BWT Lighting

This Newark, Delaware-based developer and manufacturer has been a client of the Delaware Small Business Development Assistance Center’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) since shortly after the company was founded in 2005. They first contacted the DSBDC for assistance in government contracting. With the assistance of PTAC specialist, Geoffrey Walser, James Hoelsworth, VP of Business Development, has successfully led the company from a small start-up business into an internationally recognized manufacturer.

In the last two years, BWT Lighting designed several multiple advanced navigational aids solutions under contract with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration. These contracts totaled over $1 million, with more in the pipeline.

BWT Lighting Inc. credits much of its recent contract award success to the PTAC of Delaware’s Bid Match Service. This specialized Internet search engine scans hundreds of procurement websites for matching solicitations posted by government agencies around the country and abroad. In preparing BWT’s profile for the service, PTAC specialists worked with the BWT Lighting managers to build a customized combination of keywords and product codes that would best describe the company’s offerings. The company’s BidMatch profile generated a number of specific bid leads for BWT.

Hoelsworth said “The leads were right on the mark. This was just what we needed in order to expand our business.

” One BidMatch lead, for example, prompted the company to secure a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force that developed into an initial contract award valued at over $200,000. The purpose of this agreement was to develop solid state lighting (SSL) navigational aids prototypes in support of developing the standards for the next generation of emergency airfield lighting systems for our arm forces.

Another lead through the PTAC services led the company to sign a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration to design, develop and fabricate a prototype lamp housing assembly (LHA) utilizing solid state lighting (SSL) lamp subassembly for a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) system.

BWT Lighting’s recent contracting successes with federal government agencies with the help of PTAC’s services has led to a significant growth in staffing needs. The company began with three employees when the business started in January 2005.

“The U.S. Coast Guard contracts for the development, production and testing of the SSL range lanterns alone should enable the company to have 10-12 full-time employees on board by June of 2007,” states Hoelsworth.

BWT looks forward to continued success through meeting the needs of government agencies.