Seven local businesses receive UCOR 2020 small business awards

Chris Stokes Tellico Electric	Jason Watson Premier Contracting & Technical Services	Mike Russell Steel Plate LLC	Ginny Stiltner Lynx Supply
Pat Bisese Street Legal Industries	Jim Ownby Southeast Equipment Sales	Mike Wasson Workplace Solutions

OAK RIDGE, TN — Seven local small businesses have been recognized for their exceptional support of UCOR and its mission to support DOE’s cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation, and especially the completion of the cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park. UCOR recognized the 2020 awardees at a ceremony that exemplifies the times, a hybrid event that was primarily virtual, but with a small, socially-distanced, in-person event.

UCOR promotes strong partnerships with each of its subcontractors. Each of this year’s awardees provides outstanding responsiveness and extraordinary customer service. Thanks to the partnership of these and our other subcontractors, UCOR has been able to complete cleanup of the East Tennessee Technology Park ahead of schedule and under budget.

UCOR consistently exceeds the small business subcontracting goals set by the Department of Energy. Since 2011, UCOR has subcontracted more nearly $1.5 billion of its work, with 82 percent of that going to small businesses. “We are so proud of these awardees,” said Freda Hopper Boyd, UCOR Small Business Program manager. “Each of them is a valued partner who plays a key role in our mission success.”

Ken Rueter, UCOR president and chief executive officer, emphasized the importance of UCOR working in partnership with its small business subcontractors. “We depend on our subcontractors to help us achieve our commