In the demanding world of government contracting, maintaining high standards isn’t just good business—it’s essential for securing and retaining federal partnerships. Margarita Howard, sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, has built a company that exemplifies this principle, growing from a startup to an organization with over 1,000 employees across 34 states and 90 government locations.
Leading by Example: HX5’s Guiding Philosophy
At the heart of HX5’s success lies a straightforward but powerful leadership philosophy. “Our guiding principle is to lead by example. We hold ourselves to the same high standards of performance, and integrity, and honesty that we would expect of our employees,” Howard explains. “We try to remind them always that our customers have important missions, and we are trusting in them to help us support our customers. We always want to provide the best possible services at the highest levels.”
This emphasis on exemplary leadership creates an organizational culture where excellence becomes the standard. Founded in 2004, HX5 provides specialized services including research and development, testing and evaluation, hardware and software engineering, and mission support operations primarily for NASA and the Department of Defense.
Howard’s approach to leadership emphasizes accountability and transparency. “From working in the industry, we knew the importance of impeccable record keeping,” Howard states. “Therefore, we’ve always ensured our finances, and all our records of everything we say we do must always be supported with the appropriate documentation and recorded accurately because, as a government contractor, all of our records are open to the government’s inspection and audits at any time. These are some of the many reasons for the high standards that we hold.”
Building the Right Team: HX5’s Talent Strategy
Howard recognizes that maintaining high standards begins with hiring the right people. “We were very selective of people that we chose for our management team. And really, I could not be more proud of the team that we have,” Howard says. “Many of them have been with us 10 years or so, and we just have a highly dedicated, experienced management team. We could not do what we do without them.”
The company maintains a rigorous approach to talent acquisition, focusing on individuals with specific expertise relevant to government missions. “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,” Howard notes. “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.”
This careful selection process sometimes means taking more time to find the right candidates. Howard acknowledges this tradeoff: “Sometimes it means we may not hire quickly. That was told to us in the beginning by our HR staff, in that it sometimes took us a little longer than they wanted for us to fill some positions,” she remarks.
Preparing for Challenges: HX5’s Approach to Government Complexities
The government contracting environment presents unique challenges that require preparation and adaptability. Howard’s leadership emphasizes being ready for shifts in priorities and funding. “We always have to be ready for changing mission priorities based on real-time world events,” Howard points out. “Every year we run into, ‘Is the budget going to be approved? Are they going to have budget cuts?'”
This proactive stance extends to compliance requirements. “When we talk to business entrepreneurs or new staff we remind them: 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,'” Howard states.
The company maintains specialized expertise to navigate complex regulatory requirements. “We have built and keep a team of advisers that specialize in the government industry, in the government field. These external experts help us with the more challenging and complex regulatory matters,” Howard explains.
Through consistent leadership principles focused on integrity, selective talent acquisition, and preparation for industry challenges, Margarita Howard has established HX5 as a company that delivers high-quality services to federal agencies. This approach has allowed the company to maintain enduring partnerships with government clients and build a foundation for continued growth in the federal contracting space.
