Dr. Paul Hsu, an innovator of business and a visionary was born in Taiwan, and came to the United States as a first generation immigrant in 1976. In 1984, he founded Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI), an avionics and battlefield electronics company serving the U.S. Department of Defense, which became the first in a series of successful entrepreneurial enterprises.
Paul quickly became a respected leader in the business community and an award winning small business owner. Three more successful companies followed MTI beginning with Total Parts Plus, Inc. (TPP), an internet based data content company which provides electronic component obsolescence management and engineering services to the electronics industry, ActiGraph, LLC (Actigraph), an electronic medical device manufacturer which produces a product that collects biometric data used in exercise science, sleep levels/patterns, drug research and cardiac rehabilitation, and Hsu Enterprises, a business and real estate development firm.
Among his most recent accomplishments, Paul was appointed by President Bush as the Associate Administrator of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Government Contracting and Business Development in March of 2007. Paul served by directing SBA’s most important and effective programs, including the 8(a) Business Development program and HUBZone Empowerment Contracting. Paul has stated more than once that “serving his country has been his greatest honor.”
Paul Hsu has also been active in public service in federal, state and local levels. In 2003, he was appointed by President Bush as a member of the President’s Export Council (PEC). He served on SBA’s Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Board and the SBA’s National Advisory Board. He also served as a member of Sustainable Emerald Coast, Enterprise Florida, Okaloosa County Military Affairs Committee, Okaloosa Walton College Foundation, and Emerald Coast Science Center. In February 2006, Paul was selected by General T. Michael Moseley to join the USAF Chief of Staff Civic Leaders Advisory Group. This group will help forge and strengthen the critical bonds between the Air Force and the community it serves
During the past few years, Paul and his companies have received numerous awards. These include the SBA’s National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year; SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year; the State of Florida Governor’s Award of Excellence; the Department of Defense (DOD) “Quality Vendor”; and the Nunn-Perry Award. In June 2001, Paul was the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the state of Florida in the Technology/Communications category. In 2003, Paul was inducted into the SBA’s Hall of Fame. In 2004, Paul received the Corporate Stewardship Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Realizing the importance of community-building, Paul has invested both time and resources into strengthening those around him. Since 2006, he has served as the National Chairman of the International Leadership Foundation, an organization that strives to bring young leaders to Washington, D.C. for summer internships. In 2002, he established the Dr. Paul & Majes-Maggie Hsu Endowed Engineering Scholarship that awards outstanding students in pursuit of a career in engineering. Lastly, he’s been a long-time member of the University of West Florida (UWF) Foundation, an organization that supports the academic institution through financial support, so that it can provide opportunities for students and a margin of institutional excellence unavailable with state funds.