Hanscom organizations obligate more than $1 billion to small businesses

  • Published
  • By K. Houston Waters
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Hanscom-based Air Force Life Cycle Management Center organizations obligated over $1 billion to small businesses in fiscal year 2022.

During that time, the Digital Directorate obligated over 23 percent of their total contracting dollars to small businesses, roughly $600 million, and the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Directorate, or C3I&N, obligated 29 percent at almost $460 million.

“It’s another outstanding year for the Hanscom directorates in not only meeting their small business and socioeconomic goals, but far exceeding them,” said Jeff Emmons, director of Small Business Programs here. “Kudos to these organizations, from the program executive officers to the integrated product team members, this effort really demonstrates their dedication to small businesses.”

Andrea Panagoulias, small business specialist and deputy director of Small Business Programs here, is proud of the Hanscom support to all the socio-economic categories, like women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, and those in historically underutilized business zones.

“We can see that the integrated product teams really did their homework and conducted their market research to be able to support all of these different types of small businesses,” she said. “The directorates are not just meeting, but exceeding their goals in these categories, year after year, which is a great trend that we love to see.”

Additionally, the Hanscom Operational Contracting Division obligated more than 125 percent of their contracting dollars to small businesses, a number only possible by earning credits through contracting with local small businesses in the greater Boston area. For this, the division was ranked second among 280 units in the Air Force for fiscal year 2022.  

“The success we’ve had is the direct result of teamwork with our 66th Air Base Group and PEO colleagues, the relationships developed with our industry partners, and the outstanding training and support provided here locally by Jeff, Andrea, and the U.S. Small Business Administration,” said Kevin Kelleher, division chief of contracts, Operational Contracting Division.

“The majority of us in this division were born and raised here in the Boston area, so to have the opportunity to come to work every day and not only support our nation’s great warfighters, but to also have an active role in stimulating our local economy and strengthening the New England industrial base, is an honor, and extremely rewarding to say the least,” he continued.

Hanscom’s support of small businesses tracks with the recently released DOD Small Business Strategy. In that document, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III states that “small businesses keep our military forces combat ready,” a sentiment echoed by Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Kathleen Hicks, in this recent DOD release.

“From manufacturers providing the critical parts that we need for our arsenal – to technology companies developing innovative systems and capabilities – small businesses are vital along the entire spectrum of the Department’s needs,” she said. “Reducing barriers and creating more opportunities for small businesses will allow us to expand, innovate, and diversify, increasing our warfighter advantage, strengthening our supply chains, increasing competition in our marketplace, and growing our economy here at home.”

To contact the Hanscom Small Business Programs office, e-mail Emmons at jeffery.emmons.1@us.af.mil, or Panagoulias at andrea.panagoulias@us.af.mil.