Meet Adam Robinson, CEO of Govplace, a federal IT solutions provider he founded right out of college. Robinson recently relocated from California to the DMV and sat down with WashingtonExec to discuss his experiences as a small business owner as well as where he sees the role of small business in the government contracting space. Govplace was recently named #147 in the VAR500 Top IT solutions and resellers providers this year.
WashingtonExec: What made you want to become a small business owner/CEO?
Adam Robinson: I love people and really enjoy the process of identifying and putting together high performance teams. I enjoy strategy and working with a team to identify opportunities that other folks may not have seen yet. Leveraging these, we saw a great opportunity to do something different in the market. With fifteen years in business, I feel good about how our team has helped our customers gain a competitive edge and improve their overall performance. Leading this team is a lot of fun and each day brings new ideas and opportunities for us to contribute to our customer’s mission.
WashingtonExec: How would you describe the role of small business in the government contracting sector?
Adam Robinson: Small businesses play a unique and vital role in this market. They tend to be more innovative, agile and flexible than larger competitors. Small nimble groups of smart people can rapidly and cost-effectively come up with the kinds of successful new approaches that provide Government with great new options for improving their program delivery. Small businesses have the advantage to contract directly with the Government or can subcontract to larger prime contractors. As subcontractor, small businesses often provide unique technical, program or other subject matter expertise. Large businesses play a vital role as well, along with all the other socio-economic businesses. Together we create an ecosystem that fosters innovation and helps make Government more effective.
WashingtonExec: Please tell us about the 2011 VAR500 list from Everything Channel from which Govplace was recognized.
Adam Robinson: Revenue growth is one of the ways our customers reward us for helping them achieve their goals. Moving up the VAR500 is nice recognition that we’re successfully doing good, valuable work. In our 8-years on the list we’ve consistently climbed the ranks. This year we reached #147 on the VAR 500, were ranked #31 in the top 100 fastest growing companies by CRN and were recognized by DHS as one of their top 25 contractors, all of which is a great acknowledgement of the team’s hard work and dedication to consistently delivering a superior experience.
WashingtonExec: What outside committees or non-profits are you involved with?
Adam Robinson: As recent transplants from California, my wife and I are still working to find the best opportunities for us to give back to our new community. The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health is where we have been the most deeply involved back here. As parents of two young children, finding ways to help children and their families work through the unimaginable hardships associated with serious illness, and having the opportunity to appreciate their resilience has been immensely rewarding. We have also worked with the Hire Our Heroes and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Foundation, both of which support causes deeply impactful to both of us. I’m sure as we continue to acclimate to the northern Virginia area, we will find many more opportunities to get involved.