/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Event • PTAC • Somerset County/ 0 Comments

From Defense to Offense – Sales Training

The SAP&DC, along with regional economic development partners and the support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have received a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) grant to assist defense contractor’s transition into new markets. There will be a two part training series available to eligible businesses at no cost if company representatives successfully complete the training. Please note – there is a cost to purchase the materials. Part 1: Building the Sales Infrastructure will be held Wednesday, October 11, 2017 and Part 2: Hiring a Sales Superstar will be held Wednesday, October 18, 2017.  Both sessions will be held in two locations – Johnstown (In Person Instructor) and Altoona (Live Streaming Broadcast). Please see the attached flyer and registration forms to learn more about this two part training series presented by John Moore of Moore Power Sales.

If you have questions or would like government contracting assistance, contact us at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC • Somerset County/ 0 Comments

HUBZone Program Map Update

Somerset County businesses may now be eligible for the Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) program. The HUBZone program helps small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. To qualify for the program, a business must meet the following criteria:

  • It must be a small business by SBA standards
  • It must be owned and controlled at least 51% by U.S. citizens, or a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, or an Indian tribe
  • Its principal office must be located within a “Historically Underutilized Business Zone,” which includes lands considered “Indian Country” and military facilities closed by the Base Realignment and Closure Act
  • At least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone

The July 2017 update of HUBZone maps include Somerset County entirely. There are several reasons being HUBZone certified is beneficial for a company, including:

  • Competitive and sole source contracting
  • 10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions, as well as subcontracting opportunities
  • 3% Federal Procurement goal for prime contracts

If you would like to learn more about the HUBZone Program, contact us at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

PA DGS Hosting Procurement Expo & Forum

On September 6 and 7, 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services will be hosting a Procurement Expo & Forum at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA. The Expo will be a premier networking & educational event for public procurement decision-makers and suppliers. Public purchasing decision makers, end-users and elected officials will have the opportunity to meet vendors, learn about trends in public procurement and can attend more than 50 educational workshops.

Exhibit opportunities are available for vendors wishing to showcase their products and services to local, school district, non-profit, educational and state procurement decision makers.

Contact Lenora Leasure, PTAC Program Manager, at  or (814) 254-4022 for more information. For the agenda, attendee and exhibitor registration, educational sessions and hotel accommodations visit www.paprocurementexpo.com.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • News • PTAC • Somerset County/ 0 Comments

JARI PTAC Receives Outstanding Rating

Congratulations to the JARI Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) program on receiving an outstanding rating during the most recent annual review. Each year the PTAC program is evaluated by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) in four core categories including Performance, Management, Technical and Financial. The rating of “Outstanding” is the highest possible rating and is defined as “The recipient has an exemplary program that complies with the cooperative agreement’s terms and conditions and contains multiple strengths. The PTAC could serve as a model for other recipients.”  The JARI PTAC received the outstanding rating in each category as well as overall.

Congratulations once again to Lenora Leasure, PTAC Program Manager, and the entire JARI PTAC team.

If you are interested in doing business with the government, contact Lenora Leasure at (814) 254-4022 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Now Accessible On Any Device

The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Office of Government-wide Policy and the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council, recently released the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in the Kindle bookstore. The Kindle version of the FAR eBook joins the previously released iBooks version, making the eBook accessible on any device for free. This format is easy-to-read with the capability to highlight text and bookmark frequently used sections. Additional information on downloading the FAR on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks is available here.

Please contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Event • PTAC • Showcase for Commerce/ 0 Comments

JARI PTAC Supports Showcase Events

The JARI PTAC is pleased to support Showcase for Commerce 2017.  Please join us for the following events:
Supplier Briefings – JWF Defense & Kitron
May 31, 2017
8:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center
For information and to register, click here.
Successful Contract Management & Performance
Sponsored by Wessel & Company
May 31, 2017
9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Holiday Inn Ballroom
For information and to register, click here.
Government Procurement Expo
June 1, 2017
9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Cambria County War Memorial Arena
For more information, click here.
To register, click here.
/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

BCL Manufacturing Hosts Government Business Development Forum

BCL Manufacturing hosted the JARI PTAC’s Spring 2017 Government Business Development Forum on Tuesday, May 9th.  Congressman Rothfus, along with 40 others, attended this networking event and learned more about BCL Manufacturing as well as Great Dane Powder Coating, a BCL supplier. Attendees were able to network with local company CEOs, business owners and business development specialists to share their capabilities. BCL also gave a tour of their state-of-the-art facility.

The JARI PTAC and the Defense Business Council have been facilitating the Government Business Development Forums since 2010. These forums are a great way for small businesses to meet and network with area government contractors. The forums are for all government contracting. Contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

PTAC Program Manager Attends Annual Spring Conference

As a member of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC), JARI PTAC staff has the opportunity to attend two APTAC conferences annually.  The JARI PTAC Program Manager recently attended the Spring Conference along with counselors from PTACs nationwide to participate in training sessions on current topics and to network with colleagues in the procurement assistance field.

APTAC’s recommended training program includes two levels of certification – Associate Procurement Professional (APP) and Certified Procurement Professional (CPP). These certifications set the standard for achievement in the field of procurement assistance. The JARI PTAC strives for all counseling staff to become certified and maintain that certification. The JARI PTAC Program Manager has maintained the CPP certification since April 2014.

Please contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

DCMA Pittsburgh Announces Contractor Town Hall

Lenora Leasure
PTAC Program Manager

Defense contractors under Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Pittsburgh oversight are invited to attend the next Defense Contractor Town Hall on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.  The DCMA Pittsburgh Commander is holding the town hall to improve relationships and contract performance through a better understanding of the government contract administration process.  The DCMA hopes to collect contractor feedback useful to the DCMA and local partner agencies to help improve services.

The event will be held at the 316th ESC Army Reserve Center in Coraopolis, PA, from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM.  Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and is required.  Click here to learn more, view the agenda and RSVP.

Please contact the JARI PTAC for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • PTAC/ 0 Comments

API Hosts Fall Government Business Development Forum

IMG_0097
Roboteam’s MTGR stole the show once again at the Fall Government Business Development Forum (GBDF) hosted by API in Windber. Attendees heard from Nick Miller, API Director of Materials and Planning, about their products and services, including their recent partnership with Roboteam. Miller mentioned they are always looking for local suppliers and encouraged companies to reach out if interested in doing business with API. Carl Sax, representing BCL Manufacturing, spoke about the relationship they have with API. A tour followed the brief presentations where attendees walked through various sections of the business, including the MTGR production room. JARI PTAC thanks API for hosting the forum.
Government contracting is more than the Department of Defense (DoD), even if the end product is a DoD product. Contractor and subcontractors can contribute a wide variety of products and services to the government.