"You always have to reinvent your company," Jaurigue said.
For now, Jaurigue is focused on a five-year plan that calls for Sabre to reach $150 million in sales by 2014. To get there, it must compete against household names such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp., manufacturing giants that have expanded into information technology.
"We can't match the big guys on breadth and depth, so we need to be much more focused on what we go after," Jaurigue said.
Looking back, Jaurigue sees his early advantage from minority ownership as an opportunity, not a guarantee of success. His advice to aspiring professionals and entrepreneurs is to use whatever advantages are available, "but don't become overly reliant on them, and don't let them limit your goals."
"You have to develop a value proposition that is not based on your status as a minority-owned business," he said. "You can use those to get your foot in the door. But in order to continue to grow, you've got to bring more game than that."
A BDPA career fair Friday and Saturday is free and open to the public - all you need is a resumé. Other events are open with a $100-per-day registration fee. For more information, go to www.BDPA.org.
