Life After Murtha: Johnstown sets government procurement workshop

As the Johnstown region moves into life after John Murtha, the defense-related boom that the late Congressman ignited in the region attempts to continue its momentum. It’s getting a boost June 2, when an additional 10 government agencies will attend the third annual Government Procurement Expo sponsored by the Johnstown Area Regional Industries.

Small businesses are guaranteed fifteen minutes of face time each with over two dozen prospective buyers, including Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Picatinny, NAVSUP, Pennsylvania Department of General Services, and almost 20 more buying agencies. Attending the three-year-old event for the first time are the Tobyhanna and Picatinny (NNJ) Army Depots.

Why the buzz? “Word of mouth about the quality of the event has gotten around,” says JARI’s Bob Shark. “We’ve had good feedback.”

The half-day event matches companies with appropriate agencies based on NAICS codes and key words. “We set up one on one times so there are no distractions,” says Shark. AFter the one on ones, businesses are invited to network informally with participants.

Welcoming participants will be Dan DeVos, retired CEO of Johnstown’s Concurrent Technologies, a major defense player. DeVos chairs JARI’s Defense Business Council.

Registration for the event, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Frank J. Pasquirella Conference Center, is $50 per person. Last year’s event attracted 120 local firms.

Source: Bob Shark, Johnstown Area Regional Industries
Writer: Chris O’Toole