CETECHS
Veterans often don’t talk much about their time in the military but when asked about what they learned in service that translates to civilian life, topics come up like discipline, the drive to learn, teamwork, diligence, flexibility, the importance of anticipating and preparing for the future, and understanding the consequences of decisions.
These characteristics are among the reasons why veterans are so often sought after as employees and are so often successful as entrepreneurs.
Wilbert “Wil” Johnson is a great example of that. He is a service-disabled Army veteran who used his skill for learning while in the service and pursued that practice with a passion, so much so that he was awarded the Army’s Best Soldier Award. His expertise was in logistics, but he later changed his career to software engineering.
Wil’s life experience and success in business are among the reasons he has been awarded the SBA National 2024 8(a) Graduate of the Year Award.
Two days after graduating high school Wil enlisted in the military where he received several accolades and awards. He speaks humbly of his time in service, but ardently about what he has learned in the private sector, especially when offering insights to others.
While on active duty, Wil enrolled in college. He was the first person in his family to attend college where after just two and a half years at Fayetteville State University he earned a Computer Science BA degree with honors.
He began his career thereafter as a software engineer at Panasonic. He later became a consultant at General Dynamics where he got his first exposure to federal contracting.
Leveraging that experience, Wil founded CETECHS in 2009. Subsequently he received his 8(a) certification from the SBA which offers economically and socially disadvantaged businesses access to federal set-asides to help them better compete in winning federal contracts.
It was three years before he won his first federal contract. About those lean year he says that he wishes he had waited to apply for the program so that he would have better learned the ins and outs of federal contracting and suggests to others that they learn from his experience.
Ultimately, CETECHS won a contract with the Navy and then the Air Force, and from there the federal work grew. Wil diversified the company’s core services which today offers healthcare, program management, administration, and engineering services to customers in 12 states. The company has grown from one employee to 45 with revenues exceeding $6.5 million.
Along the way, Wil received counseling in federal contracting from Mara Wells, SBA’s Lead Business Opportunity Specialist in the Phoenix office. Of that advice he states, “She was great, awesome to work with.” He also received an SBA PPP grant during the pandemic of $100,000 which helped keep employees on the payroll.
As with most small businesses during the COVID crisis, Wil was eligible for an SBA disaster assistance loan which has an attractive interest rate. But he did not take the loan because of a rare approach in business in which he refuses to take on any debt, a practice he has abided since starting CETECHS.
Wil’s commitment to others does not stop at the office door. He created the Wilbert & Ebony Johnson and Rachel Owens Endowment at Fayetteville State University which supports churches, orphanages and military veterans, reflecting Wil’s core values. The scholarship is geared towards students who may not have maintained the best grades due to family and school circumstances. It is also geared toward students majoring in elementary education, sciences, computer sciences, and business and economics.
As a service-disabled veteran, it’s important to Wil to support other veterans and in-need persons. CETECHS donates to New Leaf, a local non-profit in Mesa that provides assistance to veterans, families, and children and adults in the community facing challenges of all kinds. He also contributes to organizations that provide financial and support services to veterans including the Homeless Veterans Shelter in Tucson.
Secret of Success: “Being humble. We are always adapting and are attentive to changes in the contracting process and in our industry. We regularly participate in networking events and keep our ears open for potential work and companies which might become partners in winning and fulfilling contracts.”
Advice to Others: “Research is where you really get your knowledge in government contracting. Study government programs, buyer needs, where dollars are being spent and pending agency budgets. Pay attention to how your competitors do it. Become an asset to potential and current customers and let them know how you can help them now and in the future. Manage projects efficiently and keep in constant contact with customers – this helps assure repeat business. Don’t go into contracting without guidance from the SBA and the APEX Accelerator and get a few contracts first before getting into the 8(a) program.”
General Guidance: “Take time to sharpen your skills, refine your marketing and writing, and plan ahead before you start. Learn the lingo and pay attention to the formatting of your proposals. Competitors can become assets so be open to who you can combine services with. Always wear a company shirt – people don’t want to work with those they don’t know."