HX5’s Dual Role Traces Back To Margarita Howard’s Bet

Government contractors typically operate as either a prime contractor managing a project directly or a subcontractor supporting someone else’s. HX5 does both, a dual role that Margarita Howard traces back to a single decision made when the company had almost nothing to lose.

HX5 has won large prime contracts that are uncommon for firms of its original size, while also maintaining subcontracting relationships with major defense primes. The company has been recognized as Prime Subcontractor of the Year, an honor reflecting how it performs on both sides of the contracting relationship.

A Foundation Built Before The Awards

That flexibility did not appear overnight. When Margarita Howard founded HX5 in 2004, she invested early in a government-approved accounting system instead of the office space or equipment many new contractors buy to look established. The system was already familiar to auditors and to prime contractors who needed confidence that a small subcontractor could handle federal billing correctly.

“We have won some very large prime contracts,” Howard said, adding that HX5 also counts large businesses among its own subcontractors. That range came from years of infrastructure investment that started with the accounting system and expanded into qualified personnel, financial reserves, and compliance tools built to meet federal requirements.

Each contract added to HX5’s track record, and each successful audit reinforced its reputation with the primes it worked alongside. That reputation eventually let HX5 pursue prime contracts on its own rather than relying only on subcontracting work. The company has since grown from one employee to more than 1,000 people across more than 20 states and about 70 government locations, evidence that a dual identity as both prime and subcontractor can grow out of infrastructure decisions made years before either role was possible.

Few small contractors set out to become both a prime and a subcontractor at once. For HX5, the combination came from steadily removing the reasons a larger partner might hesitate, one audit and one contract at a time, until Margarita Howard’s company could compete comfortably on either side of the table. Read this article for related information.

Learn more about HX5 on https://m.doyoubuzz.com/margarita-howard