Oct 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leigh Cockram
Director of Marketing/Recruiting
Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation
276.403.5940
lcockram@yesmartinsville.com
State and Local Procurement Conference Scheduled for October 15-16
Martinsville, VA (October 3, 2008) – The Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation’s Office of Small and Minority Business Development is hosting its third annual State and Local Procurement Conference. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15th at the Quality Inn/Dutch Inn and conclude with individual appointment-only sessions on Thursday, October 16th at the EDC office located on the 2nd floor of the SunTrust Bank building in Uptown Martinsville.
This conference is free and will focus on the importance and benefits of small (defined as companies with 250 or less employees) and minority-owned companies becoming SWaM certified. “SWaM certified companies have a better chance of receiving state work than those businesses without the certification”, explains Lisa Fultz, Director of the EDC’s Small and Minority Business Development Office. “Local companies are recognizing the benefits of getting this certification and local SWaM certifications have increased 346% from 27 in February 2006 to 124 today. Our office has assisted 74 of those businesses in obtaining their SWaM certification”, says Fultz. According to online eVA reports, spending with local vendors for the 2007 fiscal year was $7,418,817 compared to $3,902,906 for the 2006 fiscal year. This represents a 90% increase in utilization of local vendors by the Commonwealth of Virginia agencies.
EDC’s Office of Small and Minority Business Development has partnered with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance to ensure anyone interested in registering for eVA can make an appointment to have a one-on-one session with Tammy Farmer on Thursday. Wednesday will be dedicated to explaining the benefits of being SWaM certified and how to respond to requests for proposals and bids. Businesses will also be able to network with buyers and area procurement officials and how to respond to request for proposals and bids.
Mark Tosh, owner of Town Police Supply said “these conferences have really helped me connect with state and local procurement officials. My sales have increased by at least 12%.”
To register for the State and Local Procurement Conference please visit www.YesMartinsville.com/smallbusiness or call us at 276-403-5940.
The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is to create new job opportunities and expand the tax base for the area. The organization strives to support and develop local industry, as well as market Martinsville-Henry County globally as an exceptional place to live, work and play.
The EDC is a public-private partnership between the City of Martinsville, Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) and the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont.
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