June 7, 2007 - Baltimore, MD

Congressman Cummings Declares Bonding A Key Resource For BRAC Contracts

Karen Barbour, president, The Barbour Group (TBG) was invited by The Office of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, 7th District, Maryland, to participate as a bonding expert in the “BRAC & Your Bottom Line” business conference held June 7, 2007 at University of Maryland Health Science Center in Baltimore.

The conference, organized by the Maryland Small Business Development Center Network and the Procurement Technical Assistance Program, drew over 500 attendees and was devoted to helping small business gain access to the resources and information needed to participate in Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) business opportunities.

In his opening remarks, Congressman Cummings acknowledged that “bonding often prevents firms from obtaining [state and federal] contracts.” The congressman urged business owners to act now and prequalify their firms for bonding prior to the rush of BRAC contracts anticipated to be let in 2008 and beyond.

“BRAC will significantly impact Maryland’s infrastructure and the Federal Bases located in our State bringing with it large amounts of renovation and new construction work” says Barbour. “Firms seeking publicly funded contracts greater than $100,000, by law, will need to bond these contracts.”