Success Story: SBI General & Mechanical, Inc.

Tucked away in the hills of Northeast Nebraska is Waterbury, Nebraska, population 95. As you leave US Highway 20 at the west edge of town and continue down the hill, you’ll find SBI General & Mechanical, Inc., a small construction firm that specializes in constructing the piping for ethanol and meat processing plants. The principals of the firm are Gerald Steward, Steve Stewart and Eddie Seneviratne.

Currently, only five percent of SBI General & Mechanical’s business is conducted in Nebraska. Most of the time the company is working on construction projects elsewhere in the Midwest. Growing the business in a somewhat stagnant construction market, and in particularly in Nebraska, meant looking for other customers, and so the partners decided the government marketplace might be another avenue to growth. The firm wanted to grow its business so it could retain qualified employees on a year-round basis and offer them benefits that are typically offered by larger companies.

Mr. Seneviratne called PTAC consultant Mary Graff and they met on July 7 th. During the course of their discussion on how to do business with the government, Mr. Seneviratne briefed Ms. Graff on the type of work the firm was most capable of doing and what he and his partners wanted to pursue.

Ms. Graff left the paperwork with Mr. Seneviratne and encouraged him to complete and return it to her as soon as possible.

Six days later, on July 13 th, Ms. Graff e-mailed Mr. Seneviratne a bid opportunity, issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha, for rehabbing the HVAC system at the Gavins Point Dam power plant in Nebraska. The firm’s administrative assistant, Carol Carlson responded to Ms.Graff that the firm wanted to bid on this project. Ms. Graff gave Ms. Carlson instructions on how to gain access to the solicitation, which was available only through registration on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District website. Steve Stewart followed through with completing the solicitation document, while Mr. Seneviratne was charged with completing the Online Representations & Certifications (ORCA). Mr. Seneviratne called Ms. Graff with questions about completing the Online Representations & Certifications, since it was a requirement of the contract. Mr. Seneviratne told Ms. Graff he would be hand-carrying his bid to Omaha to submit it and would be present for the bid opening. On August 24th, Mr. Seneviratne called Ms. Graff to say SBI General & Mechanical had been the low bidder at the bid opening, and they were awaiting information from the Army Corps.

SBI General & Mechanical was in negotiation for this contract award when some unexpected problems arose in sourcing parts that would affect the completion of the project. On September 2 nd, Mr. Seneviratne called Ms. Graff and asked if she had any suggestions for dealing with these issues prior to their signing the contract. He was adamant that the firm wanted to take on the project, but he and his partners wanted to be sure they could complete it by the deadline specified in the contract so as not to incur any penalties for late completion. Ms. Graff and Mr. Seneviratne discussed it and later in the day when they spoke again, Mr. Seneviratne said he and Steve Stewart had decided on a course of action which would allow them to complete the project on time, despite the supplier issues that were at the root of the problem.

On September 7 th, exactly two months from the day when Mr. Seneviratne and Ms. Graff first met, SBI General & Mechanical was awarded a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for $963,828. A nearly million dollar contract is a big boost for a small firm in a small town, and the partners were jubilant to have been awarded this contract because it would not only help them grow their business, but it also would open doors for them in future contracting opportunities with the government.

Mr. Seneviratne enthusiastically praises the efforts of Ms. Graff in helping them find this and other opportunities on which they might bid, saying, “We’ve never had anyone help us so much.”