With in the next 120 days the company will become an Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) certified contractor. The program, operated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, encourages economic development of small businesses in historically underutilized business zones, AST said. To be eligible for certification, a company’s primary office must be located in an underutilized zone, 35 percent of employees must live in that zone and a majority interest in the company must be owned by a U.S. citizen, a community development corporation, an Indian tribe or an agricultural cooperative. The program anticipates three percent of all spending for federal contracts will be awarded to HUBZone contractors.
The additional space allows the company to meet the growing demand for its products and services and its expansion into new markets. By becoming an Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) certified contractor, AST hope to win additional federal work, which will mean federal dollars for the Southern California economy.
“Our expanded facility offers the space needed to increase our inventory and production as well as develop newly innovated products such as our Armored Shield™ and Armored SPON™ product suites. Our mission as a totally green environmental network solution is to focus on modernization – going beyond just putting a label on cost savings," said Chris Badinelli, AST chief executive officer. “Our recent move and soon HUBZone certification are good indicators for the area and industry that a small business is growing and moving forward.”
