Doing Business With the Military
Main Organizations
Food Systems
Key Players
Strategies
James Fagan, Executive Director
Research and Development Associates
Fall 2010 Meeting

Value R&DA Meetings
Cost to visit all key government agencies two times and once to commercial firms:
– Travel and labor: $61,710
– Cost to attend 2 R&DA meetings annually:
– Travel , lodging , fees, labor: $9,380
– Net Savings: $ 52,330
– Face time with decision makers: priceless

Main Military Organizations
The Military Services: Army, Marines, Navy,
Air Force
Natick
DLA Troop Support
VETCOM
USDA

To provide you with an understanding of how the government does business in food, packaging, and related areas

Military Services
Approve all food & services
Verify quality
Visit users to assess
Usually first place to start
Provide funding
NO ACTION IF THEY
DISAPPROVE

Military Services
Army:
Joint Culinary Center of Excellence
Fort Lee , VA
USMC
HQ USMC
Pentagon
Washington, DC

Military Services
US Air Force US Navy
US Air Force Services
Agency
NAVSUP
Mechanicsburg, VA
San Antonio, TX

Natick: Soldier Systems Center
Conducts scientific studies
Verify contents of food
Establish many specifications
Technical experts for services
Program managers
THEIR CONCURRENCE IS ESSENTIAL
ON MOST ITEMS

NATICK
Natick Research and Development Center
Natick, MA

DLA Troop Support
Buying agents for DoD (all services)
– Rations
– Prime Vendor
– Direct Buys (reducing)
– Almost all contracting goes through DSCP
Executive Agent for Food (supports all military in a war zone)

DLA Troop Support
DLA Troop Support
Philadelphia, PA

VETCOM
Quality is their main purpose in food
– Inspect on site
– Operate evaluation laboratories
– Check items against specifications
– On site at ration producers
Keep detailed records of all key food items
Inspect establishments to supply DoD
RECOMMEND ONLY

HQs VETCOM
VETCOM
Fort Sam Houston
San Antonio, TX

USDA
Key player in rations
– Affects specifications
– Required on-site at some locations
– Accept or reject items offered to government in some situations
– Keep historical data
– Can shut down manufacturers
Ensures compliance with legal requirements

USDA
Defense Contract Inspection Service
Washington, DC

FOOD SYSTEMS
RATIONS
PRIME VENDOR
COMMISSARY
EXCHANGE
DIRECT CONTRACTS

RATIONS
MREs, UGRs, HDR, etc.
Services indicate component items
Natick ensures items are compliant
Specifications are developed
Items are tested in lab and with military
DLA-TS contracts assembly
Company delivers as DLA-TS instructs

Rations
MRE : 3 yr shelf life/3,600 calories for three meals/limited space/war stopper
UGR: Family of rations/all different shelf life/see specs/feeds 50 military
Special Rations: There is a ration for every situation
THESE ARE DISCUSSED IN
WORKGROUP

PRIME VENDOR
Background
Dining Halls get almost every item from company who wins an exclusive geographical contract with option years
Stocked items of the contract winner is basis of support
Contractor evaluated annually by DLA-TS
About $3-5 Billion annually

COMMISSARIES
Military retail food stores
$12 billion in sales
Brand name items and bulk items
HQ in Ft Lee, VA (DECA)
Very specific in procedures
Too expensive without broker

EXCHANGE SERVICES
Military “Wal-Mart type” operations
Three Exchange services: AAFES/Navy/
Marines
Over $21 billion in sales
Bureaucratic procedures and extremely competitive

Direct Government Contracts
USDA
Installations
Any government agency
Must get on bid list and comply with qualifications
Every agency has ability to buy direct

SYSTEM EXAMPLES
MRE (meal, ready to eat)
UGR (unitized group ration)
PRIME VENDOR CONTRACTS
COMMISSARIES & EXCHANGES

Meal, Ready to Eat(MRE) Items
Start with services and Natick (program manager)
Understand shelf life, nutrition, and packaging requirements
Submit for consideration: Give reasons in writing and do so repeatedly
Submit exactly what you are to provide for evaluation

MRE: Continued
Items will be field tested and evaluated
Three-year shelf life @ 80 F
If high enough scores (hedonic scale), tested by Natick in field
Time from beginning to end is 18 months
THERE IS NO GUARANTY THAT YOUR
ITEM WILL BE PRODUCED BY YOU

