Oak Ridge Today

CNS small business contracting makes big jump in FY 2016

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Y-12-National-Security-Complex-CNS-Sign-Dec-16-2014

The sign at the Scarboro Road entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex is pictured above on December 16, 2014. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC achieved a significant increase in contracting with small businesses during fiscal year 2016, eclipsing its small business contracting goals and awarding more than $276 million at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

The small business dollars awarded represented an increase of more than $36 million over fiscal year 2015 figures, and were 67 percent of all funding awarded, exceeding CNS’ fiscal year 2016 goal of awarding 55 percent of all procurement dollars, a press release said.

CNS uses small businesses in a range of diverse roles, from staff augmentation services to construction support work, the press release said. [Read more…]

CNS presents small business awards

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Dubose National Energy Services Inc. was recently recognized as a small business of the year by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC. Shown in the photo are CNS Supply Chain Manager Skip Skelton, CNS Vice President and Y-12 Site Manager Bill Tindal DNES Vice President and General Manager Richard Rogers, DNES Senior Sales Representative Garry Snyder, CNS Subcontract Administrator Tish Camp, CNS Vice President of Mission Assurance Linda Bauer, CNS Program Manager for Socioeconomic Programs Lisa Copeland, and CNS Vice President of Operations Support Darrell Graddy. (Photo by CNS Y-12)

Dubose National Energy Services Inc. was recently recognized as a small business of the year by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC. Shown in the photo are CNS Supply Chain Manager Skip Skelton, CNS Vice President and Y-12 Site Manager Bill Tindal DNES Vice President and General Manager Richard Rogers, DNES Senior Sales Representative Garry Snyder, CNS Subcontract Administrator Tish Camp, CNS Vice President of Mission Assurance Linda Bauer, CNS Program Manager for Socioeconomic Programs Lisa Copeland, and CNS Vice President of Operations Support Darrell Graddy. (Photo by CNS Y-12)

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC presented small business awards on Friday, September 30, at the weekly meeting of the East Tennessee Economic Council. The companies recognized included DuBose National Energy Services Inc., GEM Technologies Inc., and Scientific Sales Inc. CNS employees Sam Easterling and Terry Lewis were also recognized as Small Business Advocates of the Year.

In his opening remarks, CNS Vice President and Y-12 Site Manager Bill Tindal stressed that company relies on small businesses as “part of a large tapestry that has to work together.” He summarized, “We’ve spent more than $160 million this year with more than 740 small businesses this fiscal year, including 250 Tennessee businesses, which includes 60 businesses in Anderson County.”

CNS Supply Chain Manager Skip Skelton explained that small businesses were evaluated based on their commitment to CNS’ four imperatives—safety, security, zero defects, and delivery as promised. He said, “The awards we’re giving out today reflect the four imperatives we expect our employees and our subcontractors to embrace as part of our focus on performance excellence.” [Read more…]

CNS, Knoxville Building and Construction Trades Council reach new labor agreement

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC and the 16 local unions that comprise the Knoxville Building and Construction Trades Council reached terms on a new five-year labor agreement on Tuesday, September 13. The new five-year labor agreement expires September 30, 2021.

The agreement also has an option for CNS to extend the new agreement without further negotiation for an additional five years through September 30, 2026. [Read more…]

East Tennessee charitable organizations can apply for grants from Y-12 Community Investment Fund

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

CNS community investment fund enters second cycle; funds distributed through East Tennessee Foundation

Charitable organizations from across East Tennessee can apply for grants from the Y-12 Community Investment Fund that has been established by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC. Also known as CNS, that contractor operates the Y-12 Nuclear Security Complex in Oak Ridge for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

CNS established the fund through the East Tennessee Foundation last year as part of its commitment to Oak Ridge and the surrounding communities, a press release said. In May, CNS awarded grants totaling more than $180,000 to 30 local nonprofits.

Nonprofit organizations in Y-12’s 20-county service area with projects or programs that address community needs and economic development opportunities are encouraged to apply for one-year grants, the press release said. Eligible organizations must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or other exempt entities, such as public schools and governments/municipalities. [Read more…]

Safety Fest TN in Oak Ridge, Knoxville to feature more than 80 free safety & health classes, sessions, demonstrations

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

 

Safety Fest TNThe Fifth Annual Safety Fest TN is scheduled for September 12-16 in Oak Ridge and Knoxville, and it will feature more than 80 free safety and health classes, sessions, and demonstrations. In addition to the free classes, a Safety Expo and Safety Demonstrations will take place on September 13 and 14, along with the “Secret City” Fire Officer Conference on September 14 and 15, a press release said.

