Team Dover encourages “Buy Local”

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – The 436th Contracting Squadron participated in Delaware’s Federal Government Forecasting and Outreach Event May 10, 2017, at the Delaware Technical Community College Terry Campus in Dover, Del.

“[Dover AFB] could not do what we do, we could not deliver that premier airlift, without your support,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Ernest, 436th CONS commander. “This event is us educating you, so that you can help us out as contractors.”

The purpose of the event was to boost outreach with small businesses and vendors on how to do business with the federal government, to obtain forecasting information and to meet representatives from government agencies.

The U.S. Federal Government is the largest buyer of products and services in the world. Annual defense spending accounts on average for more than half a trillion dollars a year. Congress has mandated that 23 percent of these spent funds must go to small businesses. That is more than $100 billion.

“Basically, we are here today to talk to local small businesses to give them the information on what it takes to do business with the government,” said Master Sgt. Andrea Jordan, 436th CONS superintendent. “This makes it easier for the base and small business owners to come together and work.”

The event also featured presentations from the Small Business Administration, the Delaware National Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center and the General Services Administration.

“In the past, Air Force bases would try to be self-sufficient,” said Ernest. “We had Airmen who we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on to train, pulling weeds, cutting grass and putting roofs on buildings. We didn’t reach out to the outside community at all. That just wasn’t efficient.”

Today, contractors provide countless services and goods to Dover AFB.

“You folks, are the industry experts in what you do,” said Ernest. “It is more efficient for us to reach out and to have contractors provide us with the goods or services that we need.”

In addition to providing information to local small businesses, the contracting squadron also began adding local businesses in a vendor registry. This will allow the base to reach out to local industries to acquire goods and services in an expedited manner from the local community.

For more contracting information on Dover AFB, please follow this link: www.dover.af.mil/Units/436th-Contracting-Squadron.