Honored
Leader: Timothy P. Keenan, President and Founder
Company Name: High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTi)
Location: Reston, Va.
Nature of Business: Information technology
Founded: 1991
Revenue: $42 million
Growth Rate (2005): 9 percent
Number of Employees: 220
Average Tenure: 3.3 years
Founded in 1991, HPTi provides a full range of information technology services, primarily for the federal government. To help the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration improve weather forecasting, for example, HPTi designed and developed the eighth fastest supercomputer in the world. In 2003, when a tragic plane crash killed HPTi's chief executive officer, its general counsel and its accountant, Tim Keenan – then chief operating officer – moved quickly to hold the firm together. In the face of adversity, Keenan did not take a conservative path. He rallied the team to push ever harder and demonstrated to his customers and employees that tragedy would not impact HPTi's viability. Through Keenan's leadership, 2003 turned out to be one of the firm's most profitable years ever. In addition to competitive health and retirement benefits, HPTi's 240 employees enjoy benefits such as flexible hours, telecommuting options, company-paid education, a laptop purchase program and a full calendar of social events.