"Industry Day" at ARINC Launches Regional Effort to Recruit Veteran-Owned Businesses for DoD Supply Chain

Annapolis, Maryland—The U.S. Military spent more than $250 billion in 2006 on acquisition contracts for goods and services. Yet, despite its long-stated goal to ensure 3% of contract work goes to Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), and despite several special targeted programs, the DoD once again fell short of its goals last year.

Seeking an additional route to improvement, last week ARINC Incorporated, the Defense Sustainment Consortium (DSC), and the Department of Veterans Affairs launched a regional effort to put veteran-owned businesses in touch with DoD small business offices. The event was Maryland Industry Day, a conference for SDVOSBs and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) Wednesday, October 17, at ARINC in Annapolis.

Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes, who helped organize the event, welcomed nearly 100 representatives of veteran-owned businesses and many recently separated service members who attended. Most came to learn strategies for winning government contracts.

In his address, Rep. Sarbanes told of meeting a 100% disabled veteran who was forced to fight red tape to qualify for benefits. That meeting, the Congressman said, sparked his own deep interest in Veterans’ issues. He has since visited half a dozen Veterans agencies, clinics, and Walter Reed Medical Center to get a better grasp of the problems Veterans face. Rep. Sarbanes is also lead sponsor and author of BRAVE, the Benefit Rating Act for service connected disabled Veterans (BRAVE), enacted this year.

After the conference Congressman Sarbanes said, “Our veteran-owned firms in the region do outstanding work and can be a tremendous asset to our federal sector. This forum provided these businesses an excellent opportunity to identify areas where they can work with the wide array of Department of Defense programs located throughout Maryland and the surrounding area. I was pleased to see the useful networking and information sharing that took place.”

All attendees at Industry Day had an opportunity to learn of the many DoD programs in need of manufacturing sources. Many also signed up with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) database of businesses. Officials from the Air Force, NAVAIR, National Security Agency, and Veterans Affairs small-business offices, along with representatives from VET-Force (Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force) provided the attendees with specific information.

Ron Poussard, Director of the Air Force Small Business Office, called on military procurement officials to think “beyond goals” and focus on mission benefits obtained by using Veteran-owned businesses who offer “low risk and high efficiency.” Stan Seidel, Maryland’s Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training Services, discussed the resources and support services Veterans require to succeed as part of the 21st Century workforce. These include maximizing Veterans’ employment opportunities, protecting employment rights, and filling labor market demands with qualified Veterans.

Dale Karraker, Director of the Defense Sustainment Consortium, gave an overview of the current DoD backlog of unfilled orders for vital parts needed for America’s aging weapons platforms. ARINC believes a major step toward a solution will be the new Vet–Biz Initiative for National Sustainment known as VINS. Walt Tomczykowski, ARINC Director for the National Data Integration and Test Center, said the VINS effort will help to match the capabilities of many qualified small businesses with the extensive manufacturing needs of the military.

Mr. Tomczykowski accepted the invitation of a representative of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Deborah L. Diggs, to speak at the upcoming jobs conference of Alliance Baltimore, to be held Friday, November 16, at the Baltimore Convention Center. Ms. Diggs performs match-making functions teaming up small businesses with large prime contractors to perform work, which helps small businesses become more competitive in their markets.

ARINC Incorporated, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, provides communications, engineering, and integration solutions for commercial, defense, and government customers worldwide.  Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with regional offices in London and Singapore, ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Release: 07-189

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