JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (March 28, 2023) -- Seven acquisition professionals from the Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, recently partnered with Alliance Northwest to reach small businesses at one of the largest business-to-government conferences in the Pacific Northwest.
The Alliance Northwest 2023 conference included workshops and networking sessions for small businesses, government agencies and prime contractors March 16 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.
“The conference served as a market research tool for assessing capability and provided an opportunity for interested industry representatives to present their businesses’ profiles and portfolios to MICC-JBLM contracting professionals,” Master Sgt. Formeka Griffin said. “The partnership between MICC-JBLM and the Northwest Alliance was a success and will continue to build and grow for future conferences.”
Griffin, the NCO in charge for the 902nd Contracting Battalion Detachment A and MICC-JBLM contracting office led the team of MICC personnel supporting an information booth at the event, which was hosted by the Thurston Economic Development Council and included the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Joining Griffin at the outreach event were Majs. Zachary McDonald and Andre Gatlin, Sgt. Maj. Beethoven Jacques, Sgts. 1st Class Christiaan Lawes, Kim Battig and Sungkoo Jung as well as Staff Sgts. Liam Smith and David Kettell, who shared their contracting knowledge and experience with more than 700 small businesses. Griffin said the MICC-JBLM team spoke with vendors about potential contract opportunities and the process of doing business as a vendor with the U.S. government.
In addition to working with vendors, MICC-JBLM personnel took advantage of the widely attended event to conducted recruiting outreach with local, state and other federal agencies during which they discussed potential employment opportunities with the contracting office and command as well as share the application process with qualified, experienced candidates.
“This recruitment opportunity increases the chances for MICC-JBLM to recruit prospective employees who have an existing knowledge of contracting practices,” Griffin added.
Alliance Northwest 2023 attracted more than 90 exhibitors, including 33 from government agencies, representing 19 industry sectors. Aside from meeting with exhibitors, participants had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions throughout the day on more than a dozen topics including what prime contractors look for in selecting subcontractors and suppliers as well as leveraging veteran-owned business certifications.
Participants also heard from representatives with the Small Business Administration and Procurement Technical Assistance Center on contract opportunities with the federal government.
The MICC-JBLM contracting office and 902nd CBN provide procurement advice, training and acquisition of supplies and services in direct mission support to Soldiers and Airmen of the numerous commands assigned to the joint base. When called upon, Solders deploy in support of missions and training throughout the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command.
About the MICC:
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,300 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
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