By Nancy Brown, Executive Director of KYPTAC
In honor of Veterans Day, we are highlighting Universal Spartan’s business owner, Alex Ramirez. Thank you for your service and continued support of Veterans, Alex!
For the twenty-two years of Mr. Alex Ramirez's military career, he was mission-driven, attaining the rank of Major in the United States Army. Since retirement, he has continued to be mission-determined, starting a small online sales company that was initially generating a few thousand dollars in sales each year. Mr. Ramirez's drive enabled him to obtain the education that he needed to be successful while also taking full advantage of the resources provided to him by the governments of Kentucky and the United States.
Mr. Ramirez's combat experience, past performance, industry knowledge, and network of suppliers have enabled him to grow his business into a successful defense contractor. He now has over 600 contracts with the federal government and will continue to grow in the future. The firm has ten contractors in the U.S. and internationally in Colombia, Egypt, Peru, Spain, and Israel.
Universal Spartan has a General Service Administration (GSA) schedule and has signed numerous contractual teaming agreements with large and small companies and is a part-owner of a GSA 8a Stars III IT company called Universal Wisdom Solutions, LLC with two other veterans. Along the route of this mission, he has been awarded five STEP Grants from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the state of Kentucky, which allowed him to drastically increase his exporting capability.
He has made it his civilian mission to help lift his fellow veterans and teach them some business skills by starting the Kentucky Veteran Business Alliance. His mission is to share his gained knowledge and success with veterans that are just beginning the journey, as well as with those who may be well along the road. He is driven to try to make the journey a little easier for his brothers and sisters.
Since 2018, the Kentucky Veteran Business Alliance has developed over 800 transition veterans and supporting community supporters who are now accelerating their enterprise growth in Kentucky. Because of Mr. Ramirez's business success, as well as his drive to bring his fellow veterans along the path to success with him, he was awarded the SBA 2018 Kentucky Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year award by Governor Matthew Bevin.
Mr. Ramirez is also the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Hall of Distinguished Alumni for exemplary service to their professions and communities. In 2020 he was awarded NaVOBA’s 2020 Hispanic Veteran’s Business Enterprise® of the Year Award. Mr. Ramirez is a Minority-Owned Business and is an 8(a) Awardee under the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program. He is also in the Global Good Fund Program and one of SBA’s Emerging Leader Graduate.
Mr. Ramirez is an active member of the National Veteran-Owned Business Association. He is an inductee to the 2021 Kentucky Veteran Hall of Fame, a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Association of the United States Army, and the United States Army Ranger Association. Universal Spartan, LLC is ranked on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Mr. Ramirez has also been a KYPTAC client since 2016 and has worked with the team diligently to exceed all his goals. We thank you for your service.
Each month, the KYPTAC highlights a client story. Are you interested in sharing yours? Reach out to your counselor or click here.