SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – During an open house March 14, roughly 150 business owners met division chiefs and project managers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District.
The annual Business Opportunities Open House highlighted contract opportunities, but, more importantly, built an information data base critical to accomplishing the Corps' mission.
"In operations, we don't have these huge contracts that are advertised on various websites," said Lillian Doherty, Operations Division chief. "It’s really the relationships that help identify who has the capabilities to do the work ... that we need to get done."
The district is responsible for planning, operations, engineering, construction, real estate, regulatory, emergency management and environmental services for three Army and eight Air Force installations, interagency and international customers, and the nation's civil water resources infrastructure in the Southwest.
"When they sign up, they get our forecast of contracting opportunities as a starting point for conversation," said Eric Ravelli, deputy for the Small Business Program. "Because we contract out most of our construction services ... contract out most of our engineering services ... we need contractors [large and small] that are qualified, certified and eligible to compete on our projects to complete our mission."
The Los Angeles District covers 226,000 square miles across Southern California, southern Nevada, a slice of Utah and all of Arizona.
"The Corps of Engineers is evolving," added Doherty. "They are asking us what kinds of contracts do you have coming up? Our answer is essentially everything ... electrical modernization ... gate repair ... to LiDar surveys of our channels and dams."
In all, 17 dams and 2 dikes are in the district's area of responsibility.
The Courtyard by Marriott location was sponsored by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California's Procurement Technical Assistance Center. PTAC provides professional business consulting services and technical assistance to Native American-owned businesses regarding marketing and selling to the Federal, state, local and tribal governments and large prime contractors.
The next open house will be in Los Angeles in November. Visit www.spl.usace.army.mil to learn more about doing business with Corps and our Small Business Program.