Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> WELCOME TO "GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING WEEKLY," SPONSORED
BY AOC KEY SOLUTIONS,
INCORPORATED.
"GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY"
IS THE ONLY TELEVISION PROGRAM
DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE
COMPETITIVE AND DYNAMIC WORLD
OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING,
A WORLD WHERE COMING IN SECOND
PLACE IS NOT AN OPTION, BUT
WHERE PRINCIPLE-CENTERED
WINNING IS THE ONLY APPROACH.
>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO
"GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY."
I'M HILARY FORDWICH OF KEY
SOLUTIONS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE
IN THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
COMMUNITY ARE WORKING OUR WAY
THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS
WE HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. AND
YET IN SPITE OF ANY OBSTACLES,
MANY BUSINESSES, LARGE AND
SMALL, ARE GROWING AND
PROSPERING. TODAY, YOU'RE GOING
TO MEET TWO SUCH COMPANIES.
OUR FIRST GUEST IS TONY JIMENEZ,
THE PRESIDENT, CEO, AND FOUNDER
OF MICROTECH. TONY AND MICROTECH
HAVE WON NUMEROUS AWARDS, AND I
RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH TONY AND
ASKED HIM HOW HE DID IT.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO OUR
SEGMENT OF "GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING WEEKLY" WHERE I HAVE
WITH US A LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING EXPERT, AND THIS
MORNING I'M MOST DELIGHTED TO
HAVE WITH ME TONY JIMENEZ.
HE'S FOUNDER, PRESIDENT, AND CEO
OF MICROTECH. GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> YES, WELL, TELL US, BECAUSE
YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH. YOU'VE
ACCOMPLISHED IT ALL YOURSELF.
YOU FOUNDED MICROTECH. TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND
AND WHY YOU FOUNDED THE FIRM.
>> WELL, I'D STARTED OFF WORKING
FOR THE GOVERNMENT, AND I HAD
BEEN WITH THE GOVERNMENT FOR
MANY, MANY YEARS, WAS GETTING
READY TO LEAVE, HAD MADE THE
DECISION THAT I WANTED TO GO TO
WORK FOR A LARGE COMPANY,
WENT TO WORK FOR A LARGE
COMPANY, AND AFTER A SHORT
PERIOD REALIZED THAT I REALLY
HAD THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL,
SMALL-BUSINESS ITCH. THE ONLY
PROBLEM WAS I DIDN'T HAVE THE
MONEY I THOUGHT I NEEDED. SO I
KIND OF RECALCULATED THINGS, DID
A FEW THINGS THAT I HADN'T
ANTICIPATED DOING, LIKE
BORROWING SOME MONEY AND TAKING
OUT SOME LOANS, AND THEN SHORTLY
THEREAFTER, STARTED THE COMPANY
AT MY KITCHEN TABLE.
>> LITERALLY.
>> WELL...ACTUALLY, NO.
IT WASN'T AT MY KITCHEN TABLE,
IT WAS IN MY BASEMENT, BUT I
KEPT SNEAKING UP TO THE KITCHEN
TABLE WHEN MY WIFE WENT TO WORK.
SO TRUTHFULLY, IT PROBABLY
REALLY STARTED IN THE BASEMENT.
>> LIKE A LOT OF COMPANIES DO.
MICROTECH. IT'S HAD IMMENSE
AMOUNT OF SUCCESSES JUST
RECENTLY, AND YOU'VE RECEIVED
SO MANY AWARDS. SO TELL OUR
AUDIENCE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING
AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE REASON YOU
ACTUALLY HAVE SORT OF, I WOULD
SAY, SWEPT THE CARPET WITH ALL
THE AWARDS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS.
>> WELL, I THINK PROBABLY THE
BIG THING IS PEOPLE. IT'S KIND
OF GOT ALMOST A SNOWBALL EFFECT,
WHERE YOU WIN SOME, PEOPLE WANT
TO WORK, THEY'RE INSPIRED BY THE
STORY. YOU WIN A FEW MORE
AWARDS, MORE PEOPLE WANT TO COME
TO WORK FOR THE TEAM. AND BEFORE
YOU KNOW IT, YOU'VE GOT A GREAT
TEAM, AND YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY
CONTINUING THAT MOMENTUM BECAUSE
IT TAKES GOOD PEOPLE TO BE ABLE
TO WIN THE KIND OF AWARDS THAT
REALLY MATTER. I MEAN THE ONES
THAT HELP TO DIFFERENTIATE YOU
IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING YOU AS
BEING THAT KIND OF A QUALITY
COMPANY THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WORK
FOR.
>> AND I KNOW THAT IN THE
IT MARKET, ONE OF OUR GUEST HAS
MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A WAR ON
FOR TALENT. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH
THAT? AND TELL US ABOUT WHAT
MICROTECH'S ACTUALLY DOING, AND
WHAT ARE THE SKILLS YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR.
>> I THINK THAT'S ACCURATE.
