Kegman Inc. CEO Susan Glasgow had long wanted to grow the small security business that she and her husband had operated part-time since 1999. Glasgow, a 25-year Air Force veteran, worked for one of the world's largest global defense companies, BAE Systems. With the emergence of the 8(m) woman-owned small business (WOSB) program, Glasgow decided to take the leap. In March 2011, Glasgow began full-time operations to the federal services market.
Navigating Small Business Requirements
Kegman expanded to a 2,500 square foot office/warehouse and immediately sought assistance in clarifying Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) regulations and loan packaging. The Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center at the University of Central Florida (UCF) worked with Glasgow on the government contracting process and recommended she contact the Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College. The Florida SBDC at Eastern Florida State College assisted Glasgow with the successful application for a Patriot Loan through Borrego Springs Bank, as well as with banking, workers compensation, employee insurance and human resources recommendations.
"That first step was a bit intimidating with having to understand all the small business requirements as well as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Kegman Inc. was able to successfully navigate through the process by utilizing the exceptional guidance of the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center and Florida SBDC," said Glasgow. "The Veterans Conference provided a wealth of information on how to work with large businesses and lessons learned from successful small business. The Florida PTAC and Florida SBDC staff were always receptive to providing resources and guidance."
Experience Brings Growth
Glasgow's vision to incorporate her prior experience of active military, government civil service and program management resulted in an impressive prime contract. Kegman now operates a $1.2 million contract with NASA to provide operations and maintenance support for the 50 MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP), Lightening Detection and Ranging (LDAR), Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and Weather Station. These systems are used to support the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force during launch operations and to provide climatological analysis and research.
In September of 2012, Kegman received an award to provide support to the Department of Labor, Mining, Safety and Health Administration's upgrade to the Telemetry System for the Trapped Miners Seismic Location System.
Kegman added two highly skilled and respected professionals to the executive team, Ronald Prudhomme, the Chief Operating Officer, and Steven Kelnhofer, as the Director of Operations. Both have extensive experience in government, aerospace and service management. Kegman currently has a staff of 7 full-time and 4 part-time employees and anticipates adding 5 more full-time employees by December. At this time, 100 percent of Kegman's employees are veterans.
