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Kyrgyzstan Industry Training Symposium

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lynsie Nichols
  • 374th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  "The most important symbol of business is the handshake because when there's a handshake, there's a deal," said U.S. Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, Pamela Spratlen in her opening remarks at the Kyrgyzstan Industry Training Symposium.

The American Chamber of Commerce, Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Embassy sponsored the training symposium April 24, as an opportunity to do business with contractors in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Throughout the symposium, the audience received briefings on products that would be useful to the Transit Center and how to craft winning proposals. There were also multiple rooms set up where local contractors could set up booths to showcase their products they had to offer and answer questions.

The Transit Center places special emphasis on acquiring food and services from local vendors to boost the Kyrgyz economy.

"We want to build our bilateral partnership. We care about cooperation between the U.S. and Kyrgyz Republic," Spratlen said. "We are celebrating 20 years of a robust and dynamic partnership that is growing. Along with expanding our cooperation in general, the deepening of trade ties between our two countries is logical and will serve to strengthen our overall relationship in the future."

During the past 10 years, local businesses have seen an increase in sales from Transit Center contracts. On a daily basis, 6,000 copies of Stars and Stripes are printed in Bishkek for distribution to the service members at the Transit Center; and every month, the Transit Center purchases $200,000 worth of water from the local Coca-Cola plant.

"I know the Transit Center wants to take advantage of the commercial opportunities here by working hard to ensure that it purchases as many products and services from local vendors," Spratan said. "The purchases bring jobs and investments to the Kyrgyz republic and it is our hope that through efforts like this symposium today, the U.S. will be able to acquire even more goods and services for the Transit Center and their international operations in Afghanistan."

Among the briefers was Lt. Col. Mark Graham, a representative for Department of Defense Logistics Agency, a $41.8 billion global enterprise, whose mission statement is to provide the best value integrated logistics solutions to America's armed forces and other designated customers.

"We have to get the right item to the right person at the right time," Graham said. "It's all about building the alliances to make this happen. We look for relationships, not just a one-time deal."

The DLA purchases 100 percent of fuels, food, construction materials, clothing and medical supplies from the local area. The criteria they search for when purchasing products is pricing, delivery cost and timeline, quality based on solicitation requirements and capacity.

Mira Zumvald, a local business woman who attended the symposium three years ago, felt that the event was helpful.

"I had a business in 1998 but had to stop in 2007 because of family issues," she said. "I attended this event in 2009 and was able to get information to renew my business."

In the three years since she attended, Zumvald's business has grown and she sells her goods at the Transit Center Bazaar two times a month.

Senior Airman Bryce Pagel, 376th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron services contracting officer, is on his first deployment from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. This is the first symposium he has attended.

"We're here to establish a face-to-face relationship with the local community. It's important because it's easy to become distant with what you're accomplishing when you sit behind a desk," he said. "We [want to continue to build] business and personal relationships, so we can demonstrate to the local populous that we're hoping to stimulate their economy [through these contracts]."

He feels that the event went very well and that strong partnerships were built.

"I think today's event did a lot of good. We had a lot of opportunities to talk with vendors from the local area," he said. "It helps their business so much more than they could expect. There is so much opportunity for them here."

For a first time experience, Pagel truly felt rewarded in knowing he was making an impact on the local Kyrgyz community.

"There is something special about knowing you're directly affecting someone's life. This isn't just a piece of paper, this is someone's business, something they have put their time and love into," he said. "I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to affect not just the business relationship but that personal bond and the personal lives of people in the local community."