Government contracting has long been dominated by large, well-established firms and, historically, by men. Margarita Howard, sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, has spent more than two decades quietly reshaping that expectation. Under her leadership, HX5 has grown from a startup into a firm with over 1,000 employees across 34 states, serving the Department of Defense and NASA.
HX5 is headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was founded in 2004. The company’s growth reflects Howard’s belief that infrastructure and competitive readiness matter far more than relying on preferential set-aside awards. Many small businesses in her sector leaned heavily on sole-source contracts, but Howard watched those firms struggle once those programs ended.
Women in a Changing Industry
Margarita Howard has been candid about the shifting role women play in government contracting. Margarita Howard has seen progress firsthand but remains measured about it. “It’s rewarding to see that women are making significant strides in the government contracting industry, over the years, breaking barriers and more often assuming leadership roles in this industry and within government agencies that we work with,” she said. At the same time, she acknowledged: “It’s still somewhat challenging for women in this industry, and while progress has been made, some biases unfortunately remain to be overcome.”
Inside HX5, Howard has worked to embody the progress she wants to see more broadly. Many of the company’s senior management positions are held by women, and a number of those leaders have been with HX5 for extended periods. Howard attributes much of the company’s success to the quality and loyalty of its management team. “We were very selective of people that we chose for our management team. And really, I could not be more proud of them,” she said. That selectivity, she believes, is one of the reasons HX5 continues to win and retain contracts across nearly every region of the country. Refer to this article for additional information.
Learn more about Margarita Howard on https://m.doyoubuzz.com/margarita-howard
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