Filnet wins “Entrepreneur of the Year” award

The company, founded by Fil-Am businessman Chris J. Baltazar is recognized as a Model of “Small Business Excellence and Possibilities.”

A small technology company, founded by a Filipino-American businessman, has proven that perseverance and hard work always pay off.

Filnet, a data quality and information technology (IT) firm based in Virginia, has been named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Asian American Business Roundtable (AABR).

AABR was established in 1989 to help Asian and other minority-owned businesses access federal procurement, expand their market base with the Federal Government as well as the commercial sector by providing accurate and timely information. The organization will formally bestow honors to Filnet and other awards recipients at its 2006 Dinner-Awards Night in Rockville on November 10, 2006.

AABR accepts nominations of companies, large and small, from anywhere in the country. Criteria for nomination include the size of the company (i.e., number of employees), annual sale, percentage of growth revenue in 2005 and 2006 versus 2003 and 2004, and projection for further growth.

Filnet president and CEO Chris J. Baltazar is delighted about the award. “Everyone here at Filnet is surprised and honored to receive this award from the Asian American Business Roundtable,” he said. “This recognition is perhaps the most meaningful of any of the awards Filnet has received over the years because it honors the entrepreneurial spirit that lives and strives among American small businesses.”

Filnet’s success is nothing short of the American Dream. As the son of working class parents, Mr. Baltazar immigrated to the United States from the Philippines when he was only twelve years old. At age 20, he launched Filnet, a web development company based on his vision “to provide better user interfaces that incorporate design and functionality on the web.”

Baltazar’s motivation goes much deeper than achieving success for his business. “When I started Filnet, I wanted prove to my family and friends that even a Filipino immigrant with humble beginnings can succeed in America,” reflects Mr. Baltazar. “This AABR award validates the hard work that my staff and I have done over the years to build Filnet into what I hope is a model of small business excellence and possibilities.”

Over the past year, Filnet has followed a national trend of notable growth among Asian owned businesses. According to a recent US Census Bureau report, Asian business enterprises grew at a faster pace than the national average. In fact, the Bureau noted that Asian American businesses generated over $325 billion in 2002.

The company has had a roller coaster journey over the past ten years. For instance, it struggled to survive the “dot-com bust.” Many IT businesses that were launched by Baltazar’s counterparts during late 1990s are no longer in existence. Mr. Baltazar’s success was due in part to what he calls “Filnet’s diverse client base, a good business plan and exceptional customer relations.” Today, Filnet has grown into a full service IT firm with revenues in the millions.

Filnet is a certified SBA 8(a) business that provides data quality, web applications and web development services for government and commercial enterprises. Privately owned and operated, the firm also offers full-lifecycle development and support services, IT staff augmentation, web hosting and online training products. Filnet has ranked 14th in Deloitte’s Virginia Fast 50 and ranked nationally in the Fast 500.