Illinois Small Business Calls on President Obama to Keep Government Contracting Reform Promise

President's Home State Deprived of Hundreds of Jobs due to DLA's Decision to Field Foreign

Protective Equipment

BELVIDERE, Ill., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While Congress and President Obama push to reform the nation's financial system – there is another immediate issue to consider, as the employees of Infrastructure Defense Technologies (IDT) urge the President to reform the contracting practices of the U.S. Department of Defense, and to restore American jobs now.

The pleas come one week after IDT submitted a Bid Protest with the Government Accountability Office

(GAO) in an attempt reverse the Defense Logistics Agency's (DLA) award of a government contract for critical military force protection equipment to a foreign company, which has been the sole-source provider since 2003.

"The President has made clear to the American People that he intends to create jobs in America, and to end controversial sole-source contracting practices at the Defense Department," said Ken Carlton, Vice President of IDT. "But the Defense Logistics Agency is rejecting both of these initiatives in one fell swoop."

The DLA, a combat support agency of the Department of Defense, requested bids in 2008 for Expeditionary Earth Filled Protective Barriers, which provide perimeter security at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the IDT protective barrier received the best protective and technical ratings (as tested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), the DLA curiously awarded the contract to a foreign competitor.

The red flags raised by the award were recently profiled in Wired Magazine's The Danger Room blog.

"Manufacturing jobs continue to disappear in the President's home state of Illinois. If he truly wants to help Main Street, he can start by reversing this outrageous action by the DLA, and help us create hundreds of high-paying jobs here in Belvidere," concluded Carlton.

In repeated Government evaluations of the technical characteristics of IDT's products, even DLA has concluded that IDT's products are technically superior overall to the products of its foreign competitor.

IDT is an American company located in Belvidere, Illinois, where the unemployment rate is 22% - among the highest in the United States. An award of this contract will create 250 skilled manufacturing jobs. In addition, IDT estimates an additional 1,000 jobs will be created regionally in support of the contract.

About IDT

Infrastructure Defense Technologies is a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of physical security products designed to meet the threats of the 21st Century. The company maintains its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Belvidere, Illinois and a Government Projects Office in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE Infrastructure Defense Technologies, LLC