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GTPAC participates at National MBE Manufacturers Summit

August 15, 2019 By Andrew Smith

On Aug. 12th 2019, GTPAC Program Manager Andrew Smith spoke at the National MBE Manufacturers Summit at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center in Atlanta, GA, and introduced Christopher Hall, Deputy Director of the Office of Small Business Programs for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).  Smith also spoke briefly about the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center and the free services Procurement Technical Assistance Centers provide to businesses interested in exploring the government market.  Thanks to the Defense Logistics Agency, there are PTAC programs like GTPAC in all 50 states.

Deputy Director Hall spoke to the crowd about how to do business with DLA and educated the audience on the various DLA commands and what they typically purchase from small business manufacturers.  As Deputy Director of the DLA Office of Small Business Programs, Hall supports DLA leadership on small business issues and seeks to increase small business participation in DLA acquisitions.  The DLA Office of Small Business Programs promotes small business utilization to strengthen the industrial base, which fulfills DLA’s mission as the Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency.

“I was very pleased with the event, and I’m excited about the dynamic technology and innovation taking place right now in the manufacturing sector,” said Smith, “I believe these innovative manufacturers have a lot to offer the government and DoD… I hope many of them explore working with DLA to support the warfighter and to strengthen our industrial base and DoD supply chain.”

If you would like to learn how to work with DLA, you can visit the DLA Small Business website:  https://www.dla.mil/SmallBusiness/

 

Filed Under: GTPAC News Tagged With: advanced manufacturing, DLA, manuafacturing, MBE, small business

Five ways small, minority-owned construction firms can build success

July 17, 2019 By Andrew Smith

To spread the economic benefits that construction projects generate more fairly across communities, government agencies reserve some public work for contractors owned or operated by traditionally disadvantaged groups.

Federal, state and even city and county agencies have special programs that give qualified minority and woman-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) and other disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs), such as service-disabled veterans, a chance to bid on and win certain construction projects ranging from small to mega.  That is, if they are certified.

The Small Business Administration, for example, runs the 8(a) certification program, which is probably the most well-known among government contractors, but other agencies have renditions as well.  Most certifying agencies require that a qualified business be owned by at least 51% minority or disadvantaged owners.

African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific and Subcontinent Asian Americans and women are presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged, according to the federal government.  Other individuals can also qualify as socially and economically disadvantaged on a case-by-case basis.

But while certification provides some opportunities, it doesn’t mean that MWBEs and DBEs get to skip over all the hard work that goes into building a business.  “That’s not the way it works,” said Dan Moncrief III, CEO and chairman of certified minority commercial contractor McDaniel’s Construction Corp. in Columbus, Ohio, and president of the National Association of Minority Contractors.

“You have to work harder than you’ve ever worked and stay up later than you’ve ever stayed up to get your first job,” he said.  “And once you get a first job, it may be a long time before you get the second one.  So, it’s a constant grind.  If you don’t have the fortitude for it, you might want to do something else.”

Continue reading at:  Construction Dive

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: 8(a), construction, DBE, MBE

2nd MBE manufacturers summit to be held at Georgia Tech in August

July 25, 2017 By Andrew Smith

The national Minority Business Enterprise Manufacturer’s Summit is returning to Atlanta on August 15 & 16, 2017.

Held at Georgia Tech’s Global Learning Center, this two-day event has grown into a hub for leading Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) manufacturers to convene.

More than 200 attendees from the manufacturing community from 19 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. attended last year’s summit and that number is expected to increase at this year’s event.

Agenda
DAY 1: Social & Networking Reception – August 15, 2017

Be a part of the industry’s most powerful gathering of MBE manufacturers, innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs shaping and transforming manufacturing through technology today. Share stories, recognize and celebrate your peers – form valuable connections that will last a lifetime. Come join your colleagues for cocktails, networking and thought leadership.

