Margarita Howard Expands HX5 Across 34 States with Mission Focus

Geographic reach is one marker of success in government contracting, and HX5 has it. The Fort Walton Beach, Florida company now operates across 34 states and 90 government locations, employing more than 1,000 people. Margarita Howard, who founded HX5 in 2004 and serves as its sole owner and CEO/president, has built that presence over two decades through consistent contract performance and a focus on mission-aligned support for the Department of Defense and NASA.

Howard’s approach to growth has always been tied to substance. She avoided the trap of depending on non-competitive contract mechanisms, watching competitors lose momentum when those programs expired. HX5 instead pursued contracts through competitive bidding, a path that forced the company to sharpen its capabilities and articulate its value clearly to government clients. The SBA’s 8(a) program gave HX5 an early platform, producing four contract awards in one year that Howard credits as foundational to the company’s early survival.

A Women-Owned Firm With a Track Record

As a women-owned business in a field where female leadership remains less common, HX5 occupies a notable position. Margarita Howard has used that platform deliberately, ensuring that HX5‘s senior team reflects the diversity she believes makes the company stronger. Many of the firm’s senior management roles are held by women, and Howard has spoken openly about both the progress and the remaining work ahead for women in the industry.

Howard’s pre-HX5 background, which included managing Tricare operations across a seven-state region as a government contractor, provided her with direct exposure to federal systems. That experience gave her something most startup founders lack: an insider’s understanding of how the organizations she hoped to serve actually function. It is a foundation she has built on steadily, and one that continues to inform how HX5 operates across every state where it holds contracts. Read this article for related information.

Learn more about Margarita Howard on https://www.f6s.com/member/margarita-howard