Small Business Administration Regional Director visits Grand Forks AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The regional head of the Small Business Administration lauded Grand Forks Air Force Base personnel during a Feb. 14 visit here.

Dan Hannaher visited the base to meet with 319th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Timothy Bush and 319th Contracting Flight personnel. He expressed his appreciation for the successful work Grand Forks has consistently accomplished working with the SBA.

"Here at Grand Forks Air Force Base they prove year in and year out to be very committed by doing a fantastic job of achieving small business goals," said Hannaher, who oversees Region VIII based in Denver. "You can see it in their numbers that across the board they show a strong commitment to these programs."

In the last five years, Grand Forks has met and exceeded 24 of 25 small business goals, making it one of only a few of bases in the Air Mobility Command with such consistent success, said Queen E. McCartney, 319th CONF chief of acquisitions.

These government designated goals were evaluated among five small business categories - small; small & disadvantaged; women-owned; historically underutilized zones; and veteran & service-disabled-owned - she added.

"The small business program is very important because not only are these goals established by Congress, but when met it also means we have poured dollars into that sector of the market for their success," McCartney said.

Hannaher said the government's goal is to have 23 percent of its contracts with small businesses. When those government dollars are being spent in local communities, he said, it helps to foster and increase more small businesses which are "the job creators in this country."

"There is a very serious commitment here at Grand Forks Air Force Base to continue a strong small business commitment," Hannaher added. "We're very appreciative of that and want to do all we can to foster a continued growth."