AEDC continues small business efforts

  • Published
  • By Deidre Moon
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Do you own or know someone who owns a small business who is interested in providing their products or services to Arnold Engineering Development Complex?

If so, the Small Business Office at Arnold Air Force Base is able to assist in identifying these opportunities. The role of the office is to assist and promote increased participation of small and disadvantaged businesses in contracting opportunities with AEDC. It monitors progress toward small business goals for awards in the following categories: DOD and Air Force Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Section 8(a), and Woman-Owned Business, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority Institutions.

The Small Business Office performs the overall contractor relations function for Arnold AFB and is the liaison with the Small Business Administration at the local and national level.

Stacey Lamb, small business specialist (SBS) and Quality Assurance Program coordinator, is the person at Arnold who helps get small businesses in the door.

“As the SBS, I’m the first person to speak with the businesses, and my job is to see where they will best fit,” she said. “For example, if it is a business providing security, we would put them in touch with the Facility Support Services contractor. Depending on the type of business, I provide them the information for the prime contractor that best fits their services or product.”

Lamb is a member of the Test Range and Specialized Contracting Division, which provides the contracting support to AEDC for acquisitions expected to exceed $25,000. Some examples of the types of products and services AEDC acquires includes:

• Large industrial equipment such as compressors, valves and motors
• Instrumentation and laboratory equipment
• Machine shop and metalworking equipment, such as vertical mills and lathes
• Construction efforts including new construction, renovation and maintenance of existing facilities and services such as roofing, paving and painting
• Research & Development
• Architect and Engineering Services

“If we award a contract to a large business, we require that contractor to meet goals with small business subcontractors, as well, and we monitor their attainment of these goals in their small business metrics,” Lamb said.

AEDC contracting opportunities are also posted on the website, beta.SAM.gov. There a business owner can find instructions to receive notifications when business opportunities are posted at AEDC.

If interested in doing business with AEDC, call the Small Business Specialist at 931-454-5868.