THERE IS A WAR ON FOR TALENT,
AND THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GET
AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK AND
CHOOSE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO AND
WHEN THEY WANT TO LEAVE AND HOW
MUCH THEY WANT TO GET PAID AND
WHETHER IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY OR
ABOUT THE PLACE OR ABOUT THE
PEOPLE OR ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
WE'VE FOCUSED ON BUILDING A
QUALITY COMPANY. WE FOCUSED ON
BUILDING THE KIND OF
ORGANIZATION THAT PEOPLE WANT TO
BE A PART OF AND IF THEY WANT TO
CONTRIBUTE TO. AND WE'VE FOCUSED
ON BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
KIND OF BENEFITS WHERE PEOPLE
DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT
OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET PAID.
THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
PERFORMING WELL KNOWING THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO GET PAID AND
THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET PAID
ON TIME.
>> YES.
>> THAT THEIR BENEFITS ARE THERE
AND THE PACKAGES ALL MAKE SENSE
AND THAT THEY CAN FOCUS ON ALL
THE THINGS THEY NEED TO BE
FOCUSED ON BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER
THEIR BENEFITS ARE GOOD ENOUGH
OR THEIR PAY IS GOOD ENOUGH OR
WHETHER THEY'RE COMPETITIVE
'CAUSE THEY KNOW THEY ARE.
>> THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE.
AND YOU MENTIONED FOCUS. TELL US
ABOUT THE MARKETPLACES YOU'RE
FOCUSED ON AND WHAT MICROTECH
ACTUALLY FOCUSES ON AS A
DELIVERABLE.
>> WELL, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED
OFF, WE WERE LIKE MOST START-UP
COMPANIES. WE FOCUSED ON JUST
GETTING A JOB, YOU KNOW, TRYING
TO DO SOMETHING IN THE
TECHNOLOGY FIELD, PARTICULARLY
IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
FIELD. AND NOW IT'S HARD TO
NARROW THAT DOWN TO JUST
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. I MEAN,
TECHNOLOGY SURROUNDS US EVERY
DAY IN EVERY FORM YOU CAN
IMAGINE. I MEAN, IT'S IN OUR
CAR, IT'S IN OUR HOME, IT'S IN
OUR PHONES, IT'S IN OUR OFFICES.
>> AND THE PGA ACTUALLY WANTS
TO USE IT TO SPEED UP PLAYING,
WHICH IS UNBELIEVABLE.
>> YEAH, IMAGINE THAT.
SO WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND NOW
IS THAT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS
MORPHED INTO A MUCH MORE
TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY COMPANY.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DO IT, IT SERVICES,
WE FOCUSED ON BEING ABLE
TO PROVIDE CLOUD, CLOUD
SUPPORT, CLOUD SOLUTIONS, BIG
DATA MANAGEMENT. DATA AROUND HOW
WE THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
AND FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, AS
WELL AS SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED
COMPANIES, ARE GOING TO NEED TO
BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE
THE KIND OF SERVICES AND
SOLUTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
BE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE IN
THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS.
>> SO GIVEN IT'S A HOT SPACE,
YOU'RE DOING SO WELL, HOW DO YOU
DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF AND
ANSWER THE QUESTION:
WHY MICROTECH?
>> WELL, I THINK A LOT OF IT IS
IN THE GOVERNMENT SPACE, IT'S
VERY EASY. WE SPEAK GOVERNMENT
FLUENTLY. WE KNOW THE RULES.
WE KNOW THE REGULATIONS. WE'VE
DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO INSURE
THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE PIECES
AND PARTS IN PLACE. WE'VE GOT
THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF IDIQs, BPAs,
AND GWACs. WHICH MEANS THAT OUR
CUSTOMER CAN GET TO US WITHOUT
HAVING TO SAY, "OK, WELL, I
DON'T KNOW. I LIKE WHAT YOU
OFFER. I LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DELIVER, BUT YOU
DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT CONTRACT
VEHICLE. SO CONSEQUENTLY, WE
CAN'T PUT A CONTRACT OUT THAT
YOU CAN, IN FACT, BID ON."
AND THEN THE THIRD THING IS THAT
WE'VE GOT VERY, VERY INNOVATIVE
SOLUTIONS. WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF
PATENTS THAT ARE OUR PATENTS.
>> THAT YOU ACTUALLY CREATED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND YOU'VE RECEIVED SOME
AWARDS FOR THOSE AS WELL.
>> ABSOLUTELY. JUST RECENTLY
GOT AN AWARD FROM
"COMPUTERWORLD" FOR SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THERE,
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD
SOME VERY, VERY NEAT STUFF THAT
PEOPLE NOW SEE AS ENABLERS.
>> AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF YOUR
TALENT IS COMING FROM. I READ AN
ARTICLE SOMEWHERE WHERE IT SAYS
THEY'RE READING THE KIND OF
CONTENT BECAUSE YOU INITIATED
IT. I GUESS THE BEST TALENT
ALSO--YOU MENTIONED WHY DO THEY
WANT TO COME. IT'S THEY WANT TO
COME BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE
ON THE CUSP OF INVENTING
SOMETHING.
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
HOPING. WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THE
THINGS WE'RE DESIGNING,
DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING ARE
THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE
INVOLVED WITH, BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE
TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR SKILLS
GETTING RUSTY AND THAT THEY'RE
GOING TO CONSTANTLY REMAIN
RELEVANT.
