by Alvin Peabody

apeabody@pnj.com

Glen Boutwell was all smiles recently as she conducted a tour of her company- Aviation Systems of Northwest Florida.

Located at 3857 Hopkins St. in Pensacola, ASI specializes in overhaul repair, modification and manufacture of aviation training devices and support equipment for the U.S. military.

"We're quite pleased at where we are today," said Boutwell, company president and CEO.

That was not the case several years ago for a company that has transformed itself from a small local firm into a multimillion-dollar success story.

Boutwell, a 27-year bank executive, opened ASI in 1994. She soon encountered numerous difficulties usually faced by small-business owners: The inability to secure a loan to start the company and later, proving the firm's performance capability to potential clients.

"Patience was necessary to build a dependable clientele basis," recalled Boutwell, whose business relies 100 percent on federal government contracts.

After several years of continued struggle, plans were considered to shut the company down. But a determination to succeed outweighed those plans.

In 2001, Boutwell entered the U.S. Small Business Administration's 8(a) business development program, a nine-year effort designed to assist disadvantaged businesses to complete through government contracting. ASI is set to complete the program in 2010.

"Our success today is tied to the help that we got from the SBA program," Boutwell said. "we were able to secure additional contracts in the federal contracting market, maximizing our business opportunities."

ASI is one of several Pensacola based firms that have benefited from the federal program, said Laura Subel, program manager for the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance.

The center helps Florida businesses interested in obtaining contracts with the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and state or local government agencies and participating prime contractors. Center clients have won $4.9 billion in contracts in the last 18 years, helping to create or retain 90,480 jobs.

In 2004, programs clients won more than $161 million in contracts, according to the latest center figures.

"The SBA 8(a) program offers lots of advantages to small-business owners, such as limiting the competition," Subel said. "The rules allow for the federal government to go directly to a certified 8(a) firm of their choice."

Donald Sasser is a 26-year aviation electrician who has been with ASI since its founding. He has witnessed the company move from smaller locations in Gulf Breeze Office Park and the Ellyson Industrial Park to its current site in Escambia County.

"We were confident all along that we had the experience and technical know-how to succeed," said Sasser. "We just needed to keep working hard."

The hard work has paid off. Today, ASI operates out of a 10,000 square-foot building near downtown Pensacola. Its workforce has grown to 55 employees, about 17 of whom are base in Pensacola. Others are stationed at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville and Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas.

"We've realized that endurance, patience and hard work are necessary tools to maintain and grow a successful small business," said Boutwell.