Expansia CEO
Adam ‘AJ’ Jarnagin
With his wife Tynel, Adam ‘AJ’ Jarnagin founded Nashua-based Expansia in 2012. The company was honored last year as the SBA’s Veteran-Owned Business of the Year for New Hampshire and New England. Adam “AJ” Jarnagin is founding partner and CEO of Nashua-based Expansia, a defense integration strategy and technology consulting firm that focuses on advancing technology and technical services.
Jarnigan, a native of Utah, was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force, and his first assignment was at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, which gave him and his family a taste of New England life. He had tours in space and nuclear operations before relocating to Amherst in 2012 to launch Expansia after his military career ended.
The company has 100 employees in 23 states and was cited in 2022 by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the Veteran-Owned Business of the Year in New Hampshire and New England.
In 2021, Jarnigan was named the Kathleen P. Sridhar Small Business Executive of the Year by the National Defense Industrial Association for his positive contributions and impact on the small business community within the defense industry.
Jarnagin talked to NH Business Review about his firm and the pride he takes in providing career opportunities for veterans and military spouses.
Q. What is the genesis of Expansia?
A. My wife and co-founder, Tynel, wanted to live the American dream and provide more opportunities for fellow veterans and military spouses. Our military journey ended unexpectedly when I was diagnosed with a liver disease in 2005. I was honorably discharged from the Air Force with a service-connected disability. Expansia was formed to aid the Department of Defense and federal agencies in deploying technology and capabilities faster for our national security users around the world who are keeping us safe.
Q. What’s behind the name?
A. The word “expansia” means “expansion, growth, improvement.” It’s an aspiration that every project, every opportunity we are honored to be a part of improves and gets better, because of the missionfocused professionals we hire who are delivering with an impact mindset every single day.
Q. How important was the SBA veteran-owned business honor to you personally and the company?
A. It was a very unexpected and humbling recognition, both personally and for our entire Expansia team. It’s also meritorious, because our team focuses diligently on providing career opportunities — and not just a job — for veterans and military spouses in New Hampshire, and in several other states.
Q. What is the company mission?
A. We are focused on integrating technology and strategy development models and execution plans for our clients. Our team aids in ensuring our military and federal agency civilians have the capabilities and products they need more quickly.
We are part of a movement to reform and adapt together as a government and industry team to meet the rising threats around the world. Much of this is due to new technologies we need to adopt faster, or new and innovative methodologies we need to adopt.
We work to increase the speed of delivery of these products to our service men and women, and civilian partners who are on the front lines and in key support roles to meet the national security mission.
Q. What are your day-to-day CEO duties?
A. Every day is an adventure. The overall accountability for our client delivery, healthy and engaged employees, and corporate strategy and growth development are my three key responsibilities.
I’m briefed daily on how we are doing, both employee and client matters and ensuring we have the solutions in place. We provide an environment of high employee engagement strategies to maintain our competitiveness and services for our prized possession: our employees.
We lead a remote company, which was part of our strategy development well before Covid propagated the globe. With employees in 23 states, it’s imperative they feel connected, safe, cared for and supported, and have a career path for their development and continuous growth.
