What lies beneath: scratch the surface of these new entrants to the B.E. 100s list and you'll find smart planning, successful growth strategies, and a strong commitment to quality

Black Enterprise, June, 2004 by Sonya Donaldson

What lies beneath the surface of a successful African American firm? Hard work? Definitely. Perseverance? Of course. But for this year's Freshman Class, the new entrants to the BE 100s INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE list, what. also lies beneath their success is vision, planning, and calculated strategies meant to grow their businesses well beyond a one-man shop.

Entrepreneurs such as Benjamin B. Hankins Jr., president and CEO of Axiom Resource Management Inc.; Sid E. Taylor, chairman and CEO of SET Enterprises; and Joseph E. Fergus, president and CEO of COMTek are making smart, strategic moves to grow their businesses and, well, make money.

Want the world to beat a path to your door? Don't build a mousetrap, just stick to your knitting, This strategy has helped Axiom Resource Management (No. 76 on the BE 100s INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE LIST with $42 million in revenues) grow from a one-man operation to a multimillion dollar firm with more than 500 employees nationwide. Based in Falls Church, Virginia, the company provides consulting services, primarily to the federal government, in a variety of areas, including program management, IT solutions, and operational support. Axiom also provides Web marketing and distance-learning services to government agencies.

"One of the things I've always focused on is sticking to our core work," says Hankins, Axiom's CEO. Hankins, 38. who began the firm in 1996 with what he calls "youthful naivete" says, "People have come in and said, 'Let's build a software package and sell it to the world.' But we don't do that; that's not our area of expertise." Axiom has instead focused on strategies designed to strengthen its business relationships and reinforce its position in the marketplace. Hankins uses two basic approaches to his business: a "client-first" philosophy and the acquisition of key companies within Axiom's line of business.

In the last four years, Hankins has brought several companies into the fold as divisions within the firm. In 2000, the company acquired Conwal, a professional consulting firm that had a strong relationship with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2001, Axiom acquired Didactics, a performance technology company that offers distance learning as one of its key services; and Keymind, a large IT firm that provides database management and Internet development services. In 2002, Hankins brought professional consulting company Gober Keener Associates on board, along with the formidable talents of Hershel Gober and Mary Lou Keener. Gober is a former acting secretary and a former deputy secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Keener is a former general counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs and former assistant secretary of the Air Force. In 2004, Axiom purchased CESSI, a company that provides accessibility services to federal and state government and the private sector. Axiom and CESSI had begun a business relationship some three years prior.

Axiom now has teams in eight states, including Alaska, Georgia, and New York. It also has a team in the District of Columbia. Its acquisitions helped it win valuable government work in 2003, including a $7 million contract from the Department of Health and Human Services for program management support, as well as a $3.3 million contract to support its TRICARE online portal. Ninety-seven percent of Axiom's clients opt to renew their contracts with the company.

But while acquisitions are key to helping the firm stay profitable, Hankins attributes his company's success to two other factors: his business partners and his employees. "Picking your business partners is almost as important as picking your spouse," he says. "They've been relationships I treasure. We do good work together."

In order to continue that success, Hankins says it's important to invest in his employees. The company recently created the Axiom M.B.A. "One of the things that we recognize, as we continue to grow, is that we have to have succession planning; we have to build the next generation of leadership," he says. Hankins. along with his Executive Vice President and CFO Kevin Riley and his Executive Vice President and COO A. Douglas Peardon, created the company's intensive, year-long M.B.A. program, tailoring it to the firm and the services it provides. They select the literature and teach the program's courses in accounting, finance, and ethics, among other topics. Axiom provides all of the books and materials for the program, but "from my perspective, it's a fairly negligible cost when you consider what we're trying to do," says Hankins.

Axiom actively supports charities such as Christmas in April and other altruistic organizations. Says Hankins, "[We try] to balance the realities of business with the needs of our larger community. On one hand. we make a fair profit by providing great support for our clients. On the other hand, we're very proud of our corporate citizenship, helping neighbors in need. It's a balancing act, but I think we've got it about right."