Laboratory hosting business town hall meeting today in Santa Fe

Contact: Steve Sandoval, steves@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9206 (03-083)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., June 24, 2003 -- Los Alamos National Laboratory is hosting a town-hall meeting today in Santa Fe to hear input from area business owners about how the Laboratory can continue to improve its business practices and better assist regional businesses.

The "Laboratory Better Business Practices" town-hall meeting is from 5 to 7 p.m. in Sweeney Convention Center on West Marcy Street in downtown Santa Fe. There is ample parking in a nearby public parking lot.

The meeting is part of Los Alamos' ongoing business practices improvement effort begun earlier this year. Included in that effort has been a restructuring of Los Alamos' Business Operations Division and the creation of two new Laboratory business organizations.

"It is important that we gain first-hand feedback from you so that we can further improve the way we do business," Richard Marquez, Los Alamos' associate director for administration said. "Improved vendor relationships and communication must be a central part of our future business model. That includes meaningful opportunities for small, disadvantaged and minority business.

"The end result of this gathering, I believe, will be an improved business practices model that will enhance [the Laboratory's] business capabilities, help us to better understand and meet [Los Alamos'] customer requirements, and provide the Laboratory with the flexibility it needs to meet the business challenges ahead," Marquez continued.

The Laboratory's Community Relations Office mailed letters to more than 2,400 business associates in New Mexico inviting them to attend the meeting. Individuals who plan to attend should contact the Community Relations Office by 5 p.m., June 20, at 665-4400 or toll free 1-888-841-8256.

Los Alamos last fiscal year purchased nearly $1 billion in goods and services, $618 million of which was from New Mexico businesses; $458.4 million were in purchases from Northern New Mexico businesses, according to Los Alamos' Business Operations Division.

The Laboratory's Small Business Program Office also actively engages in outreach efforts, such as trade fairs and workshops, to acquaint Laboratory procurement officers with small-business owners, and the services and products they can offer, and to inform business owners of procurement opportunities at the Laboratory.

Los Alamos' Small Business Office Web page has additional information; it can be found at sbo.lanl.gov online. Business owners also can learn more about Laboratory business outreach efforts and procurement opportunities by writing to sbo@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

For more information about the business town-hall meeting, contact Christina Armijo or Johnnie Martinez in the Community Relations Office at 665-4400.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, developing technical solutions to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.