Center recognized for contribution to small business communities

Huntsville Center Public Affairs
Published Dec. 1, 2017
Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr joins Col. John Hurley, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) commander, and the Center’s Office of Small Business Programs team, Karen Baker (left) Rebecca Goodsell (center), Nicole Boone (right) at the  Society of American Military Engineers 2017 Small Business Conference in Pittsburgh. During the conference, Hurley and the team accepted three awards on behalf of the Center.

Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Michael Wehr joins Col. John Hurley, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) commander, and the Center’s Office of Small Business Programs team, Karen Baker (left) Rebecca Goodsell (center), Nicole Boone (right) at the Society of American Military Engineers 2017 Small Business Conference in Pittsburgh Nov. 15-17. During the conference, Hurley and the team accepted three awards on behalf of the Center.

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) received three Top Dollar awards at the annual Small Business Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Nov. 15-17.

Col. John Hurley, Huntsville Center commander, and the OSBP team, Rebecca Goodsell, Nicole Boone and Karen Baker, accepted the award on behalf of the Center.

The Center was award the Top Dollar Award, recognizing the Center’s OSBP team for awarding $632 million to small businesses – the largest amount among U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for Centers and Districts.

The Center also won the Top Dollar Awards for the Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) categories for obligating more than $302 million in contracts to the SDB community, and for awarding more than $75 million to the SDVOSB community.

Hurley said the awards represent just how much supporting small businesses has become ingrained in the Center’s culture and demonstrates dedication to outreach, market research and the hard work that goes into making sure every dollar possible is awarded to small business.

“This didn't happen without demonstrating true collaborative effort,” Hurley said.

“I couldn't be prouder of the Center and its commitment to supporting our nation's economy and the extra effort it sometimes takes helping industry grow.”

Goodsell said Huntsville Center’s policy is focused on providing “maximum practicable” prime and subcontracting opportunities to small firms.

“Small businesses are the economic growth engine for America,” Goodsell said. “Small businesses provide jobs, innovation and competition in industry.”