>> YES.
>> BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
GOING TO OPEN THE DOOR IN THE
FUTURE FOR ADDITIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, FOR ADDITIONAL
JOBS.
>> SO WE ALL KNOW THAT NOT EVERY
SMALL BUSINESS SUCCEEDS.
NOT EVERY WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS
SUCCEEDS, AND NOT EVERY A-8
SUCCEEDS. CERTAINLY MICROTECH
HAS SUCCEEDED BEYOND MAYBE EVEN,
I DON'T KNOW, YOUR WILDEST
DREAMS. BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK
ARE THE REASONS THAT OTHER
COMPANIES HAVE FAILED AND YOU
HAVEN'T?
>> WELL, IN ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST
PART, YES, I PINCH MYSELF OFTEN.
IT'S AN AMAZING STORY, AND I'M
JUST HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT.
I THINK PROBABLY SOME OF THE
PRIMARY REASONS ARE
OPPORTUNITIES. WHEN I SAY
PRIMARY REASONS WHY OTHER
BUSINESSES ARE HAVING
DIFFICULTY, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO GO AROUND, AND
IT'S STALL A VERY, VERY
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. BUT IF
WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE PLANS AND
THOSE PROGRAMS AND THOSE NUMBERS
THAT WE NEED OR STRIVE TO MEET
TO ENSURE THAT WE DO ENOUGH
BUSINESS WITH WOMEN-OWNED AND
MINORITY-OWNED AND VETERAN-OWNED
AND SERVICE-DISABLED-VETERAN-
OWNED AND HUBs-OWNED--IF THOSE
PROGRAMS DIDN'T EXIST, I DON'T
THINK WE WOULD HAVE THE KIND OF
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPS THAT WE
NEED. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS
IF WE'RE NOT TRULY INVESTING IN
THAT GROUP OF OUR SOCIETY,
OUR SOCIO-ECONOMIC GOALS AREN'T
MET, WHAT WE DON'T END UP WITH
IS WE DON'T END UP WITH THE KIND
OF DIVERSITY THAT'S HEALTHY FOR
THIS COUNTRY. AND THAT DIVERSITY
IS CRITICAL. I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T
BE THE KIND OF COUNTRY WE NOW
ARE TODAY IF IT WASN'T FOR THE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE PROVIDED
OUR MINORITIES. AND THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE MINORITIES TODAY WEREN'T
THE MINORITIES 20 OR 30 OR 50 OR
100 YEARS AGO.
>> PEOPLE FORGET THEY WERE THE
MINORITIES YEARS AGO.
>> AND THE MAJORITY TODAY ARE
THE MINORITIES OF YESTERDAY AND
100 YEARS AGO.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND IT'S GOING TO FLIP, TOO--
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND SO NOW WHAT
WE'RE SEEING IS THAT AS WE MOVE
FORWARD, WE'VE GOT TO INSURE
THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE,
AND DIVERSITY IS AND HAS ALWAYS
BEEN OUR FUTURE. I MEAN HOW WE
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE
WHO DON'T HAVE THEM IS CRITICAL
TO THE SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD.
>> SO WHY ARE SOME SUCCESSFUL
AND SOME AREN'T?
>> I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO
WITH OPPORTUNITY, NOT HAVING THE
RIGHT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES--
OR WHEN THEY HAVE THE RIGHT
OPPORTUNITIES, NOT HAVING ACCESS
TO THE CAPITAL THAT THEY NEED TO
BE ABLE GROW. WE WERE VERY
FORTUNATE. WE HIT ALL THE GATES
AT THE RIGHT TIME.
>> AND WAS THAT BECAUSE--
YOU SAID, "WE DID." IT'S GREAT.
I'VE NOTICED SINCE THE BEGINNING
OF THIS CONVERSATION, YOU'RE
ALWAYS INCLUDING YOUR TEAM.
DID YOU FEEL THAT YOU DIDN'T
HAVE EXPERTISE AND YOU BROUGHT
ON THE RIGHT PEOPLE?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
>> WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM,
THAT "WE" ATTITUDE?
>> WELL, I THINK PART OF IT IS
IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT I MAY
POSSESS ENOUGH. I MAY BE THE
GLUE, BUT I'M DEFINITELY NOT
MUCH MORE THAN THAT. AND WHAT
YOU NEED IS YOU ALWAYS NEED A
GOOD TEAM. IF IT'S JUST YOU,
IT'S GOING TO BE JUST YOU FOR
A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. IF YOU
UNDERSTAND THESE ARE THE 5 OR 10
OR 20 THINGS THAT I MAY BE GOOD
AT, IF YOU'RE FORTUNATE.
