2001 Press Releases

BBN Technologies Earns Federal Awards for Diversity of Suppliers

BBN Honored for Placing Work with Small Minority-Owned Businesses

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 30, 2001 — BBN Technologies has received two awards from the federal Defense Contract Management Command (DCM) in Boston for its use of minority-owned suppliers. The awards are given annually to organizations that meet or exceed their goals for placing work with small, minority-owned businesses, also known as disadvantaged businesses.

"BBN has made a commitment to seeking out all suppliers who can provide us with competitive, high quality products, supplies and contract services," said Ed Campbell, BBN vice president. "BBN's support of diversity in all aspects of our business, including whom we use for our suppliers, has been key to our success."

One award recognized that BBN more than doubled the 5 percent goal of outsourced work to small disadvantaged businesses in 2000, which represents a significant increase from outsourcing only 1.6 percent of all contracts in 1988. BBN received the second award for exceeding the 5 percent goal in using diverse suppliers for three years running.

Some of BBN's small disadvantaged suppliers include: Mill City Connections, a Lowell, Mass., computer systems firm; New England Office Supply, headquartered in Braintree, Mass.; and G.A. Blanco & Sons Inc., a general office and computer supply company located in Great Barrington, Mass.

DCM-Boston is part of the federal Eastern Defense Contract Management District, which manages over 200,000 contracts valued at more than $400 billion for the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies and foreign governments. Services include contract administration, production surveillance, engineering services, quality assurance, small business and contractor compliance, and oversight of over 10,000 contractors throughout the eastern United States, including BBN Technologies.

Captain Joel Biliouris, SC, USN, the commander at DCM-Boston, and Philip R. Varney, the assistant director of Small Business at DCM-Boston, presented the two awards to Campbell.