  • Gathering Spot 384 Northyards Boulevard, NW; Building 100, Atlanta, GA 30313
  • Reception Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Day 2: National MBE Manufacturers Summit 2017, August 16, 2017

Georgia Tech Global Learning Center 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Registraion/Networking and Breakfast

  • Welcome: Chris Downing, Vice President, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute
  • Opening Keynote: Theresa Carrington, CEO of The Blessing Basket Project as well as trademark symbol.
Relationship Building Sessions

Sessions:

  • Connecting MBE Manufacturers Together for Opportunities.
  • Building a Smart Factory – Industry 4.0
  • Building a Compititive Workforce
Luncheon Keynote
  • Steve Voorhees, CEO of WestRock
Innovation Pods
  • Featuring the Latest Trends in Innovation and Technology.
Fast Pitch One-On-One Meetings
  • With Corporations and OEMs.
Poster Walk
  • Featuring MBE Manufacturers.
Registration and More Information

Please visit: http://mbemanufacturersummit.com/index.html#home

Sponsors:

Filed Under: GTPAC News Tagged With: Georgia Tech, manufacturers, manufacturing, MBE, minority owned business

U.S. Commerce Department awards 5-year grant to MBDA Business Center-Atlanta

May 27, 2016 By Andrew Smith

MBDA Business CenterThe U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) named Georgia Tech Research Corp. as a grant recipient to continue to operate an MBDA Business Center in Atlanta.

The federal funding will be distributed during a five-year period that ends in 2021. The funding amount per year is $298,255 for a total of $1.49 million.

The grant program is designed to help minority-owned firms across the nation create jobs, develop their business, and compete in the global economy.

“We are extremely pleased and honored the U.S. Department of Commerce has renewed our funding for another five-year term,” said Donna Ennis, director of the MBDA Business Center-Atlanta. “Our team has been busy working with businesses across Georgia and the Southeast helping to build not only the strength of minority-owned businesses, but the state’s and region’s economy as a whole.”

A key component of MBDA’s Business Center Network is providing minority firms with access to technical expertise and resources to grow their businesses.

In the five-year period ending in 2015, MBDA Business Center-Atlanta helped 462 minority-owned businesses:

  • secure more than $577 million in contracts and procurement
  • access $177 million in capital
  • create or save 4,987 jobs

Ennis leads the MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Working Group, which is building a nationwide community of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) manufacturers through its national network of 44 MBDA Business Centers. As part of that initiative, she launched the Connecting Advanced Manufacturing Program (CAMP) focused on providing contracting opportunities; assistance with launching new technologies, and building a nationwide ecosystem of MBE manufacturers. That led to the National MBE Manufacturers Summit 2016 at Georgia Tech this past March 24.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Survey of Business Owners, minority-owned firms in the United States increased to 8 million in 2012 from 5.8 million in 2007. Those 8 million businesses employed 7.2 million Americans.

In Georgia, there are 371,588 minority-owned firms that contribute more than $38.4 billion annually in economic output. These firms employ more than 202,000 Georgians.

Since 2009, MBDA Business Centers have assisted minority firms with gaining access to more than $31 billion in capital and contracts, while creating and retaining nearly 142,000 jobs.

About the MBDA Business Center-Atlanta

Established in 2004 and part of the Georgia Institute of Technology, the MBDA Business Center-Atlanta is a member of the national network of the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency. The MBDA Business Center-Atlanta provides business and technical assistance to help emerging and existing minority business enterprises achieve significant growth and sustainability and create long-term economic impact through increased jobs and revenue.

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Commerce Dept., Georgia Tech, MBDA, MBE, minority owned business

Georgia Tech’s MBDA Business Center hosts minority manufacturers’ summit on Mar. 24th

February 15, 2016 By Andrew Smith

National MBE Manufacturers SummitThe National MBE Manufacturers Summit will be held on March 24, 2016 at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

This is a national manufacturing industry-specific event, exclusively for minority business enterprise (MBE) manufacturers, supply chain decision makers, and stakeholders with a focus on innovation, technology, and business-to-business matchmaking.

Attendees will have an opportunity to connect with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), other manufacturers, and the national Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center Network.

Guest speakers include:  Alejandra Y. Castillo, National Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce, MBDA; Dr. G.P. Peterson, President of the Georgia Institute of Technology; and others for a one-of-a-kind summit that will offer:

  • Access to Technology Transfer Opportunities
  • Knowledge of the Latest Trends and Innovation in Manufacturing
  • Connections with Large Manufacturing Enterprises
  • Contact with Supply Chain Networks
  • Development of Short and Long-term Partnerships

For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.mbemanufacturersummit.org.

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Commerce Dept., Georgia Tech, manufacturing, MBDA, MBE, networking, opportunities

Why are DBEs MIA? Overcoming the disadvantaged business enterprise shortage

November 11, 2015 By Andrew Smith

Since the early 1960s, even before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the U.S. government has been trying to find ways to give disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) a piece of the gigantic federal contract pie — almost $450 billion in 2014. Also commonly called WBEs (women-owned) and MBEs (minority-owned), they all refer to businesses, which, by virtue of ownership, historically have been shut out of federal contracting opportunities.

