090: Mike Melo - Serving people in the arena and highlighting values of leadership, integrity and hard work

Mike Melo president and CEO of ITA International started his company with his wife. Interestingly, it was Melo's father who inspired the name of his company, ITA. It is derived from a passage in a 1910 speech by Teddy Roosevelt referred to as "The Man in the Arena" in which Roosevelt praises those who work hard and demonstrate values of leadership, integrity, and hard work rather than simply sitting on the sidelines. ITA International LLC works toward a secure, stable and sustainable world. Their mission is to improve the lives of all people, especially their customers. They operate in over 20 locations worldwide. Founded in 2005, Mike and his wife’s company is a provider of integrated service in the areas of Operational Support, Marine Engineering, Cyber Operations and Data Analytics for those serving “In The Arena” in support of the US Government, Commercial Customers and Non-Government Organizations operating globally. In today’s episode, we discussed how Mike’s view on federal contracting shifted since first starting out, we discussed his recent acquisition and the methodology used to determine the good versus bad purchase in the business, the future of ITA and where the company is headed. We also dived into the beginning phases of growth, cash flow and contacts.