Company Gets VA Certification in Record Time

An Anamosa company is better positioned to compete for government work after connecting with Julie Fagle, a government contracting specialist with the CIRAS Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

Gregory Husmann, of Husmann Development Inc., reached out to Fagle late last spring for assistance with a bid on a new Veteran Affairs (VA) clinic. Husmann is a veteran and his company, which remodels and develops commercial real estate, can compete for VA and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set-aside contracting opportunities. “First, he needed to be certified as a Veteran Owned Service Business (VOSB), and that’s a process that can take several months,” Fagle said.

“There are lots of rules and terms and paperwork,” she continued. “It’s not uncommon to wait three to six months for certification, but we were able to get it done more quickly than that. Now they’re set and they can work directly with the VA on any project that’s a good fit for them.”

Julie Fagle and her fellow PTAC counselors are approved by the VA to aid veterans who are seeking VOSB certification. She also has connections with government personnel that she leverages whenever she works with a client on certification. Her expertise and connections helped expedite Husmann’s certification.

“Without her help, I don’t think we would’ve been certified as quickly as we were,” said Carol Husmann. “She was professional and thorough, and she really helped us understand what we needed to complete and provide.”

Though Husmann was not awarded the clinic bid, the company is confident that their new standing as a VOSB will open the door to new jobs in the future.

For more information, contact Julie Fagle at jafagle@iastate.edu or 319-310-8612.