DBE ownership and controlState and federal agencies typically set required DBE participation goals at 5%-10% and up, meaning that there are tens of billions of federal dollars up for grabs. In 2015, federal construction spending, according to the Associated General Contractors of America, will total almost $106 billion, resulting in a potential $10 billion payoff for firms certified as disadvantaged.

Of course there is, for some, the temptation to commit fraud in order to gain access to these lucrative contracts. Three Pennsylvania steel company executives pleaded guilty in October to setting up a sham DBE in order to win nearly $19 million in U.S. Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contracts set aside for disadvantaged businesses.

With all that money at stake, one would think minority and women-owned businesses are filling federal offices, demanding to be certified and eager to participate. So why aren’t they? Construction industry experts say there is a shortage of certified DBEs, and that means it’s getting harder to meet federal agency DBE participation goals.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.constructiondive.com/news/why-are-dbes-mia-overcoming-the-disadvantaged-business-enterprise-shortage/408432/

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: DBE, fraud, MBE, mentor-protege, mentorship, minority owned business, small disadvantaged business, socially and economically disadvantaged, teaming, US DOT, woman owned business, wosb

Chicago construction firm pays $12 million to settle DBE contract fraud claims

May 12, 2014 By ei2admin

A Chicago-based construction company will pay the United States and the State of Illinois $12 million to resolve allegations of fraud on government programs designed to benefit women- and minority-owned sub-contractors under the terms of a civil settlement agreement announced May 1, 2014. The contractor, James McHugh Construction Co., Inc., allegedly failed to abide by federal and state requirements for the participation of disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) in contracts to perform seven construction projects involving roads, highways, and transit lines, funded by the federal and state governments between 2004 and 2011.

The federal and state governments claimed that McHugh violated the federal and Illinois False Claims Acts by making false statements and claims for payment to government agencies regarding McHugh’s compliance with federal and state requirements to include DBEs in the construction projects.

As a result of the $12 million settlement, the federal government will receive $7.2 million and the state government will receive $4.8 million. In a separate administrative settlement and compliance agreement, McHugh agreed to implement a corporate compliance program, appoint a compliance officer, and be subject to an independent monitor for three years, in exchange for the federal, state, and City of Chicago transportation agencies and contracting authorities’ agreement not to bar McHugh from future government contracts. This allows McHugh to continue pursuing and performing public works projects while ensuring that it remains compliant with DBE regulations.

“It was more costly in the long run for McHugh to avoid its obligations to hire women and minority-owned businesses than it would have been simply to comply with the requirements and retain disadvantaged businesses to actually participate in these public construction projects,” said Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “It’s important that McHugh and other companies realize that compliance with these requirements is both a good business decision and the right thing to do,” he added.

The investigation revealed that McHugh Construction falsely used subcontractors to help secure bids for major public construction projects. Specifically, the company used women-owned small businesses to submit false claims to the state and federal governments for millions of dollars when in fact, those businesses never completed the level of work required by law.

The settlement arose from a lawsuit that was filed in 2008 by Ryan Keiser, who was a project manager for Perdel Contracting Corp. and Accurate Steel Installers, Inc. (ASI), at three of the McHugh construction sites. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the federal and state False Claims Acts.

The federal and state statutes permit private individuals to sue for “false claims” on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. Mr. Keiser will receive 17 percent of the $12 million settlement or $2,040,000 ― $1,224,000 from the United States share, and $816,000 from Illinois’ portion of the settlement.

The federal and state governments contended that in bids for these contacts, in the final contracts, and in claims for payment, McHugh falsely stated that Perdel and ASI, which were both certified as DBE firms owned by Elizabeth Perino, would perform or had performed work on the projects in satisfaction of federal and state DBE participation requirements in the contracts. The governments contended that contrary to McHugh’s statements, Perdel and ASI often functioned merely as “pass-throughs,” performing little, if any, work that would qualify for participation credit under federal and state DBE requirements. Perino, who owned Perdel and ASI in Lockport, was charged with federal mail fraud in 2011, and the case remains pending.

According to the settlement agreement, the governments also contended that Perdel and ASI’s contracted work for McHugh often exceeded the companies’ capacity and experience. Although their projects with McHugh were substantially greater in size and scope than they had previously performed, Perdel and ASI’s expertise to perform larger and more complex projects did not change correspondingly. Rather than Perdel and ASI performing, managing, or supervising the work that McHugh represented they would, McHugh frequently managed union workers they each hired. In some cases, McHugh directed Perdel and ASI as to which union crews to hire.

