About Us
Our Story
Let me introduce you to an idea so bold that no one would ever seriously entertain it. First, I need to introduce you to Mr. Scott Lopez. Scott is a veteran and a proven entrepreneur. He was a soldier in the United States Army from 1991 to 1994 and served as an M1A1 tanker in Fort Polk, LA, and Fort Hood, TX. Scott would go on to move through the ranks in the distribution channel with Ingram Micro and Sourcing Solutions, where he would create and brand Netpatibles. Over the course of the next twenty years, Scott would go on to make everyone in the ranks above him a great deal of money. Finally, he became frustrated by the corporate greed he saw every day and wanted to find a way to make a name for himself rather than for those he worked for.
Three years ago, Scott broke away to start his own business and has grown it from nothing to a multi-million-dollar brand. In an attempt to change how he was treated by the larger corporations, Scott decided that he would share profits with his employees. Not one or two percent, but thirty to fifty percent. This is unheard of in today's corporate landscape. But, this wasn't enough for Scott; he disagreed with how corporations would shackle their employees with non-compete or non-solicit clauses. He never agreed to sign one, and he has never asked an employee of his to do it either. He believes that if you treat your employees right and compensate them justly, they won't leave. But if they do, competition can only make your business stronger.
Scott has always been very proud of his military service and wanted to find a way to give back, so he reached out to me, Mike Jones, his brother in arms from his days in the 3/66 Armored Battalion. Scott and I went to basic training together and spent three years of active service together. I was a Social Studies teacher for twenty years and became frustrated with the direction my occupation was going. Scott suggested that I come to work for him. He would pay me the same salary that I was making as a teacher to learn how to start my own company and sell products to the Federal Government. And after I learned the skill, he expected me to break off and create my own company with the expectation that I would hire another veteran and teach them the skill of selling to the Federal Government. I wasn't expected to sign a non-compete. He fully expected me to go out and make my own money. We have named this program "OnTheWay." To understand the title, you must be familiar with the battle cadence of the M1A1 Abrams tank. It goes like this:
- Tank Commander: Gunner, Sabot, Tank
- Gunner: Identified
- Loader: (Loads Sabot Round) UP
- Tank Commander: Fire
- Gunner: On the Way (shot is fired down range)
This series of commands make OnTheWay the perfect name for this program.
Scott has also solidified a place for himself in the veteran community by being a founding member in the Austin chapter of USA Cares. He has spearheaded the first of many fundraisers for the chapter with Operations Tres Bravos: BBQ, Bullets, and Bourbon held at The Range in Austin, Texas, in April. Scott has personally donated thousands of dollars to Veteran’s Organizations and raised over $50,000 through fundraisers. We hope you will join us in this innovative program and help us give those who have served the opportunity to get OnTheWay.