The majority of the classes and sessions will be hosted by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS, at the New Hope Center at 602 Scarboro Road in Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Associated Universities, or ORAU, at Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge. But classes are also being offered at seven other area locations including two in Knoxville, the press release said.

“It’s all about safety and health at work, at home and in the community,” said Michelle Keever, the Safety Fest TN class coordinator from URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC, or UCOR. “And what a community! In collaboration and with the irreplaceable help of United Steel Workers Local 9-288, we’re thrilled that 20 seniors at Sunbright School will receive OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER training.” Sunbright is a one-campus pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school located in rural Morgan County. [Read more…]

BES Technologies receives DOE small business award

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

BEST 2015 DOE Award Photo

John Hale III and Drake Russell (at left and right), director and deputy director of the U.S. DOE Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, congratulate Erik Connard, CEO and owner of BES Technologies LLC, on his company’s receipt of DOE’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award. (Photo courtesy Y-12/CNS)

 

Mentor-protégé relationship continues to receive federal accolades

BES Technologies LLC recently received the U.S. Department of Energy’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year award.

BES Technologies LLC, or BEST, is a service‑disabled, veteran‑owned small business in its fourth year as a protégé to Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS.

CNS and the Y-12 National Security Complex were recognized at last year’s awards ceremony as DOE’s Small Business Mentor of the Year for developmental assistance with BEST under the DOE Mentor-Protégé Program.

This year, it was time for the mentor to shine the spotlight on its protégé by nominating them for this DOE distinction and prestigious award. The resulting award confirms CNS’s glowing assessment that BEST truly lives up to its name, a press release said. [Read more…]

GemTech Nuclear Security Solutions receives Y-12, Pantex services contract

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

GemTech Nuclear Security Solutions has been awarded the professional and technical services contract with Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS, at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, a press release said.

GemTech Nuclear Security Solutions, or GemTech NSS, is a joint venture formed by four Oak Ridge-based small businesses: GEM Technologies Inc., CS Engineering, Strata-G LLC, and Spectra Tech Inc., and supported by team subcontractors Navarro Research and Engineering, ABS Consulting, Tetra Tech, Enercon, and Paschal Solutions.

“We are thrilled with the announcement,” said Michael Evans, president and chief executive officer of GEM Technologies Inc., managing partner of GemTech NSS. “GEM has been supporting Y-12 for more than 20 years and Pantex for the past two years. We are committed to providing reliable, safe, secure, quality, cost-effective solutions, and we look forward to partnering with CNS for the next five years to support their mission requirements.” [Read more…]

CNS reinforces commitment to small businesses

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Submitted

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC purchased more than $210 million in goods and services from small businesses during the first nine months of fiscal year 2016, including more than $149 million at the Y-12 National Security Complex and $61 million at the Pantex Plant. Small business contracting at Y-12 includes more than $10 million in small business obligations for work on the Uranium Processing Facility project, which is managed by Bechtel National Inc., through a subcontract with CNS, a press release said.

In recognition of the significant role small businesses play in the national economy—as well as the economies in East Tennessee and the Texas Panhandle—CNS uses small businesses in a variety of roles, from technical and administrative support to staff augmentation and construction support and strives to provide the maximum possible contracting opportunities to small businesses in a host of categories recognized by the Small Business Administration, the press release said. Those categories include 8(a), woman-owned, Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), veteran-owned, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, small and small disadvantaged businesses. [Read more…]

Y-12 completes waste removal project two years ahead of schedule

Posted at
By 1 Comment

The Y-12 National Security Complex has completed disposition of 2,247 containers of mixed waste more than two years ahead of a September 2018 deadline, a press release said.

The waste removal was mandated by the Oak Ridge Reservation Site Treatment Plan through a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation commissioner’s order to the U.S. Department of Energy. The disposition of this material is part of a larger effort to dispose of legacy waste materials. Mixed waste is defined as material that consists of hazardous and radioactive waste.

“Removal of legacy waste materials from Y-12 is a key priority for NNSA,” said Geoff Beausoleil, manager of the NNSA Production Office. “Completing this removal project two years ahead of schedule is a significant achievement.” [Read more…]

Clinton Middle wins CNS-sponsored Dream It, Do It competition

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clinton Middle School wins the inaugural Dream It. Do It. Competition May 2016. Front row (left to right): Janet Hawkins, Paige Cooper, Sierra Patrick, Anthony Burkett Hundley, and Kristin Waldschlager of CNS. Back row (left to right): Anderson County Chamber President Rick Meredith, Jack Spangler, Jonathan Lewis, Kelly Myers, and Jason Bohne and Jim Zonar of CNS. (Submitted photo)

Clinton Middle School wins the inaugural Dream It. Do It. Competition May 2016. Front row (left to right): Janet Hawkins, Paige Cooper, Sierra Patrick, Anthony Burkett Hundley, and Kristin Waldschlager of CNS. Back row (left to right): Anderson County Chamber President Rick Meredith, Jack Spangler, Jonathan Lewis, Kelly Myers, and Jason Bohne and Jim Zonar of CNS. (Submitted photo)

 

Clinton Middle School won the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce’s first “Dream It. Do It.” competition.

Clinton Middle School partnered with Eagle Bend Manufacturing in the competition. For their effort, the school received four Go Pro cameras, provided by Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS, through corporate funds. CNS is the managing contractor at the Y‑12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and at the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas.

The awards ceremony was at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge campus.

The program involved putting eighth-grade students in adult settings, a press release said. Equipped with Go Pro cameras, the students got a firsthand look at a manufacturing world that they might not have considered as a future career. CNS provided the students at Clinton, Lake City, Norris, and Norwood middle schools with the cameras and the mission to capture the diversity of careers and technical innovations in manufacturing by producing a short video. [Read more…]

CNS provides $180,000 in grants to 30 nonprofits

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

CNS Y-12 Fierley and Boys & Girls Clubs Likens and Pettyjohn

Mike Fierley (center), CNS employee committee chair, poses with Ann Likens (left) and Jennifer Pettyjohn of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley at the recent grant recipient celebration.

 

Expanding the availability of school supplies for children in distressed areas. Providing door-to-door transportation to senior citizens who can’t get to medical providers. Pairing at-risk children with horses rescued from abuse. These are just a few examples of the outstanding work going on in East Tennessee and supported by the Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC Y-12 Community Investment Fund.

The employee-directed fund provided grants totaling $180,000 to 30 nonprofit organizations in 10 East Tennessee counties. The fund is administered by the East Tennessee Foundation, or ETF, which issued a call for grant proposals in December. More than 70 East Tennessee nonprofits responded. The winning agencies were honored at a reception on May 4 at New Hope Center in Oak Ridge.

CNS is the managing contractor at Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. CNS began its partnership with ETF last year, organizing the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of Y-12 employees who reviewed applications and recommended grants to support nonprofit organizations with projects that addressed one or more of the committee’s four focus areas: education, senior citizens, veterans, and youth. [Read more…]

Reichert: CNS hiring for more than 1,150 positions this fiscal year

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Michelle Reichert

Michelle Reichert

From CNS Connect with Michelle Reichert

The NNSA is planning for Pantex and Y-12 to perform a greater amount of mission work in the upcoming years. This increased workload will help ensure the safety and reliability of our nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, provide capabilities to draw down global weapons inventory, reduce the spread of nuclear weapons and terrorism, and provide highly specialized fuel for the nuclear navy.

Pantex and Y-12 are two of our nation’s key production facilities, and we form the cornerstone of the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise. While we always look to maximize your valuable skill sets to meet mission needs, our future mission success also requires creating new jobs.

As Morgan (Smith) mentioned when he shared the 9 in 90 list, we are completing the study and implementing the plan to address increased demand for our products and services in Fiscal Year 2017 and beyond. As a result of this plan, CNS is hiring for more than 1,150 positions this fiscal year. These new employees will include production, operations, and trades workers; security personnel; and science, engineering, and technology professionals, totaling 650 positions at Pantex and 500 positions at Y-12. To date (as of early March), we have successfully filled 507 positions. As part of our 9 in 90 Plan, we are striving to fill 300 positions within the next few months. [Read more…]