LOCKHEED MARTIN HOSTS NATIVE AMERICAN PROCUREMENT CONFERENCE
NEW ORLEANS, LA., 17-AUG-00 -- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company -- Michoud Operations recently sponsored a Native American procurement conference in an effort to expand its supplier base. Fifty-two attendees representing 35 Native American businesses from around the country participated in the July 20 conference at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
The conference is believed to be the first of its kind in support of the NASA Space Shuttle program. Lockheed Martin designs and assembles the external propellant tank, the only non-reusable major shuttle component.
Suppliers met with buyers to learn how Lockheed Martin’s purchasing system works and about the products and services that the corporation buys. The Native American businesses represented at the conference included industries such as metal works, tooling and manufacturing operations.
“These types of conferences are a real benefit because it gets the information back to people like myself and those who go back to their tribes,” said Pat Arnould, deputy director, Louisiana Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs, and a member of the Houma tribe.
“We added all 35 firms who attended the conference to Lockheed Martin’s bid list,” said Earl McConnell, director, Materiel Sourcing. “Within a week of the conference, we were able to place some business with several Native American firms, and that’s a good start.”
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company -- Michoud Operations designs and assembles large aluminum and composite structures for aerospace and other applications, including the Space Shuttle External Tank and the X-33 technology demonstration vehicle.
