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www.negociosnow.com October 2019 5 SPECIAL EDITION Partnerships bring quick success to Albuquerque company By David Steinkraus F rank S. Garcia studied politi- cal science in college becau- se he wanted to change the world. Those studies in govern- ment gave him the right back- ground to grow Perikin Enterpri- ses from a very small company into a multi-million-dollar firm that derives 80% to 90% of its busi- ness from federal contracts. Today Perikin has more than 100 employees two main divi- sions. One provides administra- tive and professional services, IT support, and environmental services. The other division does general construction and a lot of facilities maintenance. After growing up in El Paso and graduating from Texas State Uni- versity in San Marcos, Garcia did what many young people do: He left home to explore the world. He landed in San Francisco and went into banking where he lear- ned about real estate investment and commercial lending, and especially about managing rela- tionships. After three and a half years there, his aunt asked him to return to El Paso and help with Perikin, a construction company she had started. It was a very small company because his aunt also had a full-time job and a family. "When I started to learn more about the industry, I could see the path. I could see there was a niche for small business to be competitive in the federal con- tract area," Garcia said. In 2013 he became the majority owner. Through the U.S. Small Business Administration and chambers of commerce, he learned the federal procurement system. In 2014 he bid on an abatement and replacement project at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. Garcia said he put a lot of time into preparing documents and acquiring a $1.1 million bond. "It was a lot of persuasion because nobody thought we could do it," he said. But Perikin did. Garcia mana- ged the project himself and along the way fell in love with Albuquerque. His small office near the airport became two offices and then a floor. This year Perikin moved into 2,600 square feet on the fifth floor of a downtown office building. "We diversified very quickly. It all happened in a three- to four- year period. There was just magic in our partnerships, and the cus- tomers really liked us," he said. Although forming partnerships is not always a natural act for people in the Latino community, he said, partnerships are critical to success. He thought his age would be a hin- drance — he's 31 now — but it was an advantage. "I think everybody was excited there was a young person with a good business infrastructure behind him, and a good team, so everybody wanted to impart their wisdom and help me," he said. People who want to pursue the federal market should leverage the ecosystem provided by the busi- ness community and the federal government, he said. "I always say it takes a village to raise a business. It takes local chambers, advoca- cy groups, non-profits, seasoned business mentors, SBA — all the information is there," he said. Leverage strategic partners- hips, he said. Look for people whose vision and services com- pliment yours, and look for larger federal contractors who can help you grow. "And last, when you are suc- cessful, honor your agreements," he said, "because trust is the coin of the realm, because if you violate trust, you have nothing ever again."

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