Unitized Group Ration (UGR):
Complete Meal for 50!
Army (JCCoE) & Natick are first steps
New menu/new item/alternate supplier
Calories/protein/cost/weight & cube
Shelf life
Samples essential for evaluation
Should partner with an assembler

UGR: Continued
Evaluations by Natick required
May need new national stock number
– Can use an existing generic description
(DSCP)
Must negotiate with assemblers
– Price competition
– Delivery on time
– Large quantities in short time frame

Prime Vendor Operations
Annual contract with up to five one-year options
Successful bidder gets exclusive contract for a geographical region
PV must discuss support with customers

Prime Vendor (Continued)
PV determines most items supplied but must meet needs of customers
Cost plus contract
Some set aside contracts
MASTER PRICE AGREEMENTS:
OCONUS CONTRACTS!!!!

Commissaries & Exchanges
Types of items
Organizational structure:
– Headquarters
– Regions
– Individual stores
Usual manufacturer requirements
– Deliver daily
– Stock shelves daily
– handle discrepancies

Commissary/Exchanges
Continued
Brokers are best method
– Already know structure and all key folks
– Have ability to: handle orders stock shelves process payment to DFAS do it all

KEY PLAYERS
GOVERNMENT
INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATIONS

Key Government Players
Military Services
– Navy: CDR Dailey
– USMC: LTC Rogers
– Army: LTC Johnson
CW4 Georgene Davis
Dave Sherriff
Rick Byrd
– Air Force: George Miller
717-605-7243
703-695-7396
804-734-3007
804-734-3072
804-734-4862
804-734-3366
210-652-2619

Key Players: VETCOM
There will be a regional veterinary command in your area
CW 3 William Warren 210-221-6510

Key Players: DSCP
HQ: CAPT. Hansen 215-737-2900
HQ: Ray Miller 215-737-2952 &
Rich Faso 215-737-2901
Rations:
– Harry Streibich
– Jim Lecollier
215-737-3820
215-737-3625

Prime Vendor
Prime Vendor:
– John Steenberge
– Joe Hauser
215-737-7445
215-737-2951

Key Players: Natick
HQ: Gerry Darsch
Rations Program
– Jeannette Kennedy
– Judy Aylward
– Sue Harrington
508-233-4402
508-233-4909
508-233-4448
508-233-4502
Poly Tray: Bob Trottier 508-233-5053
Packaging: Peter Sherman 508-233-4062
Science: Dr. Pat Dunne 508-233-5514
Specifications: Mary Caniff 508-233-4259

Natick Continued
Others:
– Betty Davis 508-233-4509

INDUSTRY KEY PLAYERS
MRE ASSEMBLERS:
– AMERIQUAL
– SOPAKCO
– WORNICK
812-421-4876
843-464-7851
513-552-7400
UNITIZED GROUP RATIONS
– LABATT FOOD SERVICE 210-661-4216
– AMERIQUAL / WORNICK

INDUSTRY CONTINUED
PRIME VENDORS
– LABATT FOOD SERVICE
– US FOOD SERVICE
– LANKFORD SYSCO
– SYSCO
– PYA MONARCH
– ** SEE DLA-TS WEBSITE
(WWW.DSCP.DLA.MIL)

ASSOCIATIONS
R&DA
WEBSITE:
210-493-8024
MILITARYFOOD.ORG

THIS IS
QUESTIONS ??????
A GOOD TIME TO ASK
QUESTIONS!!!

THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO
ASK A QUESTION!!!

CONCLUSIONS
The government marketplace is different but understandable
Get to know where your products fit
Get to the right people
Ask questions
Network
When in doubt: Ask

Email Addresses judith.marie.aylward@us.army.mil
rossie.Johnson@us.army.mil
tracey.l.brown@dla.mil
alphonzo.bryd@us.army.mil
mary.canniff@us.army.mil
thomas.daley@dla.mil
gerald.darsch@us.army.mil
betty.davis@us.army.mil

Emails 2 ddubose@sopakco.com
c.patrick.dunne@us.army.mil
jon.geisler@wornick.com
susan.harrington@us.army.mil
joseph.hauser@dla.mil
michael.hyche@wornick.com
jeannette.kennedy@us.army.mil
jknapp@ameriqual.com

Emails 3 james.lecollier@dla.mil
john.mcnulty@us.army.mil
tmacdonald@labattfood.com
richard.faso@dla.mil
michelle.j.richardson@us.army.mil
peter.sherman@us.army.mil
robert.trottier@us.army.mil