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 IPC In The News September 2008 The Marshall Space Flight Center 2008 Small Business Subcontractor Excellence Award was presented to InfoPro Corporation in recognition for Exemplary Support to SAIC, Incorporated under the Unified NASA Information Technology Services Contract. Inc. Magazine lists InfoPro as one of their fastest growing business list Tuesday, August 28, 2007 By MARIAN ACCARDI Times Business Writer marian.accardi@htimes.com Huntsville-based InfoPro Corporation made the first-ever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. InfoPro Corp. of Huntsville, ranks 1,706. The Inc. 5,000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2003 through 2006. To qualify, companies must have been generating revenue by the first week of 2003, and be able to show four full calendar years of sales. Companies also had to be U.S.-based, privately held and independent, that is, not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies, as of Dec. 31, 2006. Revenue in 2003 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2006 must have been at least $2 million. InfoPro (IPC) Corporation continues to show exciting growth and make its mark! August, 2007 InfoPro Recognized by Huntsville Chamber of Commerce A recognized leader in the field of Technology, InfoPro Corporation has been nominated for the Small Business of the Year Award for Technology and for Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. 12/11/06 DiversityBusiness.com names IPC as tops in several categories. IPC has been named #43 among the Top 8(a) Businesses in the US, #5 among the Top Small Businesses in Alabama, #170 out of 500 in the Top Woman-Owned Business in the US (#5 in the State of Alabama), and #19 out of the Top Native American Owned Business. More info here 10/23/06 Washington Technology Magazine names IPC as one of 2006's Top 25 8(a) Contractors. More info here 10/10/2006 Federal Computer Week names IPC as one of the Top 25 Woman-Owned Contractors. Tuesday, November 28, 2006 From The Huntsville Times | InfoPro makes most of Uncle Sam's help By DONNA FORK, For the Times IT company tries to grow beyond SBA program for disadvantaged owners With her blond hair and bright blue eyes, JoAnn Longshore doesn't look like a stereotypical American Indian. But Cherokee blood runs in her veins, entitling the president and chief executive officer of InfoPro to participate in federal programs that have helped her company grow from three to 200 employees. Longshore, originally from Chattanooga, has made the most of opportunities provided through the Small Business Administration (SBA) for women-owned and disadvantaged small businesses. Huntsville's InfoPro began in 1985 as an IT service firm, Longshore said. Before that, Longshore worked as a hairdresser and raised "three beautiful daughters." After taking some computer courses, she got to thinking, "and saw there was a need for (IT) services." She started InfoPro with just her husband, Billy, and a computer repair technician. The company grew, in part because of federal programs to assist small, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses. The SBA's 8(a) program was created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market. To participate in the nine-year program, companies must jump through plenty of hoops. The firm has to be a small business, owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Those individuals must be of good character and be citizens of the United States. The company must also demonstrate potential for success. According to the SBA Web site, socially disadvantaged individuals include black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Americans, and others. Longshore's grandfather was Cherokee, so she was able to qualify. Participants can receive sole-source contracts from the U.S. government, up to a ceiling of $3 million for goods and services and $5 million for manufacturing. Federal acquisition policies encourage agencies to award a certain percentage of their contracts to disadvantaged businesses, so being certified for 8(a) can be a big boost to a small company. The goal is to graduate firms that go on to thrive in a competitive business environment, according to the Web site. SBA district offices measure participants' progress through annual reviews, business planning and evaluations. Expanding beyond Huntsville - though Longshore had some help from Uncle Sam, the choice of business - repairing computers in Rocket City - and her ability to run the company obviously have contributed to its success. In May, Chris Jackson came on board as division manager of InfoPro's IT Solutions Group. InfoPro has expanded considerably from providing computer and monitor maintenance services, Jackson noted. The company now offers security control, environmental remediation and engineering services. In addition to its Huntsville offices, which InfoPro is about to outgrow, the company has an office at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is in the process of opening an office in Montgomery. InfoPro has purchased a lot across from Raytheon in Cummings Research Park and will break ground next year on a 30,000-square-foot, two-story structure - and maybe a second building in the future, Longshore said. Longshore doesn't want her company to rely on its 8(a) status, so the company is gradually increasing the percentage of contracts obtained without relying on that status. She said the company's goal is to employ 500 people and have $50 million in revenue by 2009. "There's a lot of young talented people out there. We are always open to opportunities," she said. |
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