Company: EM Key Solutions, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
Company Description: EM Key Solutions (EMKS), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, offers a broad range of services to support Federal Government enterprises in meeting their mission requirements and business demands. EMKS leadership has over 30 years of proven performance and award-winning experience with core capabilities in management consulting, A&AS, and healthcare technology.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Veteran-Owned Business of the Year
 Nomination Title: Veteran-Owned Business of the Year
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2021, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 230 words used.
- Business Growth:
- Awarded Health Information Management Services Coding Support, VA Healthcare System Contract.
- Awarded FBI-RIDS Contract.
- Acquired CORTEK INC. as a wholly owned subsidiary.
- Company Awards:
- Project that EMKS personnel works on, ETSSS, received Innovation Award.
- 2020-2022: EMKS on Top 100 - Fortune Magazine Best Small Workplaces™ list (3 years running).
- 2020-2022: Recognized by Department of Labor as a HIREVets Platinum Medallion Award recipient (3 years running).
- Company Certifications:
- EMKS receives CMMI SVC 2 designation.
- 2019–2022: Great Place to Work Certified (4 years running).
- Veteran Institute for Procurement Certified.
- Leadership Awards:
- CEO a G2Xchange Disruptive Tech Change Agent Award Winner.
- CEO a FedHealthIT100 Award winner (2 years running).
- Director of HR a Stevie HR Professional of the Year Award winner.
- VP, Health Solutions a Leading for Impact: Women in Leadership Award winner.
- CEO FedHealthIT Hall of Fame awardee.
- President a FedHealthIT100 Award winner.
- New Employee Initiatives:
- Workouts and Yoga added to Employee Wellness Program.
- Mojo Intranet for Employees and Monthly Newsletter launched.
- Community Involvement:
- Gold Sponsors: Classic Car Show benefiting the "Birds in Helping Hands" charity.
- Sponsored the MileMarker10 Virtual 5K: Miles for a Mission.
- 2021 & 2022: Sponsored Liberty Manor for Vets “Race on the River,” purchasing canoe and gave 200 meals to the vets and families for free.
- 2019-2022: Gold Sponsor of the Annual Tree Lighting benefiting the "Making Dreams Come True" charity, assisting families in need.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 199 words used.
History: EM Key Solutions (EMKS) was established as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business in 2017 by CEO Mike Snyder, a retired Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Medical Service Corps with one mission: to serve our Veterans and country. In 2020, we established the EMKS Veteran Onboarding Liaison Vehicle (EVOLVe), an internal workgroup to support newly hired Veteran employees in growing their career at EMKS by providing them with a dedicated mentor from Veterans already on staff. EVOLVe is led by a Marine Veteran with 20 years of service, supported by trained HR staff. In 2022, continuing our veteran-centric mission, we added Veteran Edwin Rosas as President and acquired SDVOSB, CORTEK.
Purpose: To continue service to our Veterans and service-members, their families, and our country. We ensure our federal clients meet their mission objectives by delivering innovative, impactful and effective solutions in management consulting, A&AS, and healthcare technology.
Operations: EMKS delivers a customer-centric approach with proven management processes, creating good working relationships with stakeholders, leadership, and team members. Our workforce consists of balanced cross-sections of technical and functional personnel with a wide-ranging skillset, which we retain through competitive wages, progressive work-life benefits, rewarding opportunities, and a flexible and responsive culture.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Our employees are our #1 asset, so we ensure they know their contributions matter. 2022 was an ideal opportunity to evaluate and update employee interactions. When acquiring CORTEK, EMKS leadership thoroughly analyzed our benefits. In cases where CORTEK’s existing benefits were ahead of EMKS’, leadership chose to match or exceed what the new employees had been receiving. As a result of this planning, EMKS was able to maintain the overwhelming majority of the valuable incoming resources. In the months since, this cohort of new employees, has repeatedly indicated, both via formal internal surveys and informal conversations, how much more engaged, empowered, and valued they felt than under their previous leadership.
Veterans are a high priority and hiring Veterans is a foundation of our recruiting practice. This has proven effective, as EMKS boasts more than 40% Veterans on staff. EVOLVe has consistently proven very successful with a ~75% veteran retention rate over the last 3 years. This philosophy benefits EMKS as well, as we have found veterans to be quick learners and hard workers, with crucial core skills.
We sponsor several 501(c)(3) organizations and have a holiday tradition of delivering baskets to the Veterans at the VA Hospital, spending around $8,000 in supplies. We want our Veterans who are in hospitals during the holidays to have the things they need while also providing items to make their stays there more enjoyable. Last year, 360 baskets were made for the patients and delivered by EMKS staff by Christmas Eve.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 61 words used.
Links have been provided for the various company awards, leadership awards, and certifications, which we hope will assist in our claims of all the great things our company and its employees are doing. We also attempted to provide emails from employees and our customers showing their happiness with working with and for our company. Thank you so much for your consideration.
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