“When I started 8-koi, I wanted to be a better employer where people worked together for a common goal to provide for their families and be a happy place to work, where legacies would live on. By being a good employer, we would therefore be a good service provider to our customers.” – Inga Young

On August 8, 2008, 8-koi Founder Inga Young put into motion her idea to offer a more efficient option to the government for high quality management of Federal contracting services. After years of helping other businesses succeed as a DCAA-compliant contract accountant, Inga reflected at her favorite koi pond and was inspired to start her own company, one where she could do better than others.

Since that day, Inga has had the opportunity to grow and learn along the way. Read Inga’s “Thirteen Things I’ve Learned About Business” for more insight.

This year, 8-koi employees contributed more about their experiences to help round out “Sixteen Things You Should Know About 8-koi” listed below:

16 Things You Should Know About 8-koi

1. “8-koi provides a work environment with a ‘Human Touch.’ Examples include leadership making meals or bringing soup to a home for sick employees. Leadership sending handwritten cards with a gift for employee’s birthdays.” – Dean, COO, Melbourne, FL
2. “At 8-Koi and CDE, our work significantly enhances government, military, and educational operations, and includes supporting critical space flight programs at the Kennedy Space Center. This challenging and rewarding work environment acts as a sharpening stone, honing our skills and keeping our team agile and proficient.” Lance, CAD/BIM Manager, Melbourne, FL
3. “Inga, the President of 8-koi, really is the perfect embodiment of the core values of the company. She is a thoughtful owner who truly cares about her employees/clients. She is the most dependable person I know. She has the passion to provide quality service and ensure her employees are taken care of. She is a prime example of excellence!” – Anthony, Information Security Officer, Melbourne, FL
4. “8-koi personnel live and work to the values of passion, excellence, dependability, and thoughtfulness that Inga incorporated into her business plan 16 years ago. These values are readily visible in all 8-koi interactions with suppliers, customers, and each other. We bring a human touch to our contracts that is missing in most industries today and build relationships in everything we do. Inga makes sure personnel have the tools and resources necessary to achieve success for the contract they are assigned to and provides opportunities to employees for career advancement and job satisfaction.” – Kathy, Proposal Writer, TN
5. “8-koi does a great job at maintaining healthy employee relations with its subsidiaries. As an employee of CDE it’s easy to contact them anytime a new situation arises that would need their input.” – Jared, CAD/BIM Designer, Melbourne, FL
6. U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su conferred 8-koi’s third consecutive HIRE Vets Medallion Award in 2023 for “exceptional achievement in veteran employment.”
7. “Working at 8-koi is such a pleasure, we are a team that works together like a second family that notices if you’re having an off day and takes that moment to talk to you, or just ask how things are going, also sharing those special moments and celebrations. I love working at 8-koi. You’re the number 1 employer. Thank you, 8-koi, Congratulations for 16 years!!” – Robin, Credentialing Specialist, Melbourne, FL
8. “8-koi goes above and beyond to help employees and family when a need arises. That might be by making a call when an employee is sick to see if they need anything. Asking to stop by to check on the health of someone who has been out a few days. Having luncheons for birthdays, May The 4th Be With You celebrations, or Dog Days. Everyone is friendly and if needed willing to help.” – May, HR/Recruiter, Melbourne, FL
9. “While a ‘little’ company, we carry a big punch.” – Rebecca, Project Coordinator, Melbourne, FL
10. “8-koi has a great work environment that provides flexibility for myself and my family.” – Kyle, Structural Engineer, Melbourne, FL
11. “At 8-koi, the horizontal management approach fosters open communication and collaboration across all levels of the organization. This structure nurtures a strong family-like atmosphere, where each team member is valued, supported, and encouraged to contribute their unique strengths. The result is a cohesive, united team that feels more like a family than just coworkers.” – Matthew, Director of Engineering, Melbourne, FL
12. The OttoBollard^TM was patented by 8-koi in 2022 to help secure military installations and public spaces.
13. “8-koi is as dog-friendly as it is people-friendly. Employees are treated with value and respect, and their accomplishments celebrated.” – Regina, Documentation Specialist, Melbourne, FL
14. The first ‘8-koi Dog Day’ was held at Headquarters in 2022, complete with pup cups and pet portraits. 8-koi offers pet insurance as an employee benefit.
15. “There are many wonderful things I would like people to know about 8-koi, one in particular is their acceptance and support of our furry, or hairless, family members. 8-koi goes out of their way by having special functions for our pets to include treats and gifts, providing the option to bring your pet with you to work, and offering pet insurance. I am very grateful for this gracious support as my pets are my family! :)” – Lisa, Credentialing Manager, Melbourne, FL
16. “8-koi is a woman-owned small business specialized in construction, engineering, health care and technical services.” – Li, Mechanical Engineer, Melbourne, FL

We are proud to share these accolades with you in hopes you will join us at 8-koi to celebrate our “Sweet 16” in 2024. Sincere thanks to all of our employees, customers, teammates and community supporters for making this very special occasion possible!