Center that helps small firms gets big results

When Earl Hubbard started Orion Technology Inc. in 2000, he didn't even have a business plan to plot the development of his company.

He sought help from the Northeast Alabama Regional Small Business Development Center. Dr. Bill Killingsworth, the center's director, and the staff helped Hubbard draft a business plan and fill out application papers for the U.S. Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. Killingsworth took Hubbard around town and introduced him to key business leaders and organizations.

"I call these people my dream team," Hubbard said. The center and its staff have "inspired the life and growth of Orion Technology." The 25-employee company, which specializes in aerospace engineering, training, logistics and manufacturing, received contracts with the Air Force and Army after being certified as an 8(a) company and becoming eligible for government contracts.

Orion was one of the success stories featured at the announcement Thursday that the center last year helped more than 123 small businesses navigate the government procurement process, resulting in a record-breaking $1.14 billion in contract awards. The 2003 contract amount is up from $680 million in 2002 and $390 million in 2001.

The center is a member institution of the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center Network, and is housed at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. It operates through an agreement among the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama A&M University and the chamber. Those organizations, along with government Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization offices, are "a great cooperative effort" to help Alabama small businesses, said Bill Campbell, director of the Alabama Small Business Development Consortium.

Hubbard relied on the specialists in the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization offices at the Army's Aviation & Missile Command, NASA and the Space & Missile Defense Command to help him target specific contracts and guide him on which companies to partner with.

The center conducts research and provides counseling and training for business people. Brenda McBride, procurement counselor at the center, helps clients develop proposals and market their products and services.

The center also has a free services to alert businesses when the government is accepting bids.