Federal contracts are still big business, the kind that can secure a company's future for a year or several. The U.P. is no stranger to them, either, with U.S. Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding contracts to Marinette Marine bulking up the Menominee-Marinette area economy.
For U.P. and Wisconsin businesses that want to learn more about how to do business with the federal government, or its primary contractors, and follow in Marinette Marine's footsteps, there's a helpful workshop coming up May 13.
Called "Can My Business Sell to the Federal Government and Its Prime Contractors?," the seminar is for small manufacturers, service providers and contractors. It's sponsored by the
Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, which is the location of the event.
"Businesses will learn how government contracts work, and how they can enter that market and then expand their sales," says Mary Johns, chamber executive director. "Larger workshops in Green Bay and Escanaba drew good attendance several months ago from companies interested in working with Marinette Marine. We're delighted to be able to hold a smaller-scale event locally."
For chamber members, the workshop costs $25 to register, and for non-members, the cost is $30. Pre-registration by calling the chamber is required.
Topics include the basics, small business programs, entering the market, and boosting your sales. The workshop is part of a larger effort by the chamber to help the Marinette-Menominee area prepare for business and population growth expected in relation to the Marinette Marine contracts.
"We are fulfilling 25-30 requests for information each week. That's about a fourfold increase from a year ago. We're also seeing website traffic increases. People are definitely interested in relocating to our community," says Johns.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Mary Johns, Marinette Menominee Area Chamber of Commerce
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