Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCAD LKE) joined the Lakehurst Small Business Roundtable for its 7th annual Industry Day on Feb. 1 at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Toms River. The event was an opportunity for leaders from the organization to highlight the importance of partnerships between the military and private industry, particularly small businesses.  

During her welcoming remarks, NAWCAD LKE Executive Director Kathleen P. Donnelly noted that NAWCAD LKE’s target for small business obligations increased from 38% to 52.5% in FY 2022, and it exceeded that target by more than 15 percent. Approximately $985 million dollars in obligations went to small businesses out of the $1.5 billion available.  

“I know I just threw a lot of numbers and percentages at you, but really what this shows is our continued commitment to working with small businesses to support the Warfighter,” Donnelly said. “I am excited to continue working together to share knowledge and find solutions. You are integral in our effort to reach our North Star to deliver the warfighting capability the fleet needs to win, at a cost we can afford.” 

Donnelly emphasized that support from small business can come in various ways, from design, development, and testing to supporting procurement, logisticians, and project managers. In addition to Donnelly, attendees at the event also heard from NAWCAD LKE representatives from Support Equipment (SE), Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE), Mission Operations and Integration, and the Prototype, Manufacturing and Test (PMT) Departments about potential future needs and opportunities.  

The Lakehurst Small Business Roundtable, a self-governed group of small business companies formed in 2014, hosted the event. The organization’s charter notes that its goal is to provide a forum “for government and industry to collaborate in order to enhance small business participation in naval aviation contracts and address small business issues and concerns.”   

Sheila Harris-Adams, regional director at the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers and chair of the NAWCAD LKE Small Business Roundtable, said the event has continued to grow, even after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to a virtual format. She said the event is a good introduction for companies looking to start or continue a partnership with the military.  

“They have to have a seat at the table, and you need to understand the rules of engagement. You need to understand what an organization like NAWCAD Lakehurst procures, how they do what they do, and find out what’s coming up,” she said. “If you’re waiting for an opportunity to hit the street, it’s too late.”  

Harris-Adams said Industry Day is just the first step in the process of NAWCAD LKE and small business working together.  

“I think at the end of the day, that commitment that NAWCAD Lakehurst has to small businesses shows in that billion-dollar number, but I think the commitment that small business has to the mission shows today as well,” she said.