FOR ME, IT'S TWO OR 3 OR 4. YOU
SUPPLEMENT THAT. IT'S MUCH LIKE
INGREDIENTS IN AN AMAZING MEAL.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE STEAK IS
NOT ALL THE MEAL. I MEAN, YOU'VE
GOT TO HAVE THE CONDIMENTS.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE BAKED
POTATO. YOU GOT TO HAVE ALL THE
THINGS THAT MAKE THE MEAL THE
MEAL, AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE ALL
THOSE THINGS THAT ADD TO THE
FLAVOR OF WHAT YOU'RE DEVELOPING
AND DESIGNING. AND A BUSINESS IS
EXACTLY THE SAME. I LOOK AROUND,
AND THE PEOPLE THAT I BRING ON
BOARD COMPLIMENT WHAT I DO. AND
MORE IMPORTANTLY, I TELL PEOPLE
ALL THE TIME THAT THE TEAM, THE
COHESION OF THE TEAM AND BEING
ABLE TO INSURE THAT YOU'RE
COVERING THOSE GAPS WITH THE
RIGHT KIND OF PEOPLE THAT
COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER AND THAT
LEVERAGE EACH OTHER, THAT'S
WHERE THE SUCCESS OF OUR COMPANY
HAS COMES FROM.
>> SO IT'S ONE THING TO BE AT
THE TOP. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF
EXECUTIVES ON THE SHOW THAT HAVE
DONE VERY WELL, BEING AT THE
TOP, AND CERTAINLY TONY IS.
AND, TONY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
DO TO STAY AT THE TOP?
>> WELL, YOU'RE KIND OF IN A
VICARIOUS POSITION, BECAUSE IF
YOU'RE NOT STAYING AT THE TOP,
EVERYBODY ASSUMES YOU'RE HEADED
THE OPPOSITE WAY. AND AS SOON AS
YOU START HEADING WHERE IT'S
BEING PERCEIVED THAT YOU'RE
HEADING, THE OPPOSITE WAY,
YOU ACTUALLY WILL START HEADING
THE OPPOSITE WAY. BECAUSE PEOPLE
WANT TO GET UP EVERY MORNING AND
THEY WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH
SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES.
>> AND PARTICULARLY HOW YOUR
PARTICULAR ARENA IS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT THE TALENT TO
ATTAINING THOSE PEOPLE, YEAH.
>> I THINK THAT THE KEY, THOUGH,
IS EVERY DAY GET UP AND TRY AND
FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT BETTER
TODAY THAN I DID IT YESTERDAY.
BECAUSE YOUR COMPETITORS ARE.
THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO MOVE INTO YOUR SLOT, HOW TO
TAKE YOUR PLACE. AND WHAT YOU
OUGHT TO BE DOING IS FIGURING
OUT HOW TO TAKE THE NEXT GUY'S
PLACE. AND AN IMPORTANT PART IS
CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHERE IS THE NEXT STEPPING STONE
THAT LEADS ME UP, NOT DOWN.
AND EVEN IF IT DOES TAKE ME DOWN
A COUPLE OF NOTCHES, ARE THERE 5
OR 6 OR 10 MORE STEPS THAT WILL
TAKE ME UP 6 OR 8 NOTCHES?
SO THE IDEA IS CONSTANTLY
POSITIONING YOURSELF TO INSURE
THAT YOU REMAIN RELEVANT AND
THAT THE THINGS YOU ARE DOING
ARE THINGS PEOPLE WANT AND NEED.
>> SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS
THAT PEOPLE WANT AND NEED--
SO KEY SOLUTIONS IS THE FORCE
BEHIND THE SHOW. MOST OF OUR
REGULAR VIEWERS KNOW THAT.
PROVIDING STRATEGY, CATCH, AND
PROPOSAL SUPPORT SERVICES.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN,
AND SO ARE OUR VIEWERS, AS TO
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR KEY TO
WHEN YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND WIN
SOMETHING THE NEXT CONTRACT?
>> I THINK THE BIG KEY, ONCE
AGAIN, IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU
DON'T OVEREXTEND YOURSELF AND
THAT YOU'RE DOING THE THINGS
THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW YOU CAN
DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
YOU GOT TO FEEL IT.
>> IT'S A FOCUS.
>> WELL, FOCUS, BUT ALSO DON'T
TRY AND DO THINGS THAT YOU'RE
NOT GOOD AT, BECAUSE IT'LL SHOW
UP. YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY END UP
GETTING LUCKY AND WINNING
SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE NO
BUSINESS WINNING. AND THEN YOU
GET VERY UNLUCKY BECAUSE YOU
DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO
DELIVER IT AT THE LEVEL THAT YOU
ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DELIVER IT.
BECAUSE THE COMPETITION IS
TOUGH, AND YOU DON'T GET A
SECOND CHANCE OR A SECOND SHOT.
I MEAN, ONCE YOU'VE WON THAT
OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU CAN'T
PERFORM, YOU WON'T WIN AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR A VERY LONG
TIME. AND THE WORD GETS OUT.
IT'S A SMALL COMMUNITY.
>> IT DOES. IT GETS OUT AND THEN
A FIRM GETS A TRACK RECORD OF
FAILURE.
>> AND IT ONLY TAKES ONE.
>> ONE. AND KEY SOLUTIONS,
I KNOW, HAS A LOT OF TIMES
ACTUALLY CONVINCED COMPANIES
THAT THEY SHOULD NO-BID FOR
THAT VERY REASON.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> TONY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
COMING IN THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU.
TONY IS AN INSPIRATION TO
ENTREPRENEURS EVERYWHERE.
