Woman-Owned IT Firm and Engineering Firm Win Top Federal Contracting Awards during National Small Business Week

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A woman-owned, 8(a)-certified IT small business contractor from Virginia and a small commercial engineering firm from Massachusetts have been named the National Prime Contractor of the Year and National Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.  The awards were announced at a breakfast event as part of the final leg of SBA's National Small Business Week celebration in Washington, D.C.

"Small businesses are the backbone of the nation's economy, so when federal contracts get into the hands of small businesses or they are at the receiving end of investment capital opportunities, it isn't just a win-win for the federal government, it vitalizes the economy and the job market," said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.  

"In FY 12, the federal government awarded nearly $100 billion in federal contracts to innovators and job creators like the small businesses being honored today.  These businesses and the industry leaders are stellar models of how to successfully navigate the federal contracting arena and how to provide private equity opportunities to small businesses."

This year's winners are:

• Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year:  Indigo IT LLC, established in 2001, is a woman-owned and 8(a)-certified IT firm. Ms. Garcia Van Wyngaardt, Indigo's CEO, is among a small number of women leading successful federal and defense contracting firms and an even smaller number of Latina CEOs leading multi-million dollar firms.  
  
  Indigo has a staff of 83 employees, and revenues in excess of $12 million.  It provides solutions to complex IT challenges including: cloud computing, cyber and IT security solutions, service operation and enterprise intelligence solutions.  The company supports the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service and other Defense and federal civilian customers.
• Small Business Subcontractor of the Year:  Vtech Engineering Corporation (Vtech), established in 1994, is a small, commercial engineering firm which provides engineering services for electronics, firmware, software, and integration support for industrial, consumer and sponsored R&D clients ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500.  Vtech has provided both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for various programs, and supplied a key technology enabling COTS component – High Power Pulse Generator.  This Generator delivers controlled energy pulses through an external electrical gap in order to generate high power plasma events. 
  
  Vtech has been providing products and services to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) on various programs since 2002.   Vtech was instrumental in the integration and ultimate success of the MITT LL board level integration program.  Since 2002, Vtech has provided quality products and services at the best value to both federal and commercial customers.   Vtech has developed advanced analogy circuitry, power electronics, micro-controllers and computer interfaces into electronic systems and assemblies.  Vtech's revenues have increased 60% since 2010, a 17% growth rate

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. 

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:  Nannu Nobis founded Nobis Engineering, Inc., an employee-owned firm and graduate of SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program, in 1988 out of a spare bedroom in his home to meet the demand for high-value integrated engineering and consulting services.  Nannu developed a multi-disciplinary consulting firm with offices in Concord, New Hampshire; Lowell, Massachusetts; White River Junction, Vermont; and Iselin, New Jersey to provide diversified services to its clients.  With proven expertise and established industry relationships, Nobis Engineering delivers a full range of geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering services.
  
  While in SBA's 8(a) program, Nannu grew its share of federal work through small set-aside opportunities from federal agencies, working as a subcontractor to large businesses and by winning 8(a) set-aside competitions.  In addition to pursuing federal work, Nobis Engineering expanded the company's base of municipal, state agency and commercial clients.  To date, Nobis Engineering has secured 67 task orders, valued at more than $43,000,000.

Other procurement awards announced today 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:

• Hensel Phelps Construction Company, of Greeley, CO; Charles Eaton, director, small business liaison (Construction Category).

The Riverside Company was selected 2014 Small Business Investment Company of the Year. Founded in 1988, the Riverside Company is one of the largest and oldest global private equity firms investing in companies with enterprise values less than $250 million.  Riverside's objective is to nurture companies and build them into more effective enterprises through time-tested management techniques, organic growth and add-on acquisitions.

Loren Schlachet, Managing Partner, joined Riverside in 2000 and founded Riverside Micro-Cap Fund (RMCF) in 2005.  Loren leads RMCF's investing and operating teams in the acquisition, growth and sale of portfolio companies.  Riverside has invested in more than 330 transactions since its inception and its international portfolio includes more than 70 companies.  RMCF's second vintage, RMCF II, pairs investors commitments with Small Business Administration funds through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.  RMCF II is a top-performing fund, and its investments in 27 American companies to date have helped those companies increase revenues and earnings. The recently launched RMCF III is following in the successful SBIC footsteps of RMCF II, and has already made one investment.

Riverside manages more than $4.6 billion in assets and employs more than 200 people on four continents worldwide.  The company's presence can be felt spanning from New York City to Brussels, Belgium.

Contact: Tiffani Clements (202) 401-0035
Release Number: 14-29
Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news
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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration