Two Oak Ridge companies receive small business awards from DOE office

 

Note: This information and photos first appeared in the May 31 edition of the “EM Update” newsletter published by the DOE Office of Environmental Management.

Two Oak Ridge companies involved in federal cleanup work have received small business awards from a U.S. Department of Energy office.

Restoration Services Inc., or RSI, was named the Small Business of the Year during the 16th Annual DOE Small Business Forum and Expo in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 16-18.

Another Oak Ridge business, Scientific Sales Inc., or SSI, was named the 8(a)/Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year.

Awards were presented to a total of five small businesses, including RSI and SSI, during the expo in Kansas City this month. The companies support the U.S. Department of Energy’s environmental management, or EM, work. The awards, which were for fiscal year 2016, were from DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

The other three EM-related businesses that received awards were:

• Washington River Protection Solutions, or WRPS, of Richland, Washington, for Mentor of the Year;
• i-3 Global
• Inc. of Kennewick, Washington, for Protégé of the Year; and
• Innovative Solutions Unlimited, or InSolves, of Piketon, Ohio, for HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Zone Small Business of the Year.

 

“With a 20-year history of supporting EM cleanup, RSI is an Alaskan Native-owned minority business with nearly 250 employees,” the DOE Office of Environmental Management said in an electronic “EM Update” newsletter on May 31. “The company has excelled at providing value to EM’s Oak Ridge and Portsmouth sites. RSI is known for its strong technical subject-matter expertise, exceptional local and corporate leadership, outstanding responsiveness, safe work execution, and innovations resulting in significant cost and schedule savings. One innovative RSI strategy resulted in a nitrogen consumption reduction of more than 24 million cubic feet per year at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, saving $75,000 per year.”

“RSI is very excited about this award,” RSI President Paul Clay said. “The RSI team at Portsmouth led the way in demonstrating the characteristics that exemplify the efforts of all RSI employees at all locations for all of our customers.”

 

SSI has supported the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, or WTP, in Hanford, Washington, with 83 purchase orders. The woman-owned, small disadvantaged business works with WTP to achieve the greatest cost savings and on-time delivery, the DOE Office of Environmental Management said.

“With a record of zero accidents and injuries, SSI is dedicated to maintaining safety as the number one priority,” the newsletter said. “SSI has developed long-term relationships with some of the highest quality manufacturers and suppliers in the laboratory, safety, environmental, and industrial industries. A wholesale distributor of supplies, SSI also offers repair and rentals of environmental equipment. SSI subcontracts to URS/CH2M Oak Ridge, stocking and delivering products for EM cleanup activities. The company also holds subcontracts for personal protective equipment and other materials.”

“At SSI, we feel it is a privilege to support DOE and the prime contractors in their mission,” SSI President Vicki Dyer said. “To be recognized for our efforts by receiving DOE’s FY 2016 8(a)/Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year Award is extremely gratifying and one of the most exciting events of my business life. I feel honored that my staff’s performance and commitment to providing the best service and quality products to our customers was recognized by our DOE customers.”

 

It was the second time WRPS won the Mentor of the Year award, with the first being for fiscal year 2011. The EM Office of River Protection tank farms contractor at the Hanford Site provides oversight and coaching to TerraGraphics Engineering and Environmental Inc. through a mentor-protégé agreement. WRPS championed its protégé company in several company-sponsored outreach events and provided it technical advisors in growth areas. Due to the WRPS support, TerraGraphics continues to evolve into a strong competitor in the federal marketplace, delivering quality products to DOE prime contractors, the newsletter said.

“As a large prime contractor, it is an honor to receive the Energy Department’s Mentor of the Year Award recognizing WRPS’ efforts in partnering with local firms, particularly with small and disadvantaged businesses,” said Jose Legarreta, WRPS manager of procurement services. “Through the department’s mentor-protégé program, WRPS has been able to provide technical developmental assistance to protégés to enhance their capabilities to compete directly for DOE prime and subcontracts.”

DOE recognized i-3 Global, protégé to Hanford Site services contractor Mission Support Alliance, for its outstanding customer service during a year of significant growth and accomplishment, the newsletter said. i-3 Global successfully completed a pre-award audit for the Hanford Cloud End User Support subcontract, which led to the company managing its first multimillion dollar fixed-price contract. Due to the success of the mentor-protégé program, i-3 Global has grown from five employees to more than 40 employees in less than a year. The company enhanced its core capabilities, moving from staff augmentation into fixed-price, service-based information technology contracts. i-3 Global also created an internship program, promoting two employees to full-time positions.

“Winning this award is not only gratifying on a business level, but something I am personally proud to bring back to my hometown and the Hanford Site,” said Kris Lapp, president of i-3 Global. “Our company is on a mission to showcase the positive aspects of the work being done at Hanford and the tremendous amount of tech talent in our great community. Our mentor organization, Mission Support Alliance, has been key in supporting our efforts and putting us in an excellent position to succeed along with them. This has been a great partnership, and we look forward to continued success together.”

With headquarters in Piketon, Ohio, and project offices in Paducah, Kentucky and Aiken, South Carolina, InSolves has supported DOE project sites and the nuclear fuel cycle industry for more than 20 years, the newsletter said. InSolves developed robotics technology for locating and quantifying radiological contamination in process piping at DOE former gaseous diffusion facilities undergoing decontamination and decommissioning.

“We are honored to be recognized on a national level for our development of new technology designed to reduce the high cost of complex nuclear cleanup projects,” said InSolves Vice President Steve Barbarits, who accepted the award from Acting OSDBU Director Christy Jackiewicz. “We especially want to thank Ms. Karen Davis of Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC for her support and encouragement.”

– Contributor to the DOE “EM Update” newsletter: David Sheeley

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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