Doing Business at Savannah River Site: Companies Learn About Contract Process

AIKEN, S.C. – EM contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) recently supported the Savannah River Federal Business Opportunities Forum, a two-day event held in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Businesses from multiple states attended the conference, which focused on the diverse, sometimes complex procurement needs of the Savannah River Site (SRS).

After seven years in the making, the forum met its goal, according to Elizabeth Harm, executive director of the Energy, Technology and Environmental Business Association (ETEBA).

“Everyone here is very interested in doing business with SRS. And ETEBA’s mission is to connect businesses with opportunities,” said Harm. “Today’s regional meeting was packed with nearly 300 attendees, and that’s because of the work SRNS and the other site contractors are doing. People want to be a part of it.”

SRNS is growing in multiple areas and hiring personnel for its expanding missions.

“To help meet the many procurement challenges presented by a vast increase in work scope, we knew financially supporting and heavily participating in this forum would be of great benefit for us,” said Lisa Tanner, SRNS senior manager of supply chain excellence and small business liaison officer. “At the same time, we genuinely desire to reach out and help those with whom we do business — especially small and minority-owned businesses. Most of those participating in this conference are from small businesses. They are the backbone of our economy, and we put a high value on what they contribute.”

Tanner also noted that the forum offered the opportunity to continue building strong, long-term buyer-supplier relationships. The forum helped SRNS identify areas of expertise among participants.

“ETEBA helps meet the procurement needs of our organization and the needs of a wide range of subcontractors. They act as a liaison to bring us all proactively together. Without them, it would be difficult to hold this type of event,” Tanner said.

“SRNS gets it,” said Harm. “They understand the potential impact of our mission and, for the last six years, have partnered with us for the benefit of numerous businesses, locally and throughout the nation. This forum was founded at their request and will now be an annual opportunity for all.”

Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) Chief Administrative Officer Mark Barth and Small Business Program Manager Ashley Hannah presented to ETEBA’s attendees as well, providing insights on how to do business for EM’s liquid waste mission at SRS. SRMC is EM’s liquid waste contractor at SRS.