Leadership
Nathan Williams attributes much of his success to a desire to prove his family wrong. The eighth of 11 children, Williams remembers feeling a bit like the odd person in the family. "You don't get a lot of respect when you are younger." he said. When his father, an Army staff sergeant, pressured him into joining the military as five of his siblings had done, Williams refused. "They didn't think I'd make anything of myself," Williams said. "I was always trying to prove myself." "Even though I didn't go into the military, my parents supported my decision," Williams said,
Today, Williams, of Upper Marlboro, is the president and owner of the Largo-based NW Systems, Inc., a 7-year old Information Technology small business firm. The company has contracts with the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce, and the Drug Enforcement Agency and took in $4.5 million in revenue last year,
The Prince George's Financial Services Corporation, (PGFSC) an organization that provides financing solutions to small and minority-owned businesses in the county, recognized NW Systems on March 5 as one of five small-business success stories. PGFSC administered a $150,000 loan to the company when it was just a year old.
"That loan was a springboard for us," Williams said. After graduating from high school, Williams enrolled full-time at Virginia State University, majoring in Electronic Technology. During the day he went to classes; at night from midnight to 8am, he worked full-time to pay for tuition. "I had so much drive," Williams said," I wanted to prove everyone wrong." The drive never left him. Williams graduated in 1983, and then he worked in Korea for more than two years as a contractor with the U.S. intelligence community. He returned to school, earning a Master's degree in Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. NW Systems was an idea Williams hatched in 1996 when he realized his talent for attracting good workers to his company. In the beginning, it was not so easy. NW Systems earned less than $200,000 in revenue its first year. Williams had to take out loans to pay for computer equipment. "When I first started out, I felt I didn't get a lot of opportunities especially in the intelligence community," Williams said. "But I continued to pester them. "I had to really hustle for contracts from the big boys.
The hustling paid off. In 2001, NW Systems was awarded its first prime contract: $3.3 million over five years to provide facilities management services to the Department of Labor. In 2002, NW Systems was awarded a $25.5 million contract over five years from. the Drug Enforcement Agency, providing document analysis, reconciliation and data editing. His main office staffs 11, but he has more than 80 employees from around the region working as onsite contractors. He credits his success to his ability to surround himself with good people, knowing how to listen and applying some of his education. "As a systems engineer, I am very process-oriented," Williams said. Along the way, he has sought advice from mentors such as Edward W. Lowry, Vice President and Group Procurement Director at SAIC, a national IT and engineering firm. "A lot of small businesses simply start out as body shops, Lowry said. "Nate's company is not your typical body shop. You gain a good reputation for that."
Up until recently, the company has maintained a low profile, partly because of its involvement in the intelligence community. But now Williams wants to market its work to gain future contracts. In partnership with Quality Technology, a competitor, he is hoping to win a joint contract with the Army Corps of Engineers. "He's had a very successful year," said Renee Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Quality Technology. "He's identified some good people that he brought on. He's going to be very successful."
NW Systems took in 1.6 million in revenue in 200I and projects more than 10 million in revenue for 2003. (From: The Gazette Business Watch - 2003)