2010-03-04
Salt Lake City, UTAH – In 2005 a small service disabled veteran owned business (SDVOB) was started with the idea that they could streamline the electronic parts supply chain for companies in the defense business. By September of 2005 they had found the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and their Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) program which is operated to assist small Utah businesses obtain government contracts. Undaunted by the maze of government acronyms, Jack Climer, president and his partner John Pierce, senior vice-president of Veterans Trading Company, approached PTAC deputy director, Chuck Spence for assistance.
First PTAC got Veterans Trading registered into the PTAC contracting bid system. Then Mr. Spence proceeded to introduce the owners to representatives of large defense contractors. Companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton and L3 Communications began to learn that this small SDVOB electronics supply vendor existed. As time passed the owners of Veterans Trading Company worked to explain and grow their business concept. Eventually meetings with several prime contractors, who held government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars in Air Force engineering projects, were arranged. Letters of endorsement and escorted trips to high tech tradeshows followed.
Through the daily hard work of the owners and their staff the business grew, much like any other small company, in small hard steps. But with the assistance they found at GOED each step proved a little more profitable. Because of the growth, the company is moving into new headquarters offices in Park City, Utah and is opening a new just in time inventory facility in Ocala, Florida in support of a $10.8 million contract awarded to support Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Ocala.
“Lockheed Martin is dedicated to supporting the American warfighter and their products must work properly every time, because lives depend on it. Lockheed Martin is second to none in its support of SDVOB companies in the United States. Veterans Trading has grown into a company that can be counted on to deliver a high quality part and provides a variety of operational outsourcing services consistently on time and on budget,” says Jack Climer Veteran’s president. “We recognize that PTAC gives the same level of service to small and often untested Utah companies who are willing to go the extra mile for success. PTAC’s assistance did this for us and has been invaluable to our success as a company. GOED and PTAC are dedicated to the service of Utah’s businesses and economy and are without peer in this effort.”
The supply solution offered by Veterans Trading utilizes a well-rounded supply chain team approach between Veterans Trading Company and their program partner, Avnet Electronics. While Veterans Trading Company is a SDVOB supplier, with a strong staff focused on supply chain solutions for electronic components, Avnet Electronics is a well-known leader in distribution of electrical components and will serve as a mentor to the small business. Lockheed Martin benefits from this partnership because it is able to control costs, improve quality and streamline production in its electronic parts channel.
“This contract relationship is a good representation of the type of contacting program assistance provided by all of the PTAC representatives around Utah,” said PTAC deputy director, Chuck Spence. “We are able to introduce hundreds of Utah’s small businesses to prime contractors each year through one on one meetings and our outreach events. The Falcon Hill project at Hill AFB, the National Security Administration project in Bluffdale and the Federal Courthouse project are recent examples of large events, but we also work daily on scores of small, yet essential, federal, state and local contracts with Utah businesses.”
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About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Web: www.business.utah.gov
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) charter is based on Governor Gary Herbert’s commitment to economic development statewide. The mandate for this office is to provide rich business resources for the creation, growth and recruitment of companies to Utah and to increase tourism and film production in the state. GOED accomplishes this mission through the administration of programs that are based around targeted industries or “economic clusters” that demonstrate the best potential for development. PTAC assists small Utah companies obtain local, state, federal and military contracts. GOED utilizes state resources and private sector contracts to fulfill its mission. For more information please contact: Michael Sullivan, 801-538-8811 or mgsullivan@utah.gov
About Veterans Trading:
Veterans Trading Company, LLC is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned and HUBZone Certified small business headquartered in Park City, Utah and operating throughout the United States. As of April 1 Veterans Trading Company will open its new corporate offices at 1755 Prospector Avenue, Suite 200, Park City, UT 84060. For further information please contact: Jack Climer (435) 649-4566 or jack.climer@veteranstrading.com. www.veteranstrading.com
News Release
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2010
Contact:
Michael Sullivan
GOED Communications Director
801-538-8811
Cell: 801-244-2975
mgsullivan@utah.gov
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Governor’s Office of Economic Development Client, Veterans Trading, takes major growth step
