Chamber Unveils "Dream Team" to Help Members Land Government Contracts

New Jersey Chamber of Commerce has assembled a “dream team” of experts to help its members land local, state and federal government contracts – a $5 billion market in New Jersey alone.

The three experts, Henry Savelli, Michelle Hermelee and Patrick Guidotti, totaling 70 years experience in government contracting, provide hard-to-find knowledge to give business owners a competitive edge in the complex world of government procurement. “Things have dried up for many companies that have been doing business in the private sector, and they are looking to government for new business,” said Hermelee, founder of Mercerville-based BH SKY Associates. “We can help.”

For companies hungry to beef up their bottom lines, the government is the place to go. The state government puts out about $2 billion in contracts per year – and an additional $3 million in contracts are issued by the state’s 566 municipalities and 574 school districts. Further raising the stakes is the tens of millions of dollars in stimulus money New Jersey is spending over the next few years.

Still, for many business owners, public contracts remain a mystery. Many say they aren’t aware of impending projects and don’t know how to bid for the work. “Through education and training, we help them navigate the bureaucracy and the paper work,” said Savelli, president of Henry Savelli & Associates in Trenton. “ We lift the veil off it.”

The dream team members, who call themselves The Contract Connection, say just about any business can become a government contractor. Federal, state and local governments put out bids for a wide variety of goods and services, such as concrete; computer consulting; exterminating services; food; heavy machinery; janitorial services; light bulbs; office furniture; publishing services; road work; transcription services; soap; uniforms; vehicles and much more.

A free consultation with The Contract Connection, available to all business owners, will determine if companies have the potential to become government suppliers. If the business then hires The Contract Connection team as a consultant, Chamber members get a 10 percent discount on their billing rates.For a free consultation, call Kathy Anderson at (609) 771-2947, or e-mail her at kanderso@tcnj.edu. She is with the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey and is handling initial calls to The Contract Connection.