CullmanTimes.com - Cullman, Alabama

Top News

Related Photos

  • David Guy, with Marshall Space Flight Center, speaks with a local business owner on Wednesday at the Federal Business Connections Conference, hosted at Wallace State Community College. Trent Moore

    Local businesses participate in federal networking seminar

Discussion

December 3, 2009

Local businesses participate in federal networking seminar

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times

HANCEVILLE — Greg Aldridge, with corrugated manufacturer Rusken Packaging, spent Wednesday morning networking in hopes of adding some major contracts in the future.

“This was invaluable,” Aldridge said. “We made some really good contacts here for our company.”

Aldridge was among more than 300 business representatives on hand Wednesday at the Federal Business Connections Conference, held at Wallace State Community College.

The event — hosted by Rep. Robert Aderholt’s office — offered local business owners information on how to sell their products to government agencies and contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, the Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal and others.

“All of these companies have their arms wide open, trying to embrace and help the small-town businesses,” Aldridge said. “They’re breaking everything down for us really well. Thanks a lot to Aderholt’s office for hosting it.”

Russ Elrod, with Arab Cartage and Express trucking, said the conference helped simplify the sometimes complicated procedures involved when working with the government.

“It was definitely a help,” he said. “Working with government contractors is a very in-depth process, so we made a lot of contacts that should help us with that.”

Though he likely won’t receive any government contracts, Reeves and Sons tree service owner Dennis Reeves said he did meet some other businesses that could use his services.

“Demolition and tree service doesn’t seem to be a big thing with NASA,” he said with a laugh. “But, I did get in touch with some independent folks about some work. This was a really good event.”

Rep. Aderholt said community interest in the event exceeded his already high expectations.

“We had a lot more people than we anticipated come out and participate,” he said. “We want to make small businesses aware of opportunities where they can partner with these companies that contract their work out and work with smaller businesses.”

Cullman Economic Development Agency project coordinator Susan Eller said the feedback she has received from local business owners has been extraordinary.

“One lady I talked with said she had been interested in pursuing a government contract and the information provided was a great help to her,” she said. “We could not have done this without Congressman Aderholt’s support. It was a great partnership.”

Considering the large turnout Wednesday, Aderholt said he hopes to hold similar meetings in the future.



 * Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

Text Only
Top News
  • NARCOG board stalls in effort to revise bylaws

    No action was taken on the revisions of the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Government’s (NARCOG) bylaws during an emergency meeting Friday morning.

    February 4, 2012

  • FAA bill should provide airport funding for next 4 years

    A new federal bill should provide a stable source of funding for airports nationwide, and local officials are excited about what it could mean for the Cullman Regional Airport.

    February 4, 2012

  • County commission moves to resolve chronic water issue at Harmony School

    The Cullman County Commission signed off on a pair of upgrades to the county’s water infrastructure at its regular meeting, both intended to finally solve a chronic lack of adequate water pressure at Harmony School.

    February 3, 2012

  • audi.jpg Sneak peek at this year's hottest Super Bowl ads

    The Super Bowl is a must-watch TV event, if not for the outcome of the biggest football game of the year, then at least for the multi-million dollar commercials that run throughout. And this year’s buzzworthy spots include celebrity appearances, homages to movies and lots of humor.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • Jerry Waters Waters enters race for circuit clerk as Democrat

    Local businessman and lifelong Cullman County resident Jerry Mack Waters has announced he will seek the office of Cullman County circuit clerk as the Democratic nominee in the November general election.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • NARCOG to revisit bylaws, address personnel issue

    An emergency meeting is scheduled this morning at the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments office in Decatur to discuss the revision of the organization’s bylaws and a personnel issue.

    February 3, 2012

  • WSCC breaks ground on new nursing center ‘Crown jewel’: WSCC breaks ground on new nursing center

    Not even a tornado that wrecked nearly half the buildings on campus could keep Wallace State down for long.

    February 2, 2012 2 Photos

  • Steve Cummings Cummings enters race for circuit clerk

    Local businessman Steve Cummings has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for Cullman County circuit clerk in the March 13 primary election.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • City to form 10-year plan Good Hope embarks on effort to form 10-year plan

    The city of Good Hope has three months to form a clearer picture of what it wants to become over the next 10 years.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • ‘One person at a time’ ‘One person at a time’

    As the old adage goes: Every vote counts. The Cullman County Board of Education kicked off the first of a dozen community meetings about the proposed countywide half-cent sales tax for education Tuesday night to a relatively sparse crowd at the central office.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo