Knight Federal Honored by GrowFL as One of 50 2018 Florida Companies to Watch Winners

Knight Federal Solutions, a small business providing support services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence community, has announced that it has been named one of 50 statewide companies expected to see significant growth over the next several years by GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute. More than 500 companies were nominated from across the state of Florida, vying for the prestigious title of being honored as one of this year’s 50 Florida Companies to Watchˢͫ, a statewide awards program managed by GrowFL, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation, a nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship. Knight Federal’s management team, competitive market position and strong community involvement were among several factors evaluated for the award.

“We are honored to be among the 50 companies named to the 2018 Companies to Watch by GrowFL,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal. “This recognition builds on several other recent achievements for Knight Federal, including the award of three new major contracts, as well as our recent launch of our nonprofit organization, the Purple Knight Initiative which provides paid internships to combat wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment,” says Baeten.

Knight Federal is one of the fastest growing companies in Central Florida, currently employing 90 staff. Baeten’s unique management style and informal approach has propelled the company on an impressive revenue track anticipating $12M in gross revenue this year, growing by 50% annually since inception.

“These stand-out second-stage companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” says Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he adds.

Second-stage companies are defined as those with 6 to 150 full-time employees and generate between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue. There are many programs and incubators promoting start-up businesses; GrowFL is the only Florida program that focuses exclusively on second-stage companies.

The 2018 Florida Companies to Watch honorees represent a unique group of scalable, high-growth enterprises that are already located within Florida. These high growth businesses are an important segment of our economy and their numbers have been steadily increasing, which contributed to Florida’s ranking of 24 on the 2018 Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship. Companies named to the list will be officially recognized on February 9, 2019 at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa, FL. Tickets are on sale now for the awards ceremony. For more details, visit http://www.growfl.com/flctw18/about-flctw/

About Knight Federal Solutions

Knight Federal Solutions provides simulation and training, cybersecurity, information technology, finance and intelligence analysis solutions to the Defense and Intelligence sectors. The company focuses on developing mission driven, cost-effective solutions designed to exceed expectations and empower results. Website: www.knightfederal.com.

About GrowFL

GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support, including strategic research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring and leadership development, to second-stage Florida companies. Website: growfl.com

About the Edward Lowe Foundation

Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). Website: edwardlowe.org