Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions

Bridging the language barrier┬áTorres Advanced Enterprise Solutions brings technology and language services that government agencies can depend on. Jaclyn Beck reports. Jerry Torres, a former Merck executive and longtime Special Forces soldier, created the idea for Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions (TAES) while on duty in Argentina during the September 11th attack on the World Trade Centers. ÔÇ£Some Argentinean soldiers grabbed me, pulled me into an office, and pointed at a monitor,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£I saw the second plane hit the tower, and from that time I was on active duty.ÔÇ£I knew I was going to be gone for a long time. Your employer is required by law to keep your job open, but the reality is itÔÇÖs not very difficult for them to replace you. So I thought I may as well start a tech consultancy. I incorporated in 2002.ÔÇØThe company has since become an international enterprise consulting and language services firm that serves mission-driven US government agencies, including Defense, Intelligence and Law Enforcement, as well as global Fortune 500 companies. Torres is known for successful delivery under the most challenging conditions, even in combat zones, and prides itself on problem-solving for well-scoped out programs where it feels its values are best defined and its core competencies are strongest.TorresÔÇÖ first contract was scored while nursing an injury he received on active duty. ÔÇ£I was stretching at Bowling Air Force Base in Washington, DC, and a guy walked up to me and said, ÔÇÿI understand youÔÇÖre a Special Forces soldier. Would you be interested in establishing security for the VeteransÔÇÖ Presidential Ball?ÔÇÖ It was our first contract,ÔÇØ says Torres.ÔÇ£Our next contract was to recruit, hire, and deploy linguists in Iraq and Afghanistan. When we started, there were 20 other small companies on that contract, which was worth $3 billion. From our reputation on that contract, we got a phone call from the Department of State, which issued us a contract to provide 40 linguists to the US Embassy in Iraq. When the President, the Vice President, or any senior diplomats go to Baghdad, weÔÇÖre the ones who serve as interpreters.ÔÇØ Although Torres is based in the US, two-thirds of the companyÔÇÖs 400 employees are in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company has recruited and staffed linguists that can read, write and speak in over 30 native languages, as well as English, flawlessly. Its linguists support military intelligence, Special Forces, civil affairs, engineering and several other organizations at all clearance levels in translation and interpretation services, document exploitation, intelligence analysis, meeting facilitation, debriefing and interrogation support, as well as assisting reconstruction and civil affairs teams and work closely with local people.Torres won a US government sub-contract with Titan, Inc. last year under INSCOMÔÇÖs World Wide Language Support Program to provide linguists to the US MilitaryÔÇÖs Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Under INSCOMÔÇÖs rigorous language testing requirements Torres linguists pass at more than twice the rate of most other Titan-INSCOM contractors.Torres linguists and IT services are so valued within the US Military that the company earns almost all of its business and reputation through personal referrals. TAES booked $66.2 million in revenue last year, mostly through contracts to provide IT consulting services and Arabic-speaking linguistics to the Department of State and Department of Defense. Torres recently won a $500 million contract from the Department of State for translation services in Iraq, and was hired by the Defense Department to help resolve a hunger strike by prisoners at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They were contacted on a Friday afternoon at 4pm Eastern Time, and were able to bring the strike to an end within 72 hours.The company recently released its enterprise-wide Oracle 11i e-Business ERP Human Resources Management and Payroll systems that are now the primary management resources for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The Oracle systems are used to manage the Iraqi Armed Forces personnel, their careers, and to pay the approximately 200,000 strong Iraqi military and civilian defense workforce located throughout IraqÔÇöan achievement that is the US Department of DefenseÔÇÖs first and major strategic systems success in moving the Iraqi military towards self reliance. ÔÇô Editorial research by Jim Rose┬á