Getting Business Done
Written by Kelly Fodel
MLF 2009 Volume: 3 Issue: 10 (November/December)
Air Mobility Command’s mission is to provide global air mobility ... right effects, right place, right time. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. AMC airmen—active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilians—provide airlift and aerial refueling for all of America’s armed forces. Many special duty and operational support aircraft, and stateside aeromedical evacuation missions are also assigned to AMC.
As the air component of the U.S. Transportation Command, AMC serves many customers, and as the single manager for air mobility, AMC’s customers have only one number to call for Global Reach. AMC’s mobility aircraft include the C-5, KC-10, C-17, C-130 and KC-135. Operational support aircraft include the VC-25 (Air Force One), C-9, C-20, C-21, C-32, C-37, C-40, and UH-1. AMC’s mission encompasses nearly 136,000 active-duty and Air Reserve Component military and civilian personnel.
Thanks to the size and scope of AMC’s mission, there exists a good opportunity for small businesses to contract with AMC. MLF interviewed Edwin Beussink, director of small business for AMC, to learn about those opportunities and the best ways for businesses to cash in on them.
Beussink oversees 14 small business specialists working at 12 bases that comprise AMC’s air mobility wings, airlift wings and groups across the United States. Those specialists are looking out for the interests of small businesses in the individual base contracting offices. Most of the small business specialists are part-time employees, while those at McGuire AFB and Mac- Dill AFB are full-time. Beussink supervises the specialists from a functional standpoint, acting as a coach of sorts, but the specialists officially report to the wing leadership on their bases. “I do policy and procedure and work a lot of issues that the contracting offices have, with changes to rules and regulations or things like that. I do a lot of advocating for small businesses on the inside, with other program managers and contracting officers and technical folks. Then I also handle outreach to the small businesses,” Beussink said.
Beussink said the specialists operate independently on a day-to-day basis. However, he is available when they have questions or need guidance. He also provides oversight to ensure that small businesses are provided due diligence in the contracting process.
“We do not have a quota, but we do have goals that we work toward meeting, AMC-wide.” Beussink said. “About 68 percent of our business is done by small businesses, so they are a big player at the Air Mobility Command. One thing we are really proud of is that 10 percent of our business is done by servicedisabled veterans. We aggressively seek those service-disabled veteran small businesses, because being part of DoD, these guys get injured or hurt. When they start up their business, we feel obligated to give them a good shot. We get the highest percentage rate of any of the major commands in the Air Force, so we are doing very well in that area.” Individual bases also have goals that they strive to meet in contracting with small businesses. In addition to supporting service-disabled veterans, the specialists also focus on contracting with other businesses that need extra assistance. These include the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions Program, Historically Underutilized Business Zone Program, Indian Incentive Program [includes Alaskans and Hawaiians], Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Business Program, and Women-Owned Small Business Program.
What a small business first needs to do is talk to someone at a procurement technical assistance center (PTAC). The PTAC will help the business and provide advice and support about the contracting process. Beussink said a company needs to find out who buys what, where. If AMC falls on that list, they should contact a small business specialist at an AMC base. Many of the AMC opportunities are advertised on Fed Biz Opps, so the prospective contractor should keep a close eye on that website for updates.
Some contracts are a little more difficult to track. “If you’re doing construction, it’s straightforward and listed on Feb Biz Opps. Others are not as easy. If you are buying something that is bought with a credit card, you have to locate the individual user on the base. If you are selling something IT related, it could be bought by a whole different group of people, like the Standard Systems Group in Alabama. So the individual has to do a lot of work, but the PTACs can help you there.”
In terms of the kind of work that small companies might find with the AMC, Beussink said it varies. “The big area… we do a lot of base services, like mowing grass, snow cleanup, roofing contracts, building renovations. We do not do major construction… that is done by the Corps of Engineers. We do some information technology. In one of our bases we support Central Ops Command. We also do more of the intelligence and operational support at MacDill.”
Beussink often travels to large conferences and events to network with prospective contractors, “like the National Service Disabled Veterans Conference in Las Vegas every year. About 2,000 businesses show up, so I go to stuff like that. Or I go to Chicago for a matchmaking session, where we match businesses with the requirements that we have. I have come up with stuff like that,” he said. The specialists are also actively involved in vendor outreach. They hold vendor days on base, and coordinate with local PTAC offices.
Beussink offers this advice to a prospective contractor: first, contact the PTAC for advice. This eliminates wasted time and effort for everyone. Beyond that, do a little research on Fed Biz Opps and search for the product or service you are selling. See who is buying that product, and who the correct point of contact is to begin the contracting process. If you can get through some of the preliminary red tape, you are well on your way to scoring a contract. Once you get a contract, find out who else buys your product elsewhere. Ask your current customer if they know anyone else who is buying your product and how you might contact them. This networking could lead to a large expansion of business. “You get a lot more information by simply asking some questions,” Beussink said.
Also, make sure you make technology work to your advantage. “The thing we are using more than ever is the internet and websites to get information out there,” Beussink said. The internet websites utilized by the AMC provide good information about upcoming conferences, network opportunities, and contracting opportunities that exist. Checking out opportunities online at the Air Force small business website can assist in locating a small business specialist, and you can even search for current contracts up for bid.
Beussink said he and his specialists find the job challenging at times, but the reward is worth every bit of effort. “It is very rewarding. I am not just writing a delivery order or punching a contract call together. These people that win these contracts… it really means a lot to them as small businesses to get contracts to work for the government and get a paycheck. It is really rewarding,” Beussink said. “And when I can find a contractor that really does a great job for the government folks and provides a great product or capability for us, that is really fantastic.” ♦