Landing government contracts subject of Joplin meeting

(From University of Missouri Extension)

Allen Waldo, procurement counselor with the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC), will be in Joplin on Tuesday, October 14 to talk to local small businesses about opportunities for government contracting.

Waldo will be available on a walk in basis from 9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) located in the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, Room 108. Small businesses can speak with Waldo about the opportunities that may be available for their product/service and discuss the contracting process to take advantage of government sales dollars.


"Dealing with the red tape of government contracting can be frustrating," said Waldo. "In fact, those obstacles often keep highly qualified suppliers from selling to the government. PTAC's mission is to assist businesses - including small, disadvantaged and women owned firms -obtain federal, state and local government contracts."

The U.S. government is the world's largest customer, awarding more than $400 billion in contracts annually to small business owners. Waldo emphasizes, however, that state, county and city governments can also be sources of contracts.

Waldo will regularly visit the MSSU SBTDC to help qualified entrepreneurs identify opportunities and understand the process. He serves Barry, Christian, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Polk, Stone, Taney and Webster counties.

Waldo has nearly three decades of contracting, accounting, sales, healthcare and executive leadership experience as CEO of Cooper County Memorial Hospital, Boonville; COO of Citizen's Memorial Hospital, Bolivar; CEO of Barton County Memorial Hospital, Lamar; and CFO of Skaggs Community Health Center, Branson. He is also a certified public accountant.

In fiscal year 2013, MO PTAC helped clients obtain more than $218 million in contracts, creating or retaining 4,370 jobs. For more information on how the MO PTAC can assist your company gain contracts, visit http://www.missouribusiness.net/ptac.

Small businesses are assisted through MU Extension's business development specialists and regional Small Business & Technology Development Centers (SBTDC). For more information or assistance related to a current or future business, contact one of the MU Extension business specialists in the Ozarks: Chrystal Irons at (417) 546-4431 or Willis Mushrush at (417) 256-2391. There are also three Small Business and Technology Development Centers in southwest Missouri: Missouri State University in Springfield at (417) 836-5685, Missouri Southern University in Joplin at (417) 625-3128 or Missouri State University in West Plains at West Plains, (417) 256-9724.