Family-Owned Engineering & Roofing Firms Win Top Federal Contracting Awards

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two family-owned and operated firms, McLaughlin Research Corporation (MRC), an engineering firm from Connecticut and Sound Roof Systems, Ltd., a roofing contractor from New York, have been named the National Prime Contractor of the Year and National Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).  These winners, along with other national winners and finalists for the National Small Business Person of the Year, will participate in a recognition ceremony at the US Institute of Peace to kick off National Small Business Week on May 2.  SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will be presenting all awards.

In FY15, the federal government awarded 25.75 percent or $90.7 billion of all federal contracts to small businesses which translates to more than 537,000 jobs supporting revenue for the job creators who produce 2 out of 3 net, new private-sector jobs in the U.S. economy. 

The two small businesses were selected from among ten regional prime contractors and 10 regional subcontractors of the year.  The awards honor small businesses that provide outstanding goods and services to the federal government as prime contractors or as subcontractors. 

This year's winners are:

• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year:  Founded in 1947, McLaughlin Research Corporation (MRC) is a family-owned, small business prime contractor with over 70 years of experience providing engineering and technical services to the U.S. Navy. The company has almost 300 employees and is a prime contractor on more than 100 major contracts.  MRC's core competencies include: systems engineering and technical support services, design and drafting, configuration management, integrated logistics support, IT, environmental management, training and support and graphic design.
• MRC currently holds a nine multi-year prime contract with NUWC Newport, the Navy's premier Undersea Warfare Research and Development Center with a potential contract value of $150 million.  MRC assists the Navy's undersea research and development programs with current and future torpedo and associated launching system programs, configuration management of the Navy's worldwide inventory of subsurface-launched torpedoes, integrated logistic support for cruise missiles and management support services for the Virginia and Seawolf class submarine programs.  It also provides technical support to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory.  MRC actively supports small business outreach programs sponsored by NUWC Newport and SBA.
• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year:  F. Xavier Fleming is the president and founder of Sound Roof Systems, LTD, a family-owned and operated independent roofing contractor that has served Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island, New York for over 30 years. Under Mr. Fleming's leadership, along with his son and partner Xavier Fleming, Jr., SRS has provided comprehensive roofing services for a myriad of customers.  Some of the services SRS provides include: roof repairs, roof removal and replacement and related sheet metal work. 
• Over the years, SRS's list of customers has grown to include: Brookhaven National Laboratory, WW Grainger, MSC Industrial, AVR Realty, Nassau County DPW, Northport VA Hospital and multiple Long Island school districts.  In Oct. 2012, super storm Sandy damaged the roof of the Child Development Center, a preschool and daycare facility for employees.  SRS worked exclusively on weekends to replace the roof, remove hazardous materials, expedite storage and provide 24 hour monitoring to ensure the safety of the children and personnel.  SRS established a strong reputation for high-quality workmanship, jobsite safety, integrity, competitive pricing and professional services. 

SBA's 8(a) Business Development program is a nine-year program which provides socially and economically disadvantaged firms access to government contracting opportunities and specialized business training and counseling to help them become viable competitors in the federal marketplace. 

• 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year:  Since founding Action Facilities Management Inc., in her basement in 2001, Diane Lewis-Jackson has successfully grown her company to be a premier government and commercial contractor.  The company specializes in site management, security services, maintenance and janitorial, equipment operations, consulting, staffing solutions and project management.  AFM has grown from two employees to more than 250 employees in nine states.
• A graduate of SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program, Diane has garnered an impressive list of clients including the: Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, State, Labor, the Federal Protective Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Library of Congress, U.S. Mine Safety Health Administration, and U.S. Defense Logistics Agency.  Diane has been recognized by the SBA before and received the West Virginia 2013 Small Business Person of the Year award and 2010 Minority Small Business of the Year.  She's taken multiple training courses provided by the SBA.  In 2009, Governor Joe Manchin appointed Diane to the West Virginia University Board of Governors where she serves as board officer and participates on varying committees.  

Other procurement awards include:

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors that have excelled in utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.  The recipients are:

Research and Development:

• Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
  Jill Clough-Johnston, Small Business Liaison Officer
  Upton, NY

Service Category:

• Comprehensive Health Services, Inc.
  Gary G. Palmer, President
  Cape Canaveral, FL

Manufacturing:

• BAE Systems Electronic  Systems
  Lici Deng, Debra Rotkiewicz, Karen Raymond and Monica St. Julien (TX)
  Supplier Diversity Team
  Nashua, NH  03061

National Small Business Week is an annual event organized by SBA to recognize the achievements of the top small businesses in the nation. Since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of National Small Business Week. This year National Small Business Week will be recognized from May 1-7 with national events planned in Washington, D.C., New York, Denver, Phoenix, Oakland and San Jose, Calif.  Events throughout the week will be live-streamed on SBA's website at www.sba.gov.  Make sure to check in during the event for live social media engagement, using the hashtag #DreamSmallBiz. For more information on the national events please visit: www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek.

About the Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.  The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses.  Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov

Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2016 SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA/SCORE programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.  Contact: [email protected]. SCORE is partially funded by SBA Cooperative Agreement No. SBAHQ-14-S-0001.

National Small Business Week 2016 sponsors include: Chase for Business, SCORE, ADP, Colonial Life, Intuit, Sam' s Club, Square, YP, ESET, Facebook, Instagram, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL) and VEDC

Contact:  Tiffani S. Clements, 202-401-0035
Release Number: 16-32  
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news

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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

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