Surveillance equipment provided by an Iowa company and one of its client partners helps address a poaching problem happening at state parks in Hawaii.
BizReps, located in Davenport, and two partners recently delivered solar-powered surveillance equipment to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in Maui. The equipment captures illegal activity and information on suspected poachers, such as license plate numbers. BizReps found the opportunity through BidMatch, a customized bid-matching service the CIRAS APEX program offers clients.
“The department needed to replace their current equipment,” said Tim Woods, a managing partner with BizReps. “They wanted surveillance cameras that could withstand a saltwater environment and push information to the cloud to monitor the equipment remotely. That is not unlike something we are doing in another industry. So, we started with that and made the changes this client needed.”
BizReps is a sales agency specializing in renewable, sustainable products and systems. They worked with two partners on the Hawaii project: Solar Research Technologies, LLC, which made the equipment, and Silver Linings Technology, which manages the connectivity.
With the support of Samantha Ferm-LeClere, APEX government contracting specialist, BizReps is taking steps to make other government agencies aware of their product.
“We’ve talked about connecting with potential buyers through trade shows and conferences,” said Ferm-LeClere. “Tour market research showed several potential opportunities for them. Our focus is to help them grow their past performance at the state level so they will be positioned well for federal work.”
Woods connected with a Michigan Department of Natural Resources representative at a recent trade show in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They are interested in using the BizReps system to observe ice flow at 19 harbors. The surveillance system would significantly reduce the time DNR personnel drive from harbor to harbor.
“Without Samantha’s help—from getting us certified for government contracting to helping with our capabilities statement—we would’ve missed some great opportunities,” said Woods. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that we connected with CIRAS.”
For more information, contact Samantha Ferm-LeClere at siferm@iastate.edu or 319-333-9558.