LIVE from Small Business Week: National Subcontractor of the Year

The Procurement Awards Breakfast just finished here at Small Business Week.  We caught up with Pat Khamken of J&P Khamken Industries, who just won the National Subcontractor of the Year award.  Pat and his brother Jack arrived in the U.S. as refugees from Laos at the end of the Vietnam War.  Their company is enrolled in SBA's 8(a) program, and since 2000 they've grown to 45 employees.  Here's what Pat had to say:

How do feel about winning this award?  Did you have any idea you were going to win?

I'm very excited about winning.  I had no idea.

What does your business do?

We manufacture missile containers for Raytheon and [work with other major defense] contractors.  We also make gun parts for the military.

What else are you doing during Small Business Week?

We have been talking and networking with other small business owners, and letting them know that we are ready to grow.  Our goal is to take [what started in 2000 as a] two man business and turn it into $100 million company.

What's your advice for other subcontractors out there?

Never give up.  That's the advice SBA gave to us.  It took us five years before we got in.  Knock the doors down, if you can't do it with both hands, get somebody else to help.