SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION Fort Worth District
USACE Relies on Strong Partnerships With Its Customers, and Large and Small Businesses, to Deliver Quality Engineering Solutions A major goal of the Fort Worth District’s Office of Small Business Programs is to support the government’s policy of placing a fair portion of contracts with eligible small businesses. Another point of emphasis is to assist small businesses in becoming more marketable to larger businesses that receive government contracts.
“O
ur partnerships with large and small businesses are critical to delivering vital engineering solutions to solve the nation’s toughest challenges,” said Bob Morris, deputy chief for Programs, Project Management Division. The federal government categorizes small businesses into various types. These businesses include small, disadvantaged businesses, historically underutilized business zone, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and woman-owned small businesses. Historically black colleges and universities, and minority institutions also receive small business consideration for federal contracts. “One of my major goals is to develop and improve small business capabilities, to maximize their opportunity for contracts within the Fort Worth District geographical boundaries,” said Ali Marshall, the Fort Worth District’s deputy for Small Business
BY RANDY CEPHUS
112 I AMERICA’S ENGINEERS
Programs. “This is done on a continual basis to ensure there remains a broad base of capable small businesses to support our projects.” There is a wide range of military construction and civil works services the Fort Worth District requires to meet its complex mission. Military construction projects include barracks, dining facilities, maintenance shops, hangars, airfields, hospitals, and child development centers. While examples of Civil Works projects include roads, bridges, levees and dams. Although for the most part large businesses receive contracts for these types of projects due to their size, complexity, and scope, these firms must have a small business subcontracting plan, where they provide a certain percentage of their work to small businesses. “We remain committed to working together with our partners to complete our projects and to build enduring relationships through trust, transparency, and shared values,” added Marshall.
p Fort Worth District Deputy for Small Business
Programs Ali Marshall addresses a group of small business representatives on potential business opportunities during a January Small Business Roadshow at Dyess Air Force Base, near Abiline, Texas. USACE PHOTO BY RANDY CEPHUS
