DC Small Business of the Year Work on DHS in Ward 8 a Highlight at Small Business Fair (5/12/09)
D.C. Small Business of the Year Work on DHS in Ward 8 a Highlight of Norton's Small Business Fair Wednesday
May 12, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the selection of a D.C. based minority-owned construction company to be honored this year at her Sixth Annual Access to Capital Small Business Fair, "The D.C. Small Business Advantage," on Wednesday, May 13, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Congresswoman will honor Nastos Construction, Inc., based in Ward 7, as the Fair's "D.C. Small Business of the Year." Nastos was one of the local businesses awarded contracts for pre-construction work for the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters on the west campus of Saint Elizabeths. Ray Amirian, vice president, Nastos Construction, will give the keynote address.
Minority-owned small businesses received 100 percent of the pre-construction contracts with 40 percent going to District small businesses. Norton has held several workshops with the General Service Administration (GSA) and Small Business Administration (SBA), which have gotten D.C. businesses certified as 8 (a) minority contractors and prepared them to become pre-certified for GSA contracts.
Because of Norton's success in getting extra stimulus funds, her small business fair this year will offer an unusually large number of federal contracting opportunities. The fair will include 40 resource connections to help District businesses gain access to thousands of contracts in many fields and federal agencies, including access to some of the $6 billion Norton secured in GSA funding for repair and rehabilitation of federal buildings and the $1 billion the Congresswoman got for construction of the new Department of Homeland Security headquarters. The Fair affords the valuable opportunities to meet one-one-one with federal government contracting officers, experts from the SBA's small business development agencies, and bank loan officers.
WHAT: Norton's 6th Annual Small Business Fair, including afternoon workshops on "Entrepreneurial Development," "Federal government Contracting," "Financing Your Small Business," District Government Contracting"
WHO: Bridgete Bean, district director, SBA; Bonnie Echoles, chief, Policy Branch, GSA; Marie Wright, senior tax specialist, IRS; Don Strehle, president, BB&T bank
WHEN: Wednesday, May 13, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
WHERE: Washington Convention Center (Opening session room 143)
WHY: Helping District businesses gain access to federal government contracts