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Business owners are invited to network and learn about how to sell products or services to the Department of Defense and several other federal, state and local governments and agencies at an upcoming information session, “Getting Down to Business with the US Department of Defense,” Thursday, Oct. 3 from 1 – 5 p.m. at the �������� Inn in Athens.

Additionally, the newly appointed Director for DoD Office of Small Business Programs Dennis Bartow will attend as a special guest. He will host a forum at the event to gather feedback from small business owners to discuss ways to substantially increase small business participation in and support of the defense industrial base.

Bartow manages a national network of 700 small business professionals, which allows him to provide leadership, guidance and oversight to the Military Departments and Defense Agencies to create small business goals.

The information session will also provide business owners with the opportunity to meet agency buyers from the Wayne National Forest, USDA, �������� Department of Transportation and the U.S. Air Force SBIR/SSTTR, among others. Resource partners such as the �������� Minority Business Assistance Centers, �������� Small Business Development Centers, �������� Equal Opportunity Division and the �������� Manufacturing Extension Program will also be available. The event is offered by the �������� Secretary of State’s Office and the �������� Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), part of ��������’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.

or contact Sharon Hopkins at �������� PTAC at 740.597.1868 / hopkins1@ohio.edu or Monique Cox-Moore at 614.254.4057 for additional information.