DETROIT (Jan. 21, 2016) - Two full days of outreach sessions between the Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, its defense procurement partners (government and contractor alike,) and automotive industry's first- and second-tier suppliers were held Jan. 13 and 14 at the 2016 North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center here.
The purpose of the engagement sessions was to expand the knowledge and understanding of the synergies between the automotive and the defense ground vehicle sectors, as well as defense-related small business opportunities in Michigan. To be sure, the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command aims to expand awareness of small businesses opportunities within and outside of Michigan.
The auto show's preview days, held prior to the public opening, have historically been an exclusive opportunity for suppliers from more than 26 countries to share in the excitement of innovation and to cultivate the natural synergies of automotive manufacturing and supply in Detroit, the global automotive capitol.
The Army is committed to excellence in military applications in support of its Soldiers. That's why it capitalized on the commercial principles of automotive excellence, innovation, reliability and sustainment, and brought the two communities together to engage with small businesses and highlight opportunities in defense. This cross-fertilization enhances the opportunities for forums to translate technology requirements as they relate to potential technical solutions for Army ground and Soldier systems and platforms.
Dubbed "It's All About the Opportunities, from Army to Automotive," the outreach sessions included speakers from the U.S. Army Materiel Command, Michigan Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Army Contracting Command-Warren, the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command Competition Management and Small Business Programs Offices, the U.S. Army TARDEC, as well as a panel of defense industry prime contractors BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Oshkosh Defense. This robust and diverse set of speakers aimed to educate small businesses about opportunities with the government, as well as with some of the Army's prime contractors.
In all, 79 small business representatives hailing from throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Alabama attended the sessions; with more than half attending both days. Participants recommended topics for follow-on outreach events, including scheduling, a case study, project management, subcontracting, and discussions with a procurement attorney.
At present, the next event the TACOM Office of Small Business Outreach will tentatively participate in is the Michigan Defense Exposition slated for April 27 -- 28, 2016 in nearby Warren, Mich. For more information, please visit http://www.ndia-mich.org/index.php/michigan-defense-expo.
The Office of Small Business Programs is part of TACOM Life Cycle Management Command's Materiel Systems Organization, led by Robert Schumitz. "Small businesses are crucial to achieving the pace of innovation, as well as the provision of critical technical and material solutions required by the automotive industry," he explained.
"Because of the synergies of the automotive industry and the Army's ground vehicle systems," he continued, "we need to maximize our understanding and the procurement of both technical and material solutions that these businesses can provide. This will help us meet the Army's requirements to provide dominant land power for the nation.
"We must also ensure those businesses not traditionally aligned to defense work understand there are indeed opportunities for them and that their participation is desired," Schumitz emphasized.
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