McHugh, not Perdel or ASI, also selected certain suppliers on each of the contracts, determined the quantity and quality of those materials, negotiated the price, and often drafted a purchase order for Perdel or ASI to put on their letterhead, the governments contended.  That kind of conduct violates federal and state provisions that are designed to give a share of the actual work of government-funded construction projects to minority- and women-owned businesses.

The settlement is neither an admission of liability by McHugh nor a concession by the state and federal governments that their contentions are not well founded, and McHugh expressly denies the claims.

The settlement was reached on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and the Regional Transportation Authority.

The separate three-year administrative monitoring settlement and compliance agreement was reached between McHugh and the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. and Illinois Transportation Departments and their procurement officers, and the City of Chicago. In exchange for the government entities’ agreement not to pursue any suspension or debarment action against McHugh for the covered conduct, McHugh agreed to implement a corporate compliance program and appoint a compliance officer who is knowledgeable about DBE programs. The company also agreed to retain an independent monitor to evaluate McHugh’s performance and submit periodic reports to the government agencies and officials, and to make six presentations to those agencies and officials to discuss and promote compliant policies and procedures for working with DBE firms.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2014/pr0501_01.html

Filed Under: Contracting News Tagged With: DBE, DOJ, False Claims Act, fraud, MBE, minority owned business, small disadvantaged business, subcontracting, subcontracting goals, USDOT, woman owned business, wosb

Business owner says soliciting government business worth the hassle

April 14, 2014 By ei2admin

[Note: This article was written by Michelle Shoultz, president of Florida-based Frazier Engineering.]

For more than 20 years, Frazier Engineering had a strong commercial and municipal/county government customer base that comfortably sustained our small business.

But as the economy changed, we knew we had to change.

We decided to pursue unique certifications that would enable us to compete for federal work in a smaller competitive pool certifications such as 8(a), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/DBE and Minority Business Enterprise/MBE).

Through the Small Business Administration 8(a) program, we were given opportunities that we would not have had before. However, if we did not already have the knowledge and manpower to support the requirements of those opportunities, our certification would only have been as good as the paper it was printed on. Our success to date has been the result of a solid team, being financially and technically sound, having a strong work history, and being actively responsive.

I’d like to share some lessons we’ve learned over time.

As a small-to-midsize, growing business leader, I would definitely recommend the time and effort involved in pursuing government contracts.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/04/01/business-money-edge-chamber/7146529/ 

 

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: 8(a), capabilities statement, DBE, GSA Schedule, MBE, OSDBU, PTAC, SBA, SBDC, set-aside, small business, wosb

Audit finds rampant trouble with women and minority contracting program

September 26, 2013 By ei2admin

Minnesota has failed for three years to meet federal requirements for a program designed to steer millions of dollars in state transportation projects to minority- and women-owned businesses.

The program has been so plagued by mismanagement and weak oversight that some firms were awarded multimillion dollar contracts for which they might not have otherwise qualified.

In one case, nearly $1.6 million for buying materials on the Union Depot project in St. Paul was funneled through a minority- or women-owned firm to a non-minority-owned contractor. In another case on the same project, nearly $2 million was improperly credited to a non-minority-owned firm.

The findings and others, included in an internal audit of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, have led to a shake-up in the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights and may result in additional investigations.

“This is absolutely a wake-up call,” said state Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, chairman of the Transportation and Public Safety Committee. Given the gravity of the issues raised by MnDOT’s internal audit, Dibble said he may ask the Legislative Auditor’s Office to conduct its own independent review.

Transportation department officials said they are moving quickly to address the shortcomings cited in the audit of the DBE program.

“This is a high priority for Commissioner [Charles] Zelle and the agency. We need to ensure that all contractors have an opportunity to work on MnDOT projects,” MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said in an e-mail. “MnDOT fully supports diversity and believes that a diverse workforce, internally and externally on MnDOT projects provides a stronger and better outcome and better projects.”

The 30-year-old DBE program has long been plagued with fraud and oversight problems at both the federal and state levels. In 2010 and 2011 alone, U.S. Department of Transportation fraud investigations led to $88 million in recoveries, restitutions and fines, along with 10 federal indictments and eight criminal convictions.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.startribune.com/local/east/224726392.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue 

Filed Under: Contracting News Tagged With: abuse, audit, DBE, DOT, fine, fraud, indictment, MBE, minority owned business, oversight, recovery, restitution, small disadvantaged business, transportation, waste, woman owned business, wosb

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