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A-TEK, Inc. (Private) |
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September 10, 2012 Issue |
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The Most Powerful Name In Corporate News and Information |
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CURRENT ISSUE | COVER ARCHIVES | INDEX | CONTACT | FINANCIALS | SERVICES | HOME PAGE |
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Focusing on Six Key Principles for their Success, Quality of Service, Customer Satisfaction, Operational Excellence, Professional Development of People, Aggressive Business Development and Financial Performance will propel A-TEK, Inc. to the Next Level Supporting Government Agencies in the Areas of National Security, Intelligence, Enterprise and Life Sciences |
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www.a-tek.net
A serial entrepreneur, she is also the Founder and Former Chief Executive Officer of RGII Technologies, Inc., an Information Technology, Systems Integration and Engineering Solutions Company who’s myriad of customers included nine presidential cabinet agencies of the federal government. She directed the company with a highly strategic business plan in order to optimize profits and return on invested capital. During her tenure as CEO, Mrs. Freeland played a vital role in business development, customer satisfaction, financial stability, and employee relations. Under Mrs. Freeland's leadership, RGII more than tripled in size with revenue growing 4,800% over an 11 year period. Mrs. Freeland successfully built and sold RGII to Computer Horizons Corp in 2003. After fulfilling a three year transition period with Computer Horizons, she retired in 2006 from the brain child she started in a basement office in search of her next entrepreneurial venture.
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Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published – September 10, 2012
Ms. Freeland: We are currently supporting a number of federal government agencies in the areas of BioInformatics, BioSurveillance, Modeling and Simulation, Risk Management, Data Analytics and Cyber Threat Mitigation. We are coupling our capability of both scientific data management and research with IT to further our customers mission while enabling and utilizing technology to assist our clients in achieving their mission, goals, and objectives.
Ms. Freeland: Today we support a myriad of federal agencies to include, Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Health and Human Services, more specifically, the National Institutes of Health. The services we are providing fall in six core areas, Scientific Data Management, Enterprise Information Technology, Engineering and Technical Services, Laboratory Management, and Program Management. In each of these areas, we employ well trained staff to support the project related mission for each customers.
Ms. Freeland: Our unique capabilities are centered around the people we employ who support our customers security requirements. We possess expertise in Information Assurance and Security, specifically risk management, security planning, cyber threat mitigation, incident and event management. We are providing the top-level people who possess these skill sets, which at times are very difficult to locate. When you talk about security especially in today’s environment, having the right people is crucial to our customer’s success.
Ms. Freeland: We operate a 24/7/365 laboratory operation where we are testing air in major metropolitan areas for potential terrorist threats that are airborne. Our scientist, who are highly trained in this area test, analyze and relay results utilizing a laboratory response network to our agency stakeholders who make decisions that affect how threats or potential threats are handled.
Ms. Freeland: Absolutely very hands-on! We are utilizing both science and technology to assist us in the testing, with the actual testing being done at the bench in laboratories.
Ms Freeland: I classify our industry as the federal government marketplace. In the federal space, there are DOD and civilian agencies. We are supporting a myriad of agencies as named earlier.
Ms. Freeland: The landscape is very competitive especially here in the Washington metropolitan area. Government contractors of all sizes are located around the Beltway, therefore, the competition is fierce regardless of whether you are a small, mid-size or large business. You have to be able to find your niche and market discriminators in order to be able to compete successfully.
Ms. Freeland: Our scientific capability is one of our distinguishing factors. There are a number of companies who do IT, by coupling our IT offerings with our scientific offering we are able to distinguish ourselves.
Ms. Freeland: It is up to us to make the customers aware of what we do and which agencies we have provided services to. We have to make sure our message is succinct, our past performance is stellar and our customers are pleased with our performance. The agencies communicate when they are checking our past performance references for certain.
Ms. Freeland: The BioWatch Laboratory Staffing Support Services contract is a DHS program that we have supported for nearly 8 years now. Established in 2003, the BioWatch Program mission is to provide and maintain a continuous (24x7x365) bio-terrorism air monitoring system in large metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event.
Ms. Freeland: Ramping up or surging as requirements come available starts with our ability to recruit. We are able to ramp quickly to support new contracts through a number of methods, i.e., dedicated in-house recruitment staff, maintaining a pipeline of pre-qualified candidates based on the type support we provide, partnerships with key subcontractors and staffing firms where and when necessary, and our robust company-wide employee referral program. This program has proven successful in that our employees are compensated for referring their colleagues, who have similar technical qualifications, to A-TEK to fulfill contract requirements.
Ms. Freeland: Absolutely. One of the areas that we are pursuing is the intelligence area. Our strategic plan calls for us to develop a strategy for marketing to the Intel community. This strategy will require an investment in the right people to assist us with this initiative.
Ms. Freeland:
I acquired A-TEK about two years ago, however, the company has been in
business since 1996. A-TEK has successfully positioned itself in the federal
community and leverages the company’s capabilities into the agencies that I
spoke about earlier. Each of our customers are important regardless of the
size contract and the number of employees we have assigned. I visit each
customer periodically to reassure them that their project has my direct
attention. We pride ourselves on hiring the right people and placing them in
a position to succeed. I have been onboard a little over two years now and
over that time we have been forging ahead. A-TEK was a small business when
first acquired, today we are a “tweener,” too small to be big and too big to
be small. However, we are flexible and agile with large business solutions,
processes and procedures and small business speed. This all positions us for
to best support our customers and ultimate fuel our growth. Our strategic
plan is clear, we focus on six key principles for our success, Quality of
Service, Customer Satisfaction, Operational Excellence, Professional
Development of People, Aggressive Business Development and Financial
Performance. Staying focused on these areas and delivering results will
propel A-TEK to the next level in our market and is why people should be
watching what we are doing over the next few years. |
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Our strategic plan is clear, we focus on six key principles for our success, Quality of Service, Customer Satisfaction, Operational Excellence, Professional Development of People, Aggressive Business Development and Financial Performance. - Kathryn B. Freeland |
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