see also: in September 2003:   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Nabs Three Sisters Smuggling Cocaine, Heroin   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Names Directors of 78 Major Ports Nationwide   CBP Inspectors Make Another Record Heroin Seizure at El Paso Port   CBP Inspectors Seize $268,936 in Eagle Pass; Husband, Wife Arrested   CBP Inspectors Find Heroin in Teddy Bear   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Dedicates New Office Space in Newark, New Jersey ...more on cbp.gov:   Press Officers   CBP News Releases

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Washington, D.C.- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) signed a $500,000,000 contract today with Chenega Technology Services Corporation (CTSC), an 8(a) tribally owned Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC). This is the largest contract award made by a civilian agency to an 8(a) contractor (or Small Disadvantaged Business), in the 50-year history of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Terry Grimm, Director of Contracts for Chenega Technology Services Corporation, and Linda L. Guinn, Contracting Officer for Customs and Border Protection, sign the $500,000,000 contract agreement.

CTSC will be the prime contractor/business partner responsible for implementing the CBP National Enforcement Equipment Maintenance and Repair Activity and Field Operations Support. CTSC will ensure that the inspection devices used at our ports of entry are properly maintained and the individuals operating them are thoroughly trained.

"CBP has deployed almost 12,000 technically complex and high value inspection devices throughout the land border crossings, airports, and seaports of the United States to enhance our priority mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our country," said Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection." These devices are used daily by our law enforcement officers and are critical to the security of the United States. This contract will ensure that the devices are properly maintained for the CBP Officers working to facilitate the flow of legitimate travelers and cargo across our borders."

These devices, employing a variety of technologies, are tools to enforce compliance with all U.S. laws associated with persons and goods entering and leaving the country. The end user of the devices is the uniformed CBP Officer and the devices themselves are categorized as crew-served and individual. Crew-served devices require more than one operator, individual devices require only one operator. The high technology enforcement equipment (HTEE) devices were manufactured by companies such as SAIC, AS&E, CSECO, Rapiscan, Olympus, Leica, etc. Maintenance is currently provided by the original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) for their respective products via a variety of contractual instruments and by ten technical support contractors in field locations.

The individuals attending the contract signing from Chenega are: Robert M. Bowe, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer and Terry Grimm, Director of Contracts. Attending the ceremony from the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) include Charles M. Mayer, Acting Executive Director, Applied Technology Division; Dudley L. Prisel, Director, Technology Support Branch; Bobbi Walker, Business Contracting Officer's Technical Representative; and Jose Ponce, National Enforcement Equipment Maintenance and Repair Team Leader. Attending from the Office of Finance (OF), are: John E. Eichelberger, Assistant Commissioner, OF; Janice L. Hill, Acting Executive Director, Procurement; Andrea P. Wood, Director, Modernization Contracts Division; Anthony D. Harvin, Chief, Technology Section; Linda L. Guinn, Contracting Officer; and William Bickelman, Small Business Specialist. Also in attendance will be David Contraris, SBA External Affairs Coordinator.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a new agency within the Department of Homeland Security that unifies U.S. Customs, Immigration and Agriculture inspectors and the Border Patrol.