NEXT I WANT YOU TO MEET
TIM LAMB, THE PRESIDENT OF CS3,
A DIVISION OF CHENEGA,
ANOTHER INSPIRING SUCCESS STORY.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME BACK
TO OUR SEGMENT OF "GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING WEEKLY" WHERE I HAVE
WITH ME A LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING EXPERT, AND I'M
DELIGHTED TO HAVE WITH ME THIS
MORNING TIM LAMB, AND HE'S THE
PRESIDENT OF CS3. GOOD MORNING,
TIM.
>> GOOD MORNING, HILLARY.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS,
OF COURSE, FOR OUR AUDIENCE IS
CS3. CHENEGA IS THE NAME, BUT
IT HAS A GREATER, FULLER NAME,
AND YOU'RE PART OF ANOTHER
COMPANY. IT'S ALASKA-ORIENTED.
SO DO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE.
>> WELL, CS3 IS OUR SHORT NAME
FOR CHENEGA SECURITY AND SUPPORT
SOLUTIONS, LLC, AND WE ARE A
WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF THE
CHENEGA CORPORATION, AN ALASKAN
CORP, A NATIVE CORPORATION,
WHO'S HEADQUARTERED IN
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA.
>> MM-HMM. AND THEN TELL US A
BIT ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR
ROLE THERE, HOW YOU CAME TO
CHENEGA AND WHAT THE FIRM IS
DOING TODAY.
>> WELL, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF
CS3, AND I ACTUALLY SPENT 25
YEARS IN THE ARMY PRIOR TO
COMING TO CHENEGA.
>> PART OF IT WAS A MILITARY
POLICE ROLE, I KNOW--
>> I WAS IN THE MILITARY POLICE
CORPS FOR 25 YEARS. RETIRED IN
EARLY 2004 AS ASSISTANT
COMMANDANT OF THE U.S. ARMY
MILITARY POLICE SCHOOL.
MY FIRST JOB RIGHT OUT OF THE
ARMY WAS WITH CHENEGA, AND I
SERVED IN 4 COMPANIES NOW.
TWICE AS A VICE-PRESIDENT, AND
I WAS A GENERAL MANAGER OF A
JOINT VENTURE. AND TWO YEARS
AGO, I WAS SELECTED TO BECOME
THE PRESIDENT OF CS3, AND CS3
WAS FORMED IN JANUARY OF 2011,
SO WE'RE A PRETTY YOUNG COMPANY
IN THE FAMILY OF COMPANIES.
>> AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSED ON?
>> OUR FOCUS IS ON PROFESSIONAL
PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR THE
FEDERAL CLIENT. WE ARE A COMPANY
WHO DOES ARMED AND UNARMED
SECURITY. WE DO FIRE, EMERGENCY
RESPONSE, PHYSICAL SECURITY,
ELECTRONIC SECURITY, LOCKSMITHS,
ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS DEALING
WITH SECURITY. AND SO WE'RE A
FULL-SERVICE SECURITY PROVIDER
IN THE FEDERAL SPACE.
>> SO MANY OF US ARE AWARE OF
THE MANY SET-ASIDES AND SPECIAL
EXEMPTIONS THAT NATIVE AMERICANS
ARE GRANTED BY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. BUT MAYBE, TIM, YOU
COULD EXPAND ON THIS FOR OUR
AUDIENCE, ABOUT THE NATIVE
AMERICAN ALASKAN TRIBES AND WHAT
THE GRANT IS FOR AND REGARDING
THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS,
ET CETERA.
>> WELL, CHENEGA IS AN ALASKA
NATIVE CORPORATION AND WAS
FORMED UNDER THE ALASKA NATIVE
CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT. IT'S AN
ACT THAT GOES BACK TO 1971 WHERE
NATIVE TRIBES SETTLED WITH THE
U.S. GOVERNMENT FOR MINERAL
RIGHTS ON THEIR LAND IN ALASKA,
PARTICULARLY OIL. AND SO UNDER
THIS SETTLEMENT, ALASKA NATIVE
TRIBES WERE GIVEN CASH AND ALSO
SOME CONTRACTING BENEFITS WITH
THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD FORM
THEIR OWN CORPORATIONS AND
BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT AND HAVE
A MEANS TO PROVIDE A LIVING AND
TO PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR THEIR
SHAREHOLDERS OR MEMBERS OF THEIR
TRIBE.
>> SO IT'S THROUGHOUT ALASKA.
>> THROUGHOUT ALASKA, YES.
>> AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES, THE UNIQUE
CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS THAT--
YOU'RE BEEN WITH CHENEGA FOR SO
MANY YEARS, AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT
OF EXPERIENCE THERE THAT YOU'VE
SEEN OVER THE YEARS.
