Washington Business Fall 2019 | Washington Business | Page 53

how i did it
Things changed quickly after the company received its 8(a) certification in August 2009. By March 2010 RHD had been
awarded its first project through the program, a renovation of four constant-temperatures rooms for the EPA’s Region
10 Manchester Environmental Laboratory in Port Orchard. That was followed about two months later by a $3.5 million
renovation of one of the laboratory’s wings.
RHD quickly became a small business success story. In fact, in 2017, the SBA named Garman the Washington Small
Business Person of the Year. In 2018, AWB awarded RHD the Connect Award at the annual Evening of Excellence.
“I have a philosophy that the
more successful we are, the
more we contribute, both in
dollars and time. For me it’s
a way to give back what I’ve
been given.”
pulling back and regrouping
As the end of RHD’s 8(a) certification period grew near, Garman knew she needed to act.
She and her team began looking at different possibilities and developing a strategic plan for
moving forward without the certification.
“Some things in our plan worked, and some things didn’t. What I figured out is you don’t
know what’s going to happen until you get there,” Garman said. “One of the things that
was very interesting was how the political landscape affected us. After the 2016 election,
Congress didn’t pass a budget and the government was funded through a continuing
resolution. During a continued resolution, federal projects aren’t necessarily funded unless
they are emergent, and most of the work was released late in the fourth
quarter of 2017. Because we graduated from the 8(a) program in August,
we weren’t eligible for many projects that came out during that period.
Having a continued resolution affect federal projects we were counting on
was a difficult thing to navigate our last year in the program.”
Garman realized it was time to course correct.
“If you don’t pull back when you need to and regroup, then I think you
could be in worse shape,” Garman said. “We’re doing that. We have pulled
back considerably and are looking at what type of work we want to do and
who we want to be moving forward.”
Some of the opportunities RHD has explored include pursuing more
work in the public space and forming joint ventures. The company also
has opened specialized divisions, including a steel and metal fabrication
division that has grown 300% in the last year alone.
giving back
RHD supports a variety of organizations and events in the community.
The company sponsors youth sports teams, participates in school supply
drives, and delivers gifts to needy families during the holidays.
“I have a philosophy that the more successful we are, the more we
contribute, both in dollars and time. For me it’s a way to give back what
I’ve been given,” she said.
Garman also donates her own time to the community. She currently
serves on the boards of the Thurston County Economic Development
Council and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Washington and
previously served as vice president of the YWCA Olympia Board of
Directors. But generally speaking, she reserves her personal time for her family—specifically her 12-year-old son and
8-year-old daughter.
“I love my company. I love everything about it, even the hard days. But any accomplishment that we have here pales
in comparison to my kids,” Garman said. “If I’m not here, then I’m with my kiddos. They’re what I do all of this for.”
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