New York’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) Program has 900 certified SDVOBs now active, a figure the state considers a “significant milestone.” That’s according to New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner RoAnn Destito, who made the announcement Sept. 2 while visiting the New York State Fair in Geddes. “New York State recognizes the important contributions […]
New York’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) Program has 900 certified SDVOBs now active, a figure the state considers a “significant milestone.”
That’s according to New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner RoAnn Destito, who made the announcement Sept. 2 while visiting the New York State Fair in Geddes.
“New York State recognizes the important contributions our veterans make every day to our country. This program honors our service-disabled veterans by offering opportunities to grow their businesses. This wonderful achievement proves that SDVOBs are a growing force in New York State’s economy,” Destito said.
She noted that the program reached the 900 figure with the latest 15 businesses that were recently certified as SDVOBs.
Some of the newest businesses certified as SDVOBs include Vee Management LLC, a management consulting firm located in Syracuse; Matthew Grant Jubelt, Attorney & Counselor at Law, located in Cazenovia; Paro Brothers Construction Services, located in Gloversville; and M&P Engineering and Land Surveying, PLLC, which specializes in engineering and surveying and is in Skaneateles, OGS said.
The owners of two state-certified SDVOBs joined Destito for the State Fair announcement, along with Ken Williams, executive director of the Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development.
The local SDVOB owners included Tony Baird, owner of Tony Baird Electronics Inc. in Syracuse and Christopher Geherin, owner of Builder’s Choice Lumber Co. in Auburn.
Besides certification as an SDVOB, Baird’s company is also a minority-owned business that was established to support the inner-city community. Tony Baird Electronics has three main divisions: custom cable and wire-harness assemblies; audio-visual installation and distribution; and its largest division, distribution, OGS said.
Builder’s Choice Lumber is a supplier of lumber, doors, windows, and building materials of all types for residential and commercial work. Geherin’s company was already doing business on a state contract and was seeking additional opportunities when it became one of the first 100 companies to receive its SDVOB certification. OGS noted.
About SDVOB certification
The Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development was created within OGS following the enactment of The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act, which was signed into law on May 12, 2014.
The law allows eligible business owners to get certified as an SDVOB and encourages and supports eligible SDVOBs to play a greater role in the state’s economy by increasing their participation in the state’s contracting opportunities.
The legislation promotes and encourages participation of service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in New York’s public procurements of public works, commodities, services, and technology. The law established a 6 percent participation goal for SDVOBs on state contracts, OGS said.
State agencies’ utilization of SDVOBs has grown from about $16 million in payments to certified companies in 2016 to nearly $150 million in 2020 and is on track to reach about $170 million by the end of the current fiscal year, according to OGS.
A searchable, web-based directory of New York State-certified service-disabled veteran-owned businesses is available on the OGS website, allowing state agencies as well as private-sector companies and the public to search more easily for and find SDVOBs based on their location and the services, commodities, or technology they provide.
The directory, along with more information about the program and the certification process, can be found at www.ogs.ny.gov — in the “Do Business With OGS” tab.