Information Technology and the Competitive Strategy of Firms

Executive Summary Nancy Archuleta, a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is the founder of MEVATEC Corporation. MEVATEC Corporation is a dynamic technical services company whose main focus has been in the area of engineering services and support for both commercial and Government applications. MEVATEC started out as an 8A Certified company. An 8A company is a firm owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. MEVATEC has since moved to a Small Business category employing over 500 people in eleven locations nationwide. In 2001, company revenues reached $108M; and that number is expected to grow to $120M in 2002. Mrs. Archuleta has drawn on twenty-three years of experience in business and education as an entrepreneur, manager, and leader. She has in-depth knowledge of starting, building and managing sales and high technology companies. She has built a company that fosters and promotes individual initiative and creativity, while preserving a strong spirit of teamwork. A dynamic combination of talent and technology has enabled her to create an organization that consistently provides cost effective and timely solutions to complex problems. Visitors to MEVATEC come away impressed by a unique culture which is clearly a reflection of Mrs. Archuleta's leadership and is evidenced by the staffs exceptional enthusiasm and dedication to customer satisfaction. Leadership is an integral part of Mrs. Archuleta's life. She has held Executive positions in Business Administration and Management, Personnel Management, Education, Counseling, and Program Administration in California, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Prior to founding MEVATEC, she successfully owned and managed her own insurance firm and was recognized for her achievement as the only Hispanic Female Sales Manager for the Prudential Insurance Company. She has served on the Governor's Business Advisory Council to the Governor of New Mexico, has been recognized by the Governors of three states as a leader in the development of Equal Opportunities for women and minorities. At a ceremony at the White House, Mrs. Archuleta and MEVATEC were recognized by the President of the United States as one of the fastest growing Hispanic owned companies in the country. Her leadership is exemplified in the culture of MEVATEC, which has a pervasive emphasis on quality, but stays strongly focused on the needs of the employees and their families. Mrs. Archuleta's emphasis on her employees continual development through training, mentoring, and diverse assignments ensures that they are prepared to assume increasing levels of responsibility in both the company and local community. Service to the community has always been a strong facet of her persona. She has been involved in various civic, educational, and political organizations in the communities in which she has lived and worked. Authors: You started out in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Your headquarters is now located in Huntsville, Alabama. Why Huntsville and how important was location to your business development? Archuleta: I started out my entrepreneur spirit by opening up an insurance company. I later got into the manufacturing business when a banker approached me with an opportunity to produce Satellite Communication Pager printed circuit boards. With the financial backing of a local bank, I founded Mesilla Valley High Tech Industries in 1985, which later was named MEVATEC. The company employed 40 people, many of which were family members. In October 1987 the company sold the technology and rights to another major technology industry. So, we were basically out of business. With an enormous debt with the Small Business Association (SBA) and large facility costs, we reduced from 40 employees to 5. In the mean time my son was focusing his attention on the Commerce Business Daily to look for contract opportunities. He perceived that Huntsville was being awarded the majority of the contracts. …