Louisville District leadership holds annual open house

Published Feb. 5, 2019

The Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District held an open house Jan. 31 at the Marriott Hotel, downtown Louisville.


The event included presentations by district leaders followed by an open networking session where attendees could talk individually to the district’s contracting officials and senior staff. 


Louisville District Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Kevin Lewis welcomed the group which included contractors who could potentially do work to support the Louisville District missions.


Louisville District Commander Col. Antoinette Gant was the first presenter and shared the vision and mission of USACE and discussed the importance of collaboration and partnering.


“The Corps’ foundation is strong, and the vision is clear, but we need our stakeholders and contractors as partners in the collective mission of not only the Louisville District, but also the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division and the Corps worldwide,” Gant said. 


Following Gant’s presentation, Cristie Mitchell, Military Project Management Branch chief, gave an overview of the district’s military programs including project updates, programmatic funding outlook and future contracting opportunities. Mitchell also talked about investing in each other to create relationships and build a partnership.  


“Delivering on our commitments is just so important,” Mitchell said. “We are excited to partner with you to deliver these projects.”


Deputy for Small Business Crystal Harbin and other presenters emphasized that doing business with the Corps requires pre-planning and provided tips for contractors. 


“Tailor your proposal for the project you are putting in for,” said Contracting Reserve Branch Chief, Chris Brackett. 


“When places have industry days - go,” Harbin said. “Networking is so important.”


Although projects are advertised on the Federal Business Opportunities website, Harbin also explained all active contracts are listed on the Louisville District website, which is a great resource when searching for potential subcontracting opportunities.  


Other presentations included veteran affairs, operations, civil works and architect-engineering opportunities. 


“I look forward to our open house every year,” said Harbin. “It’s a great opportunity to network with firms that have current contracts with us and make connections with new firms that are pursuing work. Being able to provide information on our upcoming opportunities allows us to partner with industry earlier in the acquisition process which has proven to be a win-win situation for everyone. Delivering the program is vital and events such as this ensure we stay on the path towards success.”


Approximately 300 businesspeople attended the event.