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Lockheed Martin Enters Agreement With Air Force To Improve Outreach To Small Businesses

Fort Worth, Texas, August 25th, 1999 -- In an effort to increase the amount of subcontracting Lockheed Martin conducts with small businesses, the company and the U.S. Air Force signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on August 25. This is the first time a defense contractor has entered into an agreement of this kind with a branch of the U.S. military.

The Aeronautics Material Management Center (AMMC) will implement the MOU for Lockheed Martin. AMMC, a business organization located at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant, is responsible for all procurement within the corporation's Aeronautics Sector, which includes four major aircraft companies. The Air Force's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will handle implementation of the agreement for the government.

The MOU formally establishes guidelines to increase small business subcontracting with Lockheed Martin. For AMMC, this includes providing the Air Force with information on small business outreach activities, solicitation of bids from small businesses through advertising, and assisting in outreach and training events with the Air Force to raise awareness of small businesses and foster their participation.

The Air Force will be responsible for identifying potential suppliers for AMMC, publicizing and promoting the AMMC small business program, announcing and advertising AMMC procurement requirements to the small business community, and publicizing successes of the AMMC small business program through presentations at public forums, conferences and workshops.

The MOU will remain in effect for one year from the date of signing, after which it may be renewed by mutual agreement of both parties.

"So far this fiscal year, small business firms garnered over $243 million in Aeronautics Sector subcontracts," said Jim Randle, AMMC small business programs manager. "Of this amount, minority small business firms earned subcontracts of $35.4 million and women-owned small businesses, $28.2 million. With this MOU, I am optimistic that we will continue to increase the amount of small business subcontracting in support of Aeronautics Sector programs."

"Lockheed Martin is to be commended for taking the initiative on this MOU," said Anthony DeLuca, director of the Air Force Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. "It shows that they are really serious about increasing the amount of business they conduct with small businesses, which because of their size or other factors such as manpower and staffing limitations, are not always able to compete on a level playing field with larger and more established enterprises."

Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics Sector companies are located in Fort Worth, Texas; Marietta, Ga.; Palmdale, Calif.; and Greenville, S.C. Products include the F-16, F-22, F-117, C-130J and Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.

Lance Lamberton
(817) 777-4100
e-mail: lance.c.lamberton@lmco.com