Paducah Workshop Boosts Small Business, Resilience of DOE Supply Chain

U.S. Department of Energy Supply Chain Management Center Principal Customer Programs Leader John O'Connell speaks to representatives of small businesses at a workshop in Paducah, Kentucky.

PADUCAH, Ky. - A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) center demonstrated its commitment to empowering small businesses at a recent workshop in collaboration with the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) and a Paducah Site contractor.

With nearly 90 people attending, the workshop focused on the Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC) mission to foster partnerships benefiting local businesses and enhance the resilience of the supply chain across the DOE complex. The center is dedicated to simplifying the buying process to enable savings for EM and National Nuclear Security Administration prime contractors.

"We recognize the invaluable role small businesses play in driving innovation and ensuring a strong supply chain. Through partnerships and workshops like these, DOE continues to reach out to small businesses to provide new opportunities to participate and contribute to our mission," PPPO Manager Joel Bradburne said.

Representatives of nearly 90 small businesses, including industrial suppliers, staffing agencies and commercial contractors, take part in an event with U.S. Department of Energy Supply Chain Management Center Principal Customer Programs Leader John O'Connell in Paducah, Kentucky.

Held in Paducah, the event provided small businesses with insights to participate in DOE's supply chain. Attendees gained practical knowledge about navigating government contracts with SCMC and networked with employees of DOE and Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP), the EM Paducah Site deactivation and remediation contractor.

The center's work with small businesses results in savings for DOE sites across the complex. At the Paducah Site, FRNP exceeded a fiscal year 2024 goal of $600,000 in cost savings working with vendors that have SCMC agreements.

Participants praised the workshop for its educational format and the networking opportunities it provided. By bridging the gap between small businesses and procurement processes, the SCMC continues to strengthen the competitiveness of local enterprises.

"The Paducah business community appreciates DOE and FRNP's commitment to growing local business through events like the SCMC workshop," said Steve Hawkins with Hannan Supply of Paducah. "The information shared at the workshop provided insight on opportunities that exist at the DOE Paducah Site to expand what businesses like ours can offer."

The Paducah Site and FRNP remain committed to expanding outreach to small businesses, aiming to create a more competitive supply chain ecosystem benefiting businesses, communities and the nation as a whole.

-Contributor: Dylan Nichols