Team Pete small business office makes big impact on local community Published May 5, 2009 By Senior Airman Torri Larson 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 2009 Small Business Outreach Conference, Gateway to Government Contracting, brought with it networking opportunities and accolades for local small businesses. The all-day event, held April 28 at the Antler's Hilton in Colorado Springs, hosted about 400 people from small businesses, federal agencies and state and local agencies. "These events show our community that we have an active small business program. We are interested in reaching out to the community to identify capable small businesses to support our mission needs," said Reggie Selby, 21st Space Wing small business office. "The 21st SW awarded more than $200 million in contracts to small businesses in 2008. This is a testament to our support of small businesses and critical to the economic growth of our community. These small businesses provide innovative solutions to our mission requirements and at an affordable price. We depend on them for mission success and they deliver outstanding results everyday!" Peterson Air Force Base's Small Business of the Year award went to Santa Barbara Applied Research which provides logistic support for Peterson and other Air Force Space Command bases. "The 21st SW depends on more than 2,000 contractor employees supporting missions throughout the world," Mr. Selby said. "Many of these employees work for small businesses and perform crucial missions in support of the missile warning and space control operations, installation support and operations. Small businesses and the missions they perform for the wing are critical to our nation's defense." The conference was designed to identify small businesses to contract with; provide training for current small businesses; recognize small businesses of the year from Peterson, United States Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, and Space and Missile Defense Command; and provide networking opportunities for small and large businesses. "Mr. Greg Lopez, Director of the U.S Small Business Administration, Colorado District, was the keynote speaker for this event," Mr. Selby said. "His address touched on the economic challenges our country is facing, and how small businesses will pull us out of the situation, and provide the stimulus to move our country forward. He spoke about how our small businesses are the engine that drives our economy and how small businesses produce 70 percent of our country's jobs. He challenged all of us to support small businesses in our day-to-day lives, and in our government contracting roles."