard Discusses the 8(a) Advantage
Participation in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program was pivotal in HX5’s development. “First and foremost, I would suggest going to the SBA’s women-owned business resource site and review all the various resources and programs available to women entrepreneurs, including filing the paperwork necessary to get the company officially certified with the U.S. SBA as a women-owned small business,” Howard advises.
The program provided HX5 with crucial development opportunities. “Understanding the government’s procurement process is also very important. You should familiarize yourself with all aspects of the government procurement process, including relevant regulations, procedures, and contract types, as this is essential to understanding how contracts are awarded and managed,” she says.
Howard emphasizes the importance of compliance and ethical standards. She says, “A new WOSB must also always ensure that it’s in compliance with all legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements throughout the entire contract lifecycle process, from proposal to closeout, and always maintain integrity and professionalism in all interactions with government agencies and teaming partners.”
The company took a calculated approach to opportunity identification. “One should constantly be researching new opportunities, with a particular focus on contracts aligned with your capabilities, experience, and business goals,” Howard advises. “One should regularly monitor government contracting websites, databases, and industry publications to identify relevant opportunities that the company can pursue.”
Margarita Howard’s leadership philosophy emphasizes the systematic development of organizational capabilities. “Being able to write winning proposals is an absolute necessity to be able to secure work as a government contractor,” she notes. “Developing winning proposals that accurately show the company’s capabilities, solution approach, and value proposition in a compelling and compliant manner requires very strong technical and cost expertise combined with effective proposal writing skills.”
The company invested heavily in infrastructure development. “Small startup companies oftentimes will not have that skill set or ability. We invested heavily early on in a professional proposal team that consisted of very experienced proposal managers and writers, who had years of experience in working with subject matter experts, developing comprehensive and persuasive proposals,” she says.
Howard attributes much of HX5’s success to maintaining high standards while focusing on significant missions. She points out, “Working side-by-side with civil servants and the military, supporting their respective missions is a privilege. I love this business and the work that we do. I’m extremely proud of it.”
The company’s commitment extends to the careful selection of team members. “With our corporate staff, especially for management positions, to this day, company leadership remains involved in the hiring process,” Margarita Howard notes. This attention to talent acquisition has supported strong retention. “I’m very proud to say that I believe it paid off … Some of them have been with us for 10 years or more, and that’s a lot.”
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