SRNS Small Business Opportunity Day Drives Partnerships; 400 Attendees

Since 2018, SRS has been tasked with establishing the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) and revitalizing the nation's pit production capability, key to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) nuclear stockpile sustainment strategy. As SRNS enters a new era of national defense capabilities while maintaining enduring Environmental Management missions, it is essential to build a broad ecosystem of small businesses, diverse suppliers, and industry partners to address the scale and complexity of projects.

Jay Johnson, SRNS Deputy Senior Vice President of Business Services and Chief Contracting Officer, welcomes 400 attendees to the SRNS Small Business Opportunity Day at the DoubleTree by Hilton Augusta.

During his opening remarks, Jay Johnson, Deputy Senior Vice President of Business Services and Chief Contracting Officer, said, “We are entering a new era with historic levels of activity. Some areas are experiencing gradual increases, while others are seeing steep growth. There's a lot of work to go around, requiring innovation, resources, and new capabilities. These efforts create a huge demand for procurement and supply chain solutions across all levels, from advanced construction services to everyday business services. Together, we can achieve what no single organization can accomplish alone."

The event fostered meaningful connections between small businesses, diverse suppliers, and leading procurement stakeholders. Attendees met directly with department leads of key mission areas at the Savannah River Site.

Supply Chain Strategists Jana Chavous and Rachel Boyd organized the event, noting that some attendees traveled from as far as New York and Washington to explore partnership opportunities with SRNS—primarily supporting infrastructure, information technology, machining, warehousing, classified storage, engineering and administrative buildings.

“Meaningful one-on-one conversations allowed our internal teams to share upcoming procurement opportunities while learning about the innovative solutions small businesses bring to the table,” said Chavous. “This level of direct engagement strengthens our supply chain, fosters collaboration, and supports SRNS’ mission of delivering safe, efficient operations for DOE and NNSA.”

Boyd added, “Small businesses are integral problem-solvers and innovators who help SRNS stay responsive. I’m deeply inspired by what I witnessed today. This event created long-lasting partnerships and strengthened the bridge between small businesses and the Site’s enduring missions that keep our nation secure.”

Keynote speaker Freddie Grimm, Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Integration, emphasized the need for trusted partners to advance the nation's nuclear defense missions and scale manufacturing and infrastructure capabilities.

“There is a national need right in our backyard," said Grimm. "NNSA is pushing a sense of urgency, and we have heard this message loud and clear. We cannot self-manage and self-perform this amount of work. Through strategic planning initiatives, we are identifying new scopes, securing appropriate funding, and working with each contractor to connect with local businesses to exceed project delivery."

Edward Littrell, Glory Professional Facility Services intern, found the event to be invaluable for ensuring compliance and identifying specific project needs. "As a professional facility maintenance company, wecover everything from gate guard services to landscaping, janitorial supplies, and data center maintenance, including servers,” said Littrell. “Today was particularly insightful as we engaged with key department heads, helping us recognize the significant demands at SRNS. As a women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, we are ready to make an impactful contribution."

Erik Vogeley, Senior Vice President of Operations at Spectra Tech Inc., said, “Our capabilities with small engineering projects have expanded significantly. We hold staff augmentation basic order agreements, with key personnel supporting SRNS’ Nuclear Safety and Information Technology departments. We already have a Supply Chain Management Center contract for preliminary design work, making us well- equipped to contribute effectively to SRS missions. My focus today was on networking, and it's great to see such a diverse group from SRNS here. We aim to extend our engineering support based on our experience at Y-12 National Security Complex and Pantex, particularly in infrastructure planning."

Visit the SRNS Supplier Portal to express interest in partnering with SRNS or contact supplier-outreach@srs.gov for more information.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor and HII partnership company, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, located near Aiken, South Carolina.