Grand Island IT Networking and Security Firm Building Reputation on Attention to Detail
- published: 2024/04/17
- contact: NBDC Communications - Nebraska Business Development Center
- phone: 402.554.6256
- email: kjefferson@unomaha.edu
- search keywords:
- NBDC
- APEX Accelerator
- Oneway Network Security & Construction
- Grand Island Business
Grand Island, Nebraska – A business that began in the owner’s garage is now a busy Information Technology (IT) services firm that is growing its list of satisfied customers and giving IT professionals an opportunity for employment within the Grand Island community.
Enrique “Rick” Aguilera began Oneway Network Security & Construction Solutions in his garage in 2018 and has since hired eight employees and moved to an office north of the Grand Island airport.
After working as a network engineer for an area health system, Aguilera decided to start an IT business of his own. “Everyone complained that there were no tech jobs here and that they had to move to Omaha or Lincoln,” he says. “I like the Grand Island/Kearney area. I felt that if no one else was going to solve the problem, I would give it a try.”
Oneway Network Security & Construction Solutions offers IT project consultation, security system installations, IT diagnostics, structured cabling, networking services, and fiber utility and splicing. He credits his company’s success in part to his and his techs’ attention to detail.
“A lot of people know us by the work we do in the IT room and the rack room,” Aguilera says. “I emphasize precision and details. When they see a rack room where the wiring is all nice and neat, they recognize it as our work.”
I emphasize precision and details. When they see a rack room where the wiring is all nice and neat, they recognize it as our work.
He also credits the relationship he has built with the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC), and APEX Accelerator Consultant Chuck Beck at the NBDC office at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The Nebraska APEX Accelerator program, a program of the Nebraska Business Development Center, works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to establish and update regulatory paperwork required for government contracting. APEX Accelerator consultants also help business owners throughout Nebraska apply for certifications that may provide an edge when competing for contracts earmarked for certain business types, such as minority-owned, woman-owned or HUBZone small businesses. Their services are available at no cost and are available to any Nebraska business.
Aguilera was initially referred to the NBDC and Beck by Sandra Barrera at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall of 2020. “We wanted to get into government contracting, and she said the NBDC and Chuck could provide the insight I needed,” he says.
At their initial meeting, Beck provided an overview of government contracting, as well as highlighted the various federal, state and local contracting opportunities available for the services Aguilera offers. Beck followed up that meeting with resources for developing effective capability statements and market research for Nebraska schools.
Beck says Oneway Network Security & Construction Solutions’ success is due to Aguilera’s drive and adaptability. “Rick was interested in government contracting, and had the drive to succeed in that market,” Beck says. “After a couple of initial appointments, Rick refocused on the local government markets where he felt the company could be successful.”
In January 2022, Oneway Network Security & Construction Solutions secured its first government contract with the City of Grand Island. The company has since won a number of contracts with government entities including the Nebraska National Guard, the City of Broken Bow, Grand Island Public Schools, Wood River Rural Schools and Gibbon, NE Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
“We do about 10 to 12 school rewires in the region a year,” Aguilera says.
Aguilera and Oneway Network Security & Construction Solutions were recognized for its success at the 2022 Latino Small Business Conference. “We do something very different, and we do it very well,” he says.
“It’s great to see Rick’s efforts pay off,” Beck says. “I was excited to see him receive the award at the Latino Small Business Conference. He takes a lot of pride in the projects that his company completes, and I know he has spent considerable time developing the tools and resources that help him earn contracts.”
Aguilera says he is grateful for the opportunity to start and grow his own business, and for the support and resources that have helped him along the way, including the NBDC.
“I owe a lot to Chuck Beck,” he says. “He really put in the work to help me move forward. He took the time to guide me through all the processes. You don’t find that kind of person every day.”
Looking to the future, Aguilera hopes to expand his services to surrounding states while keeping the company headquartered in Grand Island. “We want to take projects from initial consultation through construction, implementation, warranty and submittal,” he says, “and make the whole process as headache-free as possible.”