Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/177117
men Win Certification as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise gives companies the edge on government contracts By Nikki Kallio photograph by Bill Kapinski, image studios W hen it comes to working with the government, it pays to toot your own horn – particularly if you are a woman and you own your manufacturing company. "When I talk to anybody government contracting-wise, I will say we are a small woman-owned business 10,000 times because we want to grasp their attention with that," says Sarah Loch, operations manager for Aurora Manufacturing in Berlin. "A lot of people, believe it or not, are searching for women-owned businesses because there are not a lot of them, especially in this niche." Aurora, which is owned by Deana Ceman and Gina Brooks, was launched in 2000 out of its sister company, Aurora Welding, which was offered more contracting work from Oshkosh Corp. than it was able take on. Aurora Manufacturing filled that need, specializing in assembly and remanufacturing as well as painting, particularly CARC (or Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) painting that is specific to government vehicles. Currently, the company is doubling capacity on its blast and paint facility, which will continued > September 2013 • / insight on manufacturing |9