PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2022

T U R N E R C E N T E R H O N O R E E

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

Alegna’s Mom and Pop operation courts business from Uncle Sam

BY BOB GRIMSON PHOTOS BY FRANK BLAIN

Angela and Hosea Washington

A ngela Washington recalls the excitement she felt when her company, Alegna, received certification as a woman owned business from the federal Small Business Administration. Gaining that honor on the third try required separate applications and frustrating waiting periods each time. “I knew the advantage of having that certification,” she said, adding that certain government contracts are set aside for female-owned companies. She controls 51 percent of Alegna — Angela spelled backwards. Her husband, Hosea, the only other employee, controls the remainder. An accountant by training who continues to work in the private sector, she completed the applications herself rather than paying several thousand dollars for someone else to handle the tedious task. “I’m smart, I know how to read. The

accountant in me said, ‘No way.’’’ Alegna, founded in 2017, distributes a variety of products and is this year’s Government Contractor of the Year, as selected by the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University. “The majority of our business is with the federal government,” Hosea Washington said. “We can go out and get anything at a reasonable price.” Their product lines range from tactical outdoor gear and industrial supplies to consumer electronics. The Washingtons recently completed an order covering flashlights and utility

knives for Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals and have even served U.S. embassies overseas from their hometown Peoria location. Hosea, a former Caterpillar Inc. project manager and 6 Sigma Black Belt, said the couple’s son, Julian, interned at a similar company while in college and started his own company in 2013, serving as an inspiration and resource for the couple. The Washingtons said the online nature of the business allows them to work anywhere, anytime, a clear advantage with older family members

54 SEPTEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE