Y-12 Signs Mentor-Protégé Agreements
BWXT Y-12 Signs Eight New Mentor-Protégé Agreements
Tues, 20 February 2007
BWXT Y-12 today signed its 20th Mentor-Protégé agreement, the most for any site in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Weapons Complex.
The event, held today in Oak Ridge, included Steve Liedle, deputy general manager of BWXT Y‑12, presidents of seven small businesses and the president of Southern University.
The Department of Energy Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to encourage DOE prime contractors to assist small disadvantaged firms certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, which includes women-owned small businesses, historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions of higher learning and small business concerns owned by service-disabled veterans.
The program provides BWXT Y‑12 a mechanism for entering into integrated working agreements and for providing non-financial assistance to these entities. The agreements are designed to enhance the protégé’s business and technical capabilities, and to foster long-term business relationships between these small businesses or universities and DOE prime contractors.
Liedle said the agreements “will significantly contribute to Y-12’s achieving its objectives of promoting technological growth and business development opportunities. The Mentor-Protégé Program allows BWXT to work as a partner with small business to achieve our customer’s missions and also provides a platform for BWXT to assist small businesses increase their capabilities and meet their future business opportunities.”
Companies signing agreements were:
- RAM/VITEC Inc., Knoxville, Tenn.
- BR2C, Huntsville, Ala.
- Cavanaugh Services Group Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
- DCS Electronics Inc., Maryville
- Elvado Environmental, Knoxville
- McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy, Houston, Texas
- Microwave Synergy, Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Southern University, an HBCU in Baton Rouge, La.
The signing was held during the annual Mentor-Protégé Forum, which will be attended by representatives from all 20 protégé companies, Y‑12 senior managers, DOE/NNSA managers and public officials.
BWXT Y-12, a limited liability enterprise of BWX Technologies Inc. and Bechtel National Inc., operates the Y‑12 National Security Complex for the National Nuclear Security Administration.