DOE Honors Lab-Nominated Small Business Partners

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pleased to share the following article from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

_{Photo (left to right): Michael Cisneros (ALDFO-OSI), Peter Fant of the Pueblo Alliance and San Ildefonso Services LLC, Yvonne Gonzales (ASM-DO), Eric Drew (ASM-CAP), Ron Lovato of the Pueblo Alliance and Tsay Corp., Danny Clements (LOG-MSM), Rose Law (ASM-COE), Kathy Oselio, HR director for Tsay Corp., Neely Kelly, business development manager for Pueblo Alliance, and Trish Alley (ASM-DO).}

Two small businesses that work closely with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) were honored recently by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the FY 2022 DOE Annual Small Business Awards Program.

The awards, which took place on July 11 during the 2023 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo hosted by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) in New Orleans, Louisiana, recognize outstanding performance of people and organizations that promote and expand the Department's use of small businesses.

LANL nominated four Northern New Mexico small business contractors for awards in three categories. Pueblo Alliance LLC brought home the Protégé of the Year award, Wildflower International Ltd won the HUBZone Small Business of the Year award, and TechSource and San
Ildefonso Services were nominated for the Small Business of the Year award. LANL recognizes all four small businesses for their outstanding achievements. Wildflower was also nominated by Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the FY 2022 DOE Annual Small Business Awards Program.

A mentor-protégé success story

Triad National Security (Triad) and Pueblo Alliance entered a mentor-protégé relationship in October 2020 through the DOE Mentor-Protégé Program. Triad has supported Pueblo Alliance in execution of subcontracts with LANL and other DOE entities, and Pueblo Alliance has subsequently become a key contributor to mission-critical support functions at LANL.

Located at Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo Alliance is a joint venture comprising two tribally owned businesses: Tsay Corporation and San Ildefonso Services. Together, they provide staffing solutions for LANL and other DOE entities. Pueblo Alliance's work now encompasses three distinct areas of service:

• Construction and maintenance: Pueblo Alliance was selected as a first of its kind to participate in the Job Order Contracting Construction Pilot Program where Pueblo Alliance helped develop a price catalog specific to LANL and the region.
• Contingent labor: Pueblo Alliance is implementing a pilot program to recruit, develop and hire newly Q-cleared personnel from Northern New Mexico. In 2022, Pueblo Alliance provided more than 90 employees to LANL for varying support functions and an additional 20 Q-cleared personnel.
• Distribution and logistics: Pueblo Alliance developed a pilot program to move LANL's distribution center off-site, relieving backlogs and improving delivery times.

The Protégé of the Year award recognizes the outstanding achievements of Pueblo Alliance to DOE and the community. The mutually beneficial relationship between Pueblo Alliance and LANL boosts economic development in the region.

"This is just the beginning of a successful relationship with the local Tribes, the Northern New Mexico community and small business," said Pueblo Alliance President Ron Lovato. "PA (Pueblo Alliance) intends to continue this steady growth throughout the years to enhance not only Tribal companies, but the regional development of other qualified contractors to support Triad in its ongoing mission success. Triad has been an incubator of success for Pueblo Alliance."

_{Photo (left to right): Ron Pierce, director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; Cheri Chandler, Wildflower's operations manager for logistics; Justin Thigpen, Wildflower DOE Business Unit director; Marlena Lucero, Wildflower senior manager DOE Operations; and Wendell Pierce, actor, philanthropist, businessman.}

HUBZone hero

Wildflower has had a partnership with Triad for about 20 years. When the 2023 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo came around, Wildflower was not only nominated by Los Alamos, but Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories as well. The result: The three Labs submitted a group
nomination, and Wildflower won the HUBZone award.

The HUBZone program provides contracting assistance to small businesses located in economically distressed communities to promote job growth, capital investment and economic development in these areas.

Wildflower, a Santa Fe-based IT hardware and software solutions company, has excelled in providing comprehensive and creative solutions to LANL's computer-life-cycle-management challenges. Wildflower also partnered with LANL to create a demand plan forecast, allowing
LANL to preorder products to be expediently delivered in days. Wildflower has created solutions to LANL's urgent turnaround requirements, high security and tight budgeting, tailoring its services to LANL's evolving needs. In July 2022, Wildflower announced the Dell Technologies/Wildflower International Endowed Scholarship Fund, a joint venture with the LANL Foundation. Established with a $100,000 gift from Wildflower and with Dell's support, the fund provides scholarships to Northern New Mexico high school seniors/undergraduates pursuing degrees in computer science and other technology disciplines.

LANL partners TechSource, SIS-CTI

LANL also nominated TechSource and SIS-CTI for the Small Business of the Year award in the FY 2022 DOE Annual Small Business Awards Program. TechSource provides pit manufacturing and engineering expertise, and SIS-CTI provides decontamination and demolition services. Both businesses were honored for what they bring to LANL.