Florida MEP: Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20, 2008

For more information please contact:
Gene Lussier
Board Chair, Florida MEP
954-565-0047

FLORIDA MEP: EMPOWERING POWER2GO TO FIND THEIR NICHE IN THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACT MARKET
Organization Helps Small Electronic Company Connect With Thousands of Dollars in Contract Awards

ROCKLEDGE, FL - Landing a government contract can be very profitable for a manufacturer. For many companies, the most difficult part of that is learning how to bid and what to bid on. Luckily for one Florida electronic parts distributer, the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Florida MEP) helped them find their niche market and brought the demand right to the doorstep of Power2go, Inc.

Power2go is a full-time parts broker, specializing in electronic parts and components such as cable connectors and printed circuit board assemblies. Ken Harrell, Power2go president, attended a Florida MEP training seminar offered through the workforce boards. His goal was to find out how Power2go could venture into the governmental contract realm.

“Working with Florida MEP project manager Larry Meadows, I set goals as to what we were going to do. He helped our company set up communications with various government activities. As I started looking through the list of potential new governmental clients, I decided to select the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC), in Ohio. That Center is one of the largest suppliers of weapon systems spare parts for land and maritime use,” said Harrell.

“We have received inquiries from other large defense contractors like Lockheed but we are a very small company and have more than enough work with DSCC,” added Harrell.
“The vendor relationships have been key to the company’s profitability, but what has really helped us succeed is Larry Meadows,” said Harrell. “If Larry hadn’t been so patient with us, we could never have made it to where we are now. He is an excellent instructor and I can’t say enough good things about him and the Florida MEP.”

The Florida MEP is an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The national MEP is a network of manufacturing extension centers that provide business and technical assistance to smaller manufacturers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Through MEP, manufacturers have access to more than 2000 manufacturing and business “coaches” whose job is to help firms make changes that lead to greater productivity, increased profits, and enhanced global competitiveness. For more information on the Florida MEP program call 321-939-4000.

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