News

Center Small Business Program earns SAF Special Achievement Activity Award

  • Published
  • By Holly L. Birchfield
  • 78th ABW/PA
Robins Air Force Base, Ga. --  The Warner Robins Air Logistics Center has proven it can work well with small businesses to meet warfighting customers' needs through its Small Business Program.
Maj. Gen. Polly A. Peyer, WR-ALC commander, recently presented members of the WR-ALC Small Business Office with commander coins in appreciation for their efforts in earning the 2007 Secretary of the Air Force Special Achievement Activity Award.

Jim Lovett, director of Warner Robins Air Logistics Center's Small Business Program Office, said the award recognizes an activity as the best in the Air Force.

"The award is based on the contributions we have made in support of the Air Force Small Business Strategic Plan and there are many facets to that plan," he said. "To be recognized for that with an award is quite an honor."

Mr. Lovett said the award shows that people in the Small Business Office have "done an outstanding job in supporting Warner Robins, the Air Force Materiel Command, and the Air Force Small Business program."

The Small Business Office is charged with counseling and assisting small business firms and ensuring a fair and equitable portion of contracts are awarded to those firms.

The five-person team, which includes Melissa Willis, a management assistant, and Dina Inhulsen a small business specialist; has partnered with several organizations throughout the Center to help small business contractors meet warfighters' needs.

Mr. Lovett said the Center's senior leadership has stood behind the Small Business Program, with particular emphasis on the Service Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business Program.

"We were able to establish a couple of good size contracts for that program, such as the Airfield Management Services and the Transient Alert Services," he said.

Mr. Lovett said such support helped secure the Center's recent honor in the small business arena.

Fred Anderson, a small business specialist, said in fiscal 2007, his office counseled 1,844 contractors on how to do business with the Center.

"We explained to them how to get in the different systems to be eligible to bid on government contracts," he said. "We go over how to find opportunities posted that come out of Robins as well as Department of Defense activities posted on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site."

Ken Burke, a source development specialist, said his office helps potential contractors find points of contact at the Center that relate to the goods and services their businesses offer. He said the Center's Small Business Program has become a resource many small businesses turn to.

"We have people coming to see us to learn how to do things right," Mr. Burke said. "We export a lot of things to our colleagues or anybody who (asks) for it."

Mr. Burke said in fiscal 2007, the Small Business Program coordinated 1,817 acquisitions, of which approximately 17 percent of the acquisition value was competitive, meaning they had potential of being exclusively set aside for small businesses.

The office set aside 305 requirements estimated at $399.7 million which in large part supported the program's goals. Additionally, the office set aside 139 requirements estimated at $323.7 million for 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Businesses, 20 requirements estimated at $10.9 million for Historically Underutilized Business Zones Small Businesses, and 27 requirements estimated at $11 million for SDVOSBs.

The Center also earned the SECAF award in 2002, 2003, and 2005; however, that doesn't diminish the pride the team feels.

"While our office is the focal point for the program and we do a lot of leading and guiding to our requirements and contracting folks, at the end of the day it takes their support and buy-in to the program to make it a success," Mr. Lovett said. "When we have this kind of success, it means we had support from folks across the base."