In 2019, Hovis Construction, LLC was founded in Cortland, OH by owners Michael Hovis and David Grayson. The company’s focus? Construction and demolition, including site clearing and preparation, excavating, laying foundation, and paving.
Later that same year, Hovis Construction, LLC was awarded a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside contract by the Ohio National Guard for demolition at Camp Garfield in Ravenna, Ohio. This was the first government contract Hovis Construction, LLC was awarded since it was founded. This was also the first time the client had to use Wide Area Workflow (WAWF), the Department of Defense’s electronic invoicing system. Struggling to navigate the WAWF system, Michael contacted the Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU seeking personalized assistance.
The Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU, met with Michael to coach him through using WAWF and to discuss other requirements of the nearly $1.7 million contract. Following that initial session, they assisted Michael with developing a capability statement and discussed strategy for leveraging that first contract to win future contracts. “Michael is a wonderful client to work with, He’s committed to the excellence of his company and takes pride in all aspects of his work. That dedication is evident every time we meet,” said the Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU Director.
The Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU continued to meet with Michael throughout the performance of the contract to answer any lingering questions about WAWF. “The Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU has assisted us with billing in WAWF. This has allowed us to take an 18-month contract and allowed us to perform the contract in five (5) months,” says Michael Hovis, co-founder of Hovis Construction, LLC. “The expertise that has been provided to us has given me the ability to look for future projects to bid on and streamlined that searching process. As a new startup business, the Ohio APEX Accelerator at YSU’s guidance and mentorship has played a huge part of the early success that we are seeing as a new business. It has given us the ability to increase profitability the very first day of our relationship. This is a story that should be used to make new startup companies aware of this great tool.”
It was because of the successful execution and high-quality work performance that Hovis Construction, LLC won an additional $700,000 contract with the agency. These two contracts have employed over fifteen workers on the job site and an additional fifteen workers for supplies, trucking, and other related jobs. This momentum will help them to secure further federal contracts in 2021 as they have enhanced and validated their past performance as a company.
