In fiscal year 2014 Vermont companies earned 519 government contracts worth $103 million dollars—close to a 300 percent increase over FY12 and a 25 percent increase from FY13. This was thanks to the outstanding quality of Vermont products and services and the hard work of the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in matching Vermont businesses with government needs.
The PTAC program, housed in the Department of Economic Development, has been helping business with the often-complicated contracting process since 1992.
“I have been with this program since 1994 and we work with a wide range of companies that make everything from handmade flutes to clothing to spare parts for military aircraft and ships,” says Vermont PTAC Director Robin Miller.
Recent government contracts range from a $46,000 order for Morrisville sports store Power Play Sports to provide Lacrosse sticks to the Coast Guard to $95,000 in contracts with the Vermont National Guard for sewing and alterations. The alterations contracts went to Bennington’s Evergreen Alterations and Lee Anthony Fabric of Lyndonville.
All three companies have fewer than 10 employees.
“Many businesses think they have to be a large company in order to do business with the government but that is just not true,” commented Miller. “In fact, the federal government requires that 23 percent of all contracts must be awarded to small businesses and that’s why we are here.”
Holly Richardson, a co-owner of Amerivet Sales and Service, a sales and consulting firm in Barton, Vt.. has this to say: “We have worked with PTAC’s Brenda Plastridge, Robin Miller and Joanne Spaulding for the past several years and their support and dedication to assisting us and other business colleagues has been absolutely outstanding and contributed to our success in securing contracts as well as forming business relationships for future business.”
In addition to their regular outreach efforts, in May 2015 the Vermont PTAC team will be hosting the Northeast Regional Small Business Training and Matchmaking event at the Manchester’s Equinox hotel. This event will give Vermont companies a chance to meet with representatives from the Federal, State and local government buyers as well as prime contractors throughout the region.
