The Marine Corps Logistics Command Small Business Program Office, along with the City of Albany and Dougherty County, held a “Coffee Break” on January 28, 2014, for Albany-area small businesses interested in doing business with the government sector.  The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) hosted this second in a series of quarterly Coffee Breaks.

The event was designed to help small businesses network, in an informal setting, with small business specialists and acquisition professionals from local, state, and federal agencies.

Marine Corps Logistics Command speakers included John P. McHugh, Senior Contracts Attorney, Office of Counsel; Hattie Mosely, Director, Small Business Program Office; and Sabrina Caldwell, Head, Policy Branch, Contracts Department.

Representing local governments at the event were: Joshua Williams, Buyer, City of Albany Central Services Department; Lori Farkas, Assistant General Manager for Customer Relations and Marketing, Water Gas and Light Commission; and Mike Trotter, Materials Manager, Water Gas and Light Commission.

Topics included information on the small business programs utilized at Marine Corps Logistics Command (LOGCOM) and how LOGCOM purchases from small businesses.  Also discussed was the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and Past Performance Information Retrieval System – Statistical Reporting (PPIRS-SR).  Upcoming bid opportunities in city/county government and the water-gas-light commission also were discussed.

Approximately 50  small and large contractors from the area attended the two-hour event.

If you would like more information on how to do business with LOGCOM, or services offered in Albany, Georgia by GTPAC, go to:  http://www.logcom.usmc.mil/sbpo/sba.gov  or contact GTPAC’s Bridgett Bennett at 229-430-4189.