>> WELL, IT'S REALLY GOOD
WORKING FOR A CORPORATION LIKE
CHENEGA. CHENEGA WAS FORMED IN
1974 AND HAS GROWN
EXPONENTIALLY, PARTICULARLY OVER
THE LAST 10-15 YEARS. CHENEGA
GREW FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
AND HAS NOW GROWN INTO A
CORPORATION THAT OWNS 24
COMPANIES, IS IN MULTIPLE
BUSINESS LINES THAT INCLUDE NOT
ONLY SECURITY BUT MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL,
IT AND LOGISTICS. AND SO OVER
THE YEARS, CHENEGA HAS BEEN ABLE
TO GIVE BACK TO ITS
SHAREHOLDERS, WHO MANY ARE BASED
IN CHENEGA BAY, WHICH IS A VERY
SMALL VILLAGE IN PRINCE WILLIAM
SOUND, AND TO FUNNEL 100% OF THE
PROFITS BACK TO SHAREHOLDER
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS
SUCH AS PRESERVING THE LANGUAGE
AND OTHER PRESERVATION PROJECTS
THAT BENEFIT THE CHENEGA PEOPLE.
>> YES. AND ACTUALLY, IT SOUNDS
LIKE IT'S BENEFICIAL TO ALASKA,
TOO, THE WHOLE STATE.
>> IT DEFINITELY IS VERY
BENEFICIAL TO ALASKA, AND I
THINK WHAT WE FIND IS THAT OUR
EMPLOYEES VERY MUCH LIKE WORKING
FOR A CORPORATION THAT HAS A
HIGHER PURPOSE AND WHOSE PROFITS
GO BACK TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE
THAT ACTUALLY STARTED WITH THE
CORPORATION.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
CHENEGA IS THE FIRST FIRM WE'VE
HAD ON THE SHOW THAT ACTUALLY
HAS A SET-ASIDE FOR A SPECIFIC
GROUP, NATIVE AMERICANS.
IT'S A GREAT HIGHER CALLING AS
YOU MENTIONED AND TALKED ABOUT.
BUT I KNOW YOU DO A LOT OF
TEAMING. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
TEAMING PARTNERS, IS THAT ALSO A
FACTOR? OR WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
FOR IN TEAMING PARTNERS?
>> WELL, IT DEFINITELY IS A
FACTOR, AND ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES IN TEAMING AND
FINDING COMPANIES, GREAT
COMPANIES TO TEAM WITH, IS TO
FIND A COMPANY, WHETHER IT'S A
LARGE COMPANY OR A SMALL
BUSINESS, THAT SHARE OUR VALUES
AND THAT IS A GOOD FIT TO WORK
WITH AN ANC, BECAUSE WE'RE
RESPONSIVE TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS,
AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHETHER WE'RE A PRIME CONTRACTOR
OR SUBCONTRACTOR, I, AS THE
PRESIDENT, WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE QUALITY OF THE COMPANY
AND THE TYPE OF COMPANY THAT I
BRING ONTO OUR TEAM, OR THE TYPE
OF TEAM THAT WE JOIN. SO WE
SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT
IN FINDING GREAT COMPANIES TO
TEAM WITH.
>> GREAT COMPANIES. I KNOW
MEMBERS OF OUR AUDIENCE LOVE TO
HEAR WHAT THE GUESTS ON OUR SHOW
ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR. SO
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT
TEAMING PARTNER, SHARE WITH OUR
AUDIENCE SOME OF THE CRITERIA.
WHAT DO YOU CHARACTERIZE AS
GREAT? WHAT IS UNIQUE FOR YOU,
AND WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO
CHENEGA AND TO YOUR PRINCIPLES?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S
A FORMULA TO GET THERE, BUT WE
DEFINITELY--WE ARE LOOKING FOR
COMPANIES WHO SHARE OUR VALUES,
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR TEAMMATES
WHERE THERE'S A GOOD SYNERGY
IN TERMS OF OUR CHEMISTRY AND
THAT WE HAVE THE SAME SORT OF
WORK ETHIC AND PROFESSIONAL
ETHICS IN APPROACH TO OUR
BUSINESS. WE WANT COMPANIES WHO
ARE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH AN
ALASKA NATIVE CORPORATION.
WE WANT COMPANIES WHO UNDERSTAND
THAT WE DO WORK FOR SHAREHOLDERS
WHO HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS BY
WHICH WE'RE EXPECTED TO ABIDE
BY. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF
COMPANIES OUT THERE, BUT I THINK
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NARROW
DOWN THOSE FEW COMPANIES THAT
KIND OF MEET THAT CRITERIA AND
TO REALLY DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP
OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN
PURSUING BUSINESS OVER THE LONG
TERM AS OPPOSED TO JUST ON THIS
OPPORTUNITY OR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
>> MM-HMM. AND THAT'S THE BEST
WAY TO HAVE A TEAMING PARTNER
ANYWAY, BECAUSE THEN IT'S
ACTUALLY TIME-SAVING FOR THE
FUTURE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP
JUMPING UP EVERY SINGLE TIME
THE OPPORTUNITY DOES.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S CORRECT.
>> MANY SMALL BUSINESSES, MANY
SMALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES LIKE
CHENEGA, OUTGROW THEIR SMALL
SET-ASIDES, THEIR 8(a) STATUS,
AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS
CHALLENGES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH THAT AS THEY GROW, AND I
KNOW THAT CHENEGA HAS
SUCCESSFULLY FACED THOSE
CHALLENGES. DO YOU HAVE SOME
ADVICE FOR OUR AUDIENCE?
>> WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE TO
CONSIDER NOT ONLY WINNING
BUSINESS WHEN YOU'RE A SMALL
START-UP, OR MAYBE A BUSINESS
ENTERING THE 8(a) SMALL BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, BUT WHAT
YOU'RE GOING TO DO ONCE YOU'VE
EXITED THAT PROGRAM. AND IN OUR
CASE, WE'VE EXITED THE 8(a)
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM VERY RAPIDLY, WITHIN A
COUPLE YEARS, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN
VERY SUCCESSFUL, WE'VE WON SOME
LARGE PROCUREMENTS. AND A LOT OF
THAT SUCCESS TIES BACK TO OUR
ALASKA NATIVE CORPORATION
ATTRIBUTES IN THAT WE HAVE
ACCESS TO MATURE BUSINESS
SYSTEMS TO A CORPORATE-CENTRAL
TREASURY AND TO STAFF-SUPPORT
FROM A CORPORATION A LOT OF
SMALL START-UP BUSINESSES THAT
DON'T HAVE. BUT MORE TO YOUR
QUESTION, ONCE WE'VE EXITED A
PROGRAM, ONE ATTRIBUTE WE ENJOY
AS AN ALASKA NATIVE-OWNED
COMPANY IS THAT WE WILL ALWAYS
GIVE A TEAMING PARTNER, IF WE'RE
A SUBCONTRACTOR ON A TEAM, SMALL
DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS CREDIT.
AND THAT'S REAL ATTRACTIVE TO
A LOT OF COMPANIES BECAUSE
ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE GETTING A
COMPANY WHO PERFORMS A LOT LIKE
A LARGE BUSINESS BUT THAT HAS
SMALL BUSINESS ATTRIBUTES.
>> YES, SO IT'S THE BEST OF BOTH
WORLDS, REALLY, THEN.
>> THAT'S HOW WE LOOK AT IT,
YES.
>> AND THEN YOU MENTION ABOUT
YOU HAVE WON A NUMBER OF
SIGNIFICANTLY GAME-CHANGING
LARGE PROCUREMENTS. WHAT ARE THE
KEYS TO WINNING? KEY SOLUTIONS,
OUR REGULAR VIEWERS KNOW,
PROVIDES STRATEGY, CAPTURE,
PROPOSAL SUPPORT SERVICES AND IS
REALLY THE FORCE BEHIND THIS
PROGRAM. AND OUR AUDIENCE REALLY
CARES ABOUT WHAT ARE THEY KEYS
TO WINNING.
>> WELL, I THINK YOU REALLY HAVE
TO UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPANY, AND
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES THAT YOUR
COMPANY BRINGS TO BEAR WITH THE
MARKET.
>> WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AND WHAT
ARE YOUR DIFFERENTIATES.
>> RIGHT. AND I'LL JUST PUT A
PLUG IN FOR KEY SOLUTIONS.
WE, VERY EARLY ON, HAVE USED KEY
SOLUTIONS SEVERAL TIMES.
IN FACT, FROM CAPTURE THROUGH
PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
WIN, WE'VE USED KEY SOLUTIONS ON
A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT LARGE WIN
FOR US. AND SO SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE TO REACH OUT AND GET THAT
EXPERTISE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
IS. ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT,
THEN YOU HAVE TO BE VERY
SELECTIVE IN BIDDING ONLY
OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE HIGH
VALUE TO YOU AS A COMPANY WHERE
YOU HAVE A CLEAR COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE. AND THOSE MAY BE
VERY, VERY FEW, BUT WE HAVE
FOUND THAT THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN
SUCCESSFUL FOR US. IN FACT,
WE HAVE OVER A 70% WIN RATE THE
LAST TWO YEARS, AND SO WE DON'T
SPEND A LOT OF TIME PURSUING
OPPORTUNITIES THAT DON'T FIT
THOSE CRITERIA, AND WE'VE FOUND
THAT'S BEEN VERY, VERY
SUCCESSFUL FOR US.
>> AND YOU'RE NOT WASTING MONEY,
YOU'RE GOING AFTER THINGS. AND
ALSO YOU'RE DEVELOPING THAT
TRACK RECORD WHERE THEN ALSO THE
GOVERNMENT THINKS YOU'RE GOOD AT
EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO 'CAUSE
THEY'RE REWARDING YOU. THERE'S
COMPANIES THAT KEEP GOING AFTER
THINGS AND THEY KEEP LOSING.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING A TERRIBLE
TRACK RECORD.
>> WELL, YOU WIN IT AND THEN YOU
HAVE TO GO AND YOU HAVE TO
MANAGE IT.
>> AND DELIVER.
>> DELIVER, WHICH BUILDS PAST
PERFORMANCE FOR THE NEXT BID.
>> PERFECT. TIM, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR COMING IN THIS MORNING
AND SHARING WITH OUR AUDIENCE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WELL, KENT, WE'LL NOW TALK TO
YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VERY
IMPORTANT TOPIC OF IDENTITY
MANAGEMENT. I WOULD ASSUME THAT
IF ANYBODY'S EVER HAD THEIR
IDENTITY STOLEN, THEY KNOW IT'S
IMPACTFUL. SO, WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF GOVERNMENT
CONTRACTING AND THE GOVERNMENT
PROCESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE?
