CONTACT: Nick Fuhrman

Director, Georgia Center of Innovation for Aerospace 


(478) 230-4535; nfuhrman@georgia.org.

New “front door” open for small businesses looking for contracts and work on base

ATLANTA, August 14, 2009— Georgia entrepreneurs and small businesses will now have greater opportunities to do business with the U.S. Air Force at Warner-Robins and the Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC). 

The WR-ALC’s Office of Small Business Programs recently moved its offices to a more accessible location, eliminating visitors’ need for a pass or permit. The office is now located in Building 205, near the corner of Richard Ray Boulevard and Page Road.

“Georgia is the number one state in the country for entrepreneurship, and we continue to cultivate an entrepreneur-friendly culture by making business faster, friendlier and easier,” said Ken Stewart, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “The collaboration facilitated by the Georgia Center of Innovation for Aerospace between the Air Force and many state and local organizations shows how successful we can be when we work together.”

One of the major roles of the Office of Small Business Programs at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC) is to assist small firms seeking to do business with the Air Force, specifically with WR-ALC and Robins. Office staffers review all proposed acquisitions over $10,000 to recommend small business set-asides. Small businesses bring value in terms of responsiveness and cost savings, so staffers view them as critical to supporting the base’s mission and needs.

Because of the close relationships among the small business community, state and local governments, and the Office of Small Business Programs, in the past 10 months Robins has awarded $438 million in contracts to small businesses, including $298 million to small disadvantaged businesses, woman-owned businesses, HUBZone small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Of this, more than $83 million has been awarded to Georgia firms.

“We are confident that the new building for the WR-ALC Office of Small Business Programs will facilitate accessibility to our small business specialists and lead to even more opportunities for small businesses throughout the area,” said Kathy Cames, director, Office of Small Business Programs for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center.

“The new location will have a huge impact on the small business community,” said Ed Rodriguez, president of the Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce. “The new office has streamlined the process to do business with the base and made it much more user-friendly.”

“Relocating the Office of Small Business Programs will be a great asset for the small businesses within the local and surrounding areas,” said Gary Lee, executive director of the Warner Robins Redevelopment Agency. “This will also give small businesses the opportunity to collaborate with other small or large business to create a team that will push Warner Robins to the next level.” 

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.