Last week, WPI partnered with NCMA – Wisconsin Chapter to cohost the 5th Annual End of Year Federal Contractor.  This event brings together our State’s Federal contracting community (as well as a few from across the boarders) for an update on issues of compliance, contract administration, small business programs and market opportunity.  If you missed it, take a look at the agenda and speaker bios.  We will again be hosting next year (January 2019).

Some highlights:

  • Daryl Zahn, Manager of Contracts and Compliance at DRS Power & Controls Technologies shared information on the initiatives Section 809 Panel established by the 2016 NDAA to improve the Defense acquisition process.
  • DCMA’s new Milwaukee Commander, briefed the group on changes and initiatives of his organization. Also, Jason Rathsack, Chief, Contracting Operations, shared information on issues in contract management
  • William Hughes and Emily Constantine from Husch Blackwell shared their expertise during the Federal case law update – a featured and always much anticipated part of the program
  • As DATA SECURITY is the topic of year, we were honored to have Nate Millsap Jr., Director of Industrial Security for Fincantieri Marinette Marine shared his expertise on data security compliance and implementation in the Defense environment
  • Eric Ness, Wisconsin Director US SBA and Phil Bail shared updates impacting small business from this year’s NDAA and recent past national conference, including changes to the HUBZone program, challenges to the 8(a) program, and acquisition threshold changes

WPI would like to congratulate WEDC on another successful MARKETPLACE event this last December!  WPI facilitated the one on one meetings again this year –  a record number of 782 meetings. MARKETPLACE 2018 is scheduled for December 12 – 13 2018 in Milwaukee at the Potawatomi Conference Center.  Some highlights from the 2017 event are available at the MARKETPLACE WEBSITE.

Some statistics – in FY2017 Wisconsin companies were awarded $3.54 billion dollars in federal contracts – .71% of total procurement dollars.  We ranked 32nd.  More on this topic in the next newsletter.