In this new Every Monday feature, Leslie Hielema, President of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, will regularly introduce you to regional businesses that are making headway in the areas of entrepreneurial innovation.  Developing new ideas and taking them to market is different for every business.  By sharing their stories, these “Entrepreneurial Innovators” will inspire and excite you about your own opportunities even during the current economic crisis.   

KAEGAN Corporation, incorporated by Shirley Wolf, President/CEO in May of 1997, specializes in providing technical support services to its clients in the Modeling, Simulation and Training industry.  Starting with less than a handful of employees, Wolf’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive for success helped KAEGAN grow into a company with over 130 employees located in five states.  KAEGAN’s success has centered on its ability to maintain a solid reputation for excellence and trust by providing quality high technology services to government agencies and commercial businesses that enhance and improve their operations.

The services KAEGAN provides are instrumental in preparing our Nation’s military for missions in foreign lands and seas.  Located in the Central Florida Research Park, KAEGAN offers a diverse, multi-disciplined technical workforce in a number of disciplines including Engineering, Program Management, Logistics, Information Assurance, Training and Training Support.   Locally, KAEGAN has won contracts to provide support to the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI).   

In Orlando, the company is the prime contractor providing simulation software support to PEO STRI to maintain and support the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) Post Production Software Support (PPSS) lab.  CCTT is a virtual simulation trainer to train tank and infantry from platoons to battalion task force size units.  The work consists of system and software engineering, life cycle software support, testing, quality assurance, configuration management, replication, distribution, installation, training and publications support.  This work is essential to accommodate new software versions, new or updated equipment and to upgrade CCTT facilities worldwide with the latest software and equipment.

KAEGAN also provides a variety of instructional, management and training services in support of the Naval Education Training Command (NETC) and Naval personnel Development Command (NPDC).  KAEGAN employees develop and deliver course content at the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) Fleet Training Facilities in Norfolk, VA and San Diego, CA, as well as subject matter expertise in training simulation support.  KAEGAN personnel play a key role in defining the training requirements of new Navy ships and evaluating life cycle support of hardware and software for the Total Ship Training System (TSTS) program.

“Knowing the importance of the support that KAEGAN provides to training our War fighters is a real motivator, “ says Shirley Wolf, President/CEO of KAEGAN Corporation.  “Many of our employees are veterans and some of them now have sons or daughters serving in our military.”

KAEGAN ‘s success in this industry can be attributed to recruiting and sustaining a highly qualified and experienced technical workforce in a variety of technical areas, working closely with customers daily to determine requirements and focus on excellent management of each of its projects.  KAEGAN continues to place emphasis on staffing and recruiting expertise to ensure that program managers have candidates to meet customers’ new or changing requirements.

KAEGAN’s current plans are to expand its services in several technical areas including Information Assurance for government and commercial markets. Despite the economy's rising job losses, KAEGAN has been creating jobs to help support the Nation’s defense training efforts.  With many of the best technologies and talent concentrated in Central Florida, KAEGAN’s goal is to have a larger percentage of defense dollars directed to the local economy.

For more information, visit www.kaegan.com.

If you have a story to tell about how your entrepreneurial success might inspire others, or are willing to share resources that provide assistance in building your business, please contact Leslie Hielema at leslie.hielema@orlando.org.  

Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce (www.orlando.org)
The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce is one of four lines of business of the Central Florida Partnership. A “Five-Star Chamber” - the highest level of achievement awarded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - we are positioned to serve the growing needs of businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the Central Florida Region.