Small Business is Big Business at AMC

By U.S. ArmyOctober 1, 2014

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

(Editor's note: The following interview was published in the Army Small Business Connection September Newsletter)

Gen. Dennis L. Via assumed duties as the 18th ommander of the Army Materiel Command (AMC) ugust 7, 2012. AMC is the Army's premier provider of readiness. In fiscal year 2013, AMC awarded $59.7 billion in contracts, accounting for for 68 percent of total Army contracts. Small businesses received $8.4 billion in contracts that year, accounting for about half of Army small business contracting dollars.

On February 1, GEN Via was appointed Head of Contracting Activity for AMC, giving him official

responsibility for all AMC contracting.

Q: What is your primary focus as Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, and how does that correlate to small business?

Gen. Via: AMC's top priority remains providing equipment and materiel

readiness to our Joint Warfighters. I'm extremely proud of the 68,000 Soldiers and Department of Army Civilians stationed throughout the world who work in areas ranging from research to contracting, acquisition to manufacturing, and distribution to sustainment.

AMC touches every phase of the materiel life cycle, and working with our partners in ASA (ALT) and the PEO/PM community, we're very effective in meeting the warfighters' requirements. We have a saying within our command, that Small Business is big business. AMC is a $50 billion global logistic enterprise that accomplishes its mission in part, through the great partnerships we have established with the small business industry. With $8.4 billion in small business contracts, AMC accounts for about half of all small business contracting dollars spent by the U.S. Army.

Q: You were recently appointed as AMC's Head of Contracting Activity. What does that role entail, and how will this new concept impact small businesses?

Gen. Via: This appointment by Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition Logistics and Technology, Hon. Heidi Shyu, on Feb. 1, along with a change to the Defense Federal Acquisition Supplement, consolidated the HCA role, naming me the sole official responsible for contracting within AMC. This change from the old structure, which had separate HCAs at each of

the major subordinate and contracting commands, is intended to improve performance, enable more effective customer support, and strengthen oversight across the AMC contracting enterprise.

Consistent with the goals of the single HCA system, the Commanding General of the Army Contracting Command is designated as the Chief Procurement Officer for AMC, and serves as a principal advisor to the AMC Commanding General for all contracting issues, policies, and procedures across the Command. Given the size and number of contracting actions executed within AMC, there is still considerable decentralized execution of these actions under the supervision of AMC Principal Assistants Responsible for Contracting, or PARCs, highly qualified procurement officials whom I have appointed. So, while we continue to have a large and complex contracting organization, the single HCA structure will provide consistent guidance and direction for our contracting personnel, the requirements-generating organizations they serve, and the commercial firms who contract with AMC to provide the goods and services that our Army needs.

AMC had a strong commitment to provide opportunities for small businesses to share in our

contracting opportunities before this change to a single HCA concept; however, I see two

ways in which the new concept may allow improvements for

small businesses. First, our AMC headquarters Office of Small Business Programs remains in place. Its Director, Ms. Nancy Small, is now the sole Associate Director for AMC, and, in that capacity, she has strengthened oversight of small business program functions throughout AMC. This should ensure that the goals and priorities we set are adopted and executed properly by all levels of the command. Second, as we make contracting procedures more standardized throughout the command, small businesses should find it easier to determine the necessary procedural requirements associated with contracting with AMC and, as a result, be able to apply greater focus to their efforts to generate competitive offers that can result in contract awards.

Q: In the shadow of sequestration, what is the status of AMC's

Small Business Program?

Gen. Via: Clearly, sequestration presents significant challenges to the Department of Defense, our Army, and the Army Materiel Command. However, Small Business has been with us, through more than a decade of war, providing critical capabilities to meet wartime requirements, and we remain committed to Small Business. Even with sequestration, we have seized the opportunity to enhance our business relationships. As we draw down in Afghanistan amidst the challenges of decreased resources, we still have an important mission and commitment to meet the

needs of the Joint Warfighter. That's where small business can play a large role. These transitions require us to be flexible, creative, and innovative. I believe the Army's small business partners are ideally structured and positioned for this; small businesses tend to be agile and motivated, and can respond to change quickly. That's what AMC and our Army need, and why we encourage continued partnerships through our small business programs.

Q: Small businesses provide products and services key to our nation's economic success and have provided 65 percent of new jobs in the past 17 years. How do we continue this momentum for our small business success?

Gen. Via: We are encouraged by the FY15 budget, which funds technology-enabled solutions and provides opportunities and empowerment to small businesses. We expect this to create more visibility into contracting opportunities for small, innovative companies. Significant emphasis and value will likely trend toward smaller contracts. As we reset and re-establish priorities, we will count on the flexibility and adaptability of small businesses to respond successfully in this time of transition.

Q: With more than 34,000 veterans returning from Afghanistan, sequestration is making it challenging for veteran entrepreneur growth. How can the Small Business Program continue our efforts to assist them to start-up or grow existing businesses?

Gen. Via: AMC's Small Business Program recognizes the urgency of assisting highly skilled veterans as we transition from more than a decade of war. AMC is committed to the collaborative programs that provide veterans the training necessary to start-up or grow their small businesses. Our small business offices manage outreach programs and conduct face-to-face meetings to provide insight for veteran-owned small businesses.

We will continue this level of engagement with our veterans and seek out additional opportunities to reach this population. Additionally, we continue to offer informational programs focused on 8(a) Business Development, Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Business, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), Small Disadvantaged Business

Program, Woman-Owned Small Business, as well as the Subcontracting Program.

Q: Sequestration's reduction to small businesses and contracts will have a ripple effect on our

subcontractors. How can we ensure coverage in these niche markets of high technology, aerospace, and defense?

Gen. Via: Some of the most innovative and creative ideas originate in small entrepreneurial firms with specific expertise and appear to thrive in niche markets. The FY15 budget notes that innovative sources may likely come from these niche markets and increases dollars for small businesses in the areas of technology, aerospace, and defense, and focus on America's long-term competitiveness by improving the entrepreneurial environment.

Small businesses remain a priority for AMC and we encourage subcontractors seeking opportunities with the Army to explore the resources offered by the Small Business Administration's Dynamic Small Business Search. It may also be useful for subcontractors to seek partnership opportunities through mentor-protégé or public and private partnerships. AMC's Office of Small Business Programs continues to evolve, adapt, and develop processes to protect our edge in the areas of technology, aerospace, and defense. We remain steadfast in our commitment to small businesses, particularly those with these capabilities.

Q: With contract reductions from sequestration, will our country remain ready and equipped in our ability to defend itself from threats to our national security?

Gen. Via: Our primary mission at AMC is to develop and deliver readiness solutions to support unified land operations and Contingency Operations anytime and anyplace in the world. Accordingly, we must maintain readiness for the force to meet future contingencies. No one can predict the future, but the past shows us that there will be future contingencies. Our forces must be ready, trained, and equipped to meet those contingencies when the nation calls. AMC remains committed to ensuring our warfighting formations are prepared when the

call comes. Our nation expects and deserves nothing less. And Small Business will continue to play a critical role in enabling AMC to develop and deliver these readiness solutions required by our forces.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Gen. Via: First of all, thank you for the opportunity to share some comments with your readership. I am enormously proud of all of our Small Business personnel within Army Materiel

Command. They are highly committed professionals dedicated to ensuring the readiness of our Army forces -- now and into the future. At AMC -- Small Business is Big Business, and as the Commanding General privileged to lead this tremendous organization, I greatly value the significant contributions small businesses make every day in support of our Soldiers.

Related Links:

AMC Office of Small Business Programs

DA Office of Small Business Programs