Talking Points



• Thank you Greg for the kind introduction and for the opportunity to be here today, to share the panel with our distinguished guests, and to talk about small business opportunities within the Department of the Navy. I always look forward to visiting this fine city, to see the rich diversity that comprises her population, and to participate in important conferences and forums such as today’s GSA Small Business Conference.

• It’s a tough economy. And I’m certain that every one of us has been touched in some way by the recession that has disrupted so many lives and caused so much havoc on Wall Street and in business. Every day we hear about large layoffs, businesses folding, companies struggling. I have a background in meteorology and oceanography. In some ways the economy is like a hurricane, destroying and uprooting lives. However, in the eye of every hurricane, you have the calm, an area untouched by the disruption that swirls around it. The government, in this case, is the eye in the hurricane for today’s business climate. Many of you may or may not know, but the federal government is one sector of the economy doing relatively well during the recession. Doing well means we are bringing economic resources along, as can be found in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Large and numerous military construction projects are underway throughout California and the rest of the country.

• You may have also read that the government will be hiring extensively over the next several years. Those people, their commands, the places they work, the equipment they use, will be dependent upon the types of products and services that you in the audience, small business owners, can provide. You are an integral resource for us; you are vital to our Nation’s economic recovery.

• The Navy is certainly reaching out to do more work with small businesses; we have many opportunities available. There are several acquisition organizations within the Navy: they are NAVFAC, SPAWAR, FISC, NAVSEA, and NAVAIR. A large percentage of their workload involves contract work with private industry… which means they act as a conduit between the Navy, or other DoD organizations, and the private sector: small businesses such as yours that build the products, and provide the services, needed, not only by Navy, but by other service branches forces as well.

• I encourage small businesses to combine resources, due to the fact the Navy awards larger contracts. For example, if you own a copier repair company, be prepared to repair and maintain a large cadre of copiers rather than a few. Millions of dollars are allotted every year to small businesses. There are a multitude of resources available on the Internet that can point you in the right direction… and I’m certain GSA can provide you with a list.

• The Navy – and other government agencies – is hard at work to make the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act a success and to put people back to work. You all are an important part of that effort. Without your businesses, without the jobs you create, we can not restore the business cycle.

• I believe our future success depends on the choices we make today… the choice we, the Department of the Navy, make to invest in small business.

• Success doesn’t occur in a vacuum it is typically the product of hard work and teamwork. If you’ve ever been aboard a ship while it’s underway, you will see how much teamwork comes into play. Moving forward, maneuvering, making progress are all due to Sailors working together.

• Our partnership with business is key to future success. The business relationships we have formed have helped create products, such as the MRAP—Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle whose design has helped mitigate the damage caused by Improvised Explosive Devices. IEDs, as you know, have killed many of our military men and women in theater operations over the years. Deliveries of MRAPs to our combat troops, however, have dramatically reduced deaths caused by IEDs. MRAPs have been invaluable in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Government had a problem, an urgent need to address it and went to the private sector to find an answer. MRAPs came about as part of the partnership between the government and business.

• I use this as an example, not only to show you the type of collaborative work we do with the business community and the contract opportunities available to you as business owners, but to show you how important the products and services acquired and developed are to the men and women who put their lives on the line in the Global War on Terrorism. You help save lives.

[Pause]

• The great American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said “America is another name for opportunity.”

• As a nation, we are proud of that… our history is full of stories of people arriving on the shores of America with the hope of a better way of life in this golden land of opportunity. We are proud of that heritage and of the rich diversity that comprises our population, especially here in the southwestern region of the United States.

• As the Commander of Navy Region Southwest, it’s my responsibility to provide central leadership, policy guidance, budget oversight, and overall support to a six state region; there are 10 installations within the region for which I’m responsible. That six state region is a melting pot of different ethnic and minority groups.

• By 2020, one third of the nation’s workforce will be minority and by 2050 that figure will rise to one half. Many of you in the audience today have minority-owned businesses; there are also veteran, service-disabled veteran, and women-owned business owners here today that fall under that umbrella. There are tremendous opportunities for you to grow your business within the Department of the Navy, programs specifically designed to give you an advantage in the market and in contract bids.

• The vast diversity and experience of our citizens will continue to be our strength as a nation, and will ensure our Navy’s relevance, security, and prosperity. Together – businesses, community, our services – we exemplify the ideals that have made this Nation great. Our forefathers and mothers stood on the shores and opened the doors to a vast continent, full of opportunity and hope. I stand before you today... and invite you to envision the vast opportunity and potential that is available to you within the Department of the Navy. Your success is our nation’s success; your growth benefits us all.

• I want to thank the conference organizers for inviting me to speak today. It’s been an honor and a privilege to share lunch with you. Thank you.

~ End ~

-----------------------

RADM Len Hering, USN

Keynote Luncheon:

“Opening Doors – GSA’s Small Business Conference”

April 8, 2009 (Wednesday)

Speaking Time: 30-45 Minutes

Hyatt Regency Century Plaza

Los Angeles, California

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download