Great Openings Selected as PTAC Government Contractor of the Year
Great Openings has been manufacturing metal office furniture filing cabinets and desking products since 1966 and operates plants in Ludington and Manistee. The family-run company sells products to office furniture dealers and major office furniture contract companies like Steelcase, Trendway, and American Seating. Part of Great Opening’s sales also comes from government contracts, a market they have been in since 2005.
“When the economy goes into a recession, not necessarily the government will go into the same recession as the general economy,” said Steve Paine, Great Openings corporate principal. “It’s been a plus over the last few years to be able to have those additional sales.”
When Great Openings started doing business with the government they turned to the Northwest Michigan Procurement Technical Assistance Center to help them navigate through the government contract process. PTAC services to Great Openings have included bid matching and helping the company understand Federal Acquisition Regulations.
“They’ve also helped us with sales reporting to be able to get some baseline metrics established so that we can see how we’re doing compared to our competitors with government sales,” said Paine.
“They’ve worked with us extensively attending trainings and having private counseling to really understand how the entire process works, especially with their GSA schedule contract,” said Anne Helbig, Northwest Michigan PTAC program director.
About 10 percent of Great Opening’s business now comes from government contracts.
The company has also received the U.S. General Services Administration Evergreen Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to the environment. The work they are doing with government contracts has earned Great Openings recognition as the Northwest Michigan PTAC Government Contractor of the Year.
“I think they’re another testament to how our resources can better prepare a business to operate successfully in the government market,” said Helbig.
“Things change rapidly in the government arena and you need to stay on top of them,” said Paine. “The PTAC has done a good job of keeping us up with all of the current changes in the government.”
Related Info: Northwest Michigan Procurement Technical Assistance Center
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