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> SO, IN EVERY PART OF OUR
DAILY LIVES, WHETHER WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT OR
INDUSTRY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMPONENT OF
OUR LIVES OR THE PRIVATE PART OF
OUR LIVES, WE'VE MOVED TO A VERY
HEAVILY RELIANCE ON THE ONLINE
ENVIRONMENT FOR THE EXCHANGE OF
INFORMATION AND TO CONDUCT
TRANSACTIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT
PEOPLE CAN BE ANONYMOUS IN
THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT AND BE
INVOLVED IN THOSE KINDS OF
THINGS. IT BECOMES VERY
DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH THE
NECESSARY TRUST ENVIRONMENT
BETWEEN A VENDOR AND A BUYER,
OR A SELLER AND A BUYER. OR FOR
THAT MATTER IN A GOVERNMENT
ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU MAY BE
SHARING SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD
SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH
THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END?
>> RIGHT. OK. SO, WE KNOW THERE
IS A IMPORTANT ISSUE AND AN
IMPORTANT PROBLEM THAT IS BEING
ADDRESSED. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, SAY,
OF THE REMEDIAL EFFORTS OR THE
COUNTERMEASURES TO CORRECT THE
SITUATION YOU'VE DESCRIBED?
>> SO GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS.
PROGRESS HAS BEEN VERY SLOW.
IN RECENT YEARS, THERE'S BEEN
SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AT THE
ENTERPRISE LEVEL. SO WITHIN AN
ORGANIZATION THAT CAN PRETTY
EFFECTIVELY CONTROL IDENTITY,
HAVE A POSITIVE CONNECTION
BETWEEN A PERSON, OR A DEVICE
FOR THAT MATTER, AND A POSITIVE
IDENTITY, IT GETS HARDER WHEN
YOU CROSS ENTERPRISE BOUNDARIES.
WHY? BECAUSE EACH ENTERPRISE
CONTROLS THE IDENTITY
INFORMATION AND DOESN'T
PARTICULARLY WANT TO SHARE THAT
WITH OTHERS. AND SO THERE ARE
SOME FEDERATED APPROACHES TO
IDENTITY MANAGEMENT THAT HAVE
EMERGED THAT ALLOW US TO WORK
ACROSS BOUNDARIES, BUT THEY'VE
BEEN VERY SLOW TO BE ADOPTED.
>> OK. SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS
QUESTION, THEN. WE TALKED ABOUT
BOUNDARIES. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY
BOUNDARIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES
AND SO ON. BUT WHAT'S THE
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE THAT
YOU SEE IN THIS WHOLE SUBJECT OF
IDENTITY MANAGEMENT?
>> OK, SO A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT
IS THAT AFCEA HAS BEEN
SUPPORTING NATO IN EUROPE FOR 55
YEARS, AND WE'VE DONE SOME
WORKSHOPS FOR THEM ON IDENTITY
MANAGEMENT. SO AS DIFFICULT AS
IT HAS BEEN WITHIN THE UNITED
STATES TO WORK ACROSS GOVERNMENT
BOUNDARIES AND WITH INDUSTRY,
ADD THEN THE COMPLEXITY IN NATO
OF 28 MEMBER NATIONS, EACH
SOVEREIGN, EACH WANTING TO
CONTROL THEIR OWN INFORMATION
AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, THEN,
HOW DO YOU CREATE TRUST
RELATIONSHIPS TO SHARE
INFORMATION AND CONDUCT
TRANSACTIONS ACROSS THOSE
BOUNDARIES. AND AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE, IT'S MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE
THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES,
YOU HAVE LANGUAGE ISSUES,
YOU HAVE DEFINITIONAL ISSUES ON
ROLES. SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
INTERNATIONALLY, BUT IT ALSO
IMPACTS WHAT WE DO DOMESTICALLY,
BECAUSE WE DON'T DO ANYTHING
ANYMORE PURELY AS A NATION,
WHETHER YOU'RE DOING IT IN THE
COMMERCIAL WORLD OF COMMERCE,
WHICH IS NOW INTERNATIONAL.
WHEN YOU GO ONLINE, AND YOU'RE
DEALING WITH PEOPLE
COMMERCIALLY, VERY OFTEN YOU'LL
BE DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
>> I WANT TO THANK TONY JIMENEZ
FROM MICROTECH, AND TIM LAMB
FROM CS3, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO
TELL US ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE
ACHIEVED A LEVEL OF SUCCESS THAT
SO MANY OF US HAVE DREAMED
ABOUT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU,
OUR VIEWERS, FOR ONCE AGAIN
MAKING "GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
WEEKLY" A REGULAR PART OF YOUR
LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY.
>> YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING
"GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY,"
SPONSORED EACH WEEK BY AOC KEY
SOLUTIONS, INCORPORATED.
"GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY"
IS THE ONLY TELEVISION PROGRAM
DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE
COMPETITIVE AND DYNAMIC WORLD OF
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR
SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE WRITE US AT
governmentcontractingweekly.com.