The IT Guy

by David Howard

MicroTech’s Tony Jimenez built an army of information technology contractors

 

When Anthony “Tony” Jimenez launched MicroTech (www.microtech.net), the Army veteran never dreamed he would be offering advice and services to the federal government. But that’s just where he has found himself on many occasions – most memorably right after the 2008 elections, when he helped newly-elected President Barack Obama’s administration set up an information technology (IT) infrastructure.

“It was a great honor to be the first company to work with President Obama after he was elected.  Recognizing the high visibility we would have and the importance of the contract role that we were going to be performing made it even more exciting,” Jimenez said in a recent interview. “It was a great time for our organization and we were very proud to have been selected, and even more proud of how successful the project was.”

MicroTech’s fast growth is garnering attention outside Washington. In 2011, for the third consecutive year, Hispanic Business magazine named MicroTech the fastest growing Hispanic-owned business in the U.S. The company’s revenue has increased a whopping 7,585.7 percent, going from $4.3 million in 2006 to $331.1 million in 2010, according to the article.

In June, Tony traveled to Puerto Rico for President Obama’s historic trip there, and had a chance to speak with the president about the support MicroTech provided during the post-election transition. “Once again, President Obama thanked me for the outstanding job we did and the role MicroTech played leading up to the inauguration,” he said. “It does not get much better than that.”

This was not the first time Tony lent his expertise to U.S. leaders. In 2008, he was invited to the White House to speak with President George W. Bush regarding tax incentives in the administration’s economic growth package.  Tony has also testified before the U.S. House and Senate about small business issues.

Lauded for his visionary ability to grow a company quickly from scratch and for his efforts to employ veterans, Tony is no stranger to hard work. He admits working up to 80 hours a week to ensure his company’s success.

The son of a Navy veteran of Puerto Rican descent, Tony was pondering retirement after a 24-year career with the U.S. Army when he decided to join a large government IT contractor, gaining a valuable year’s experience in projects related to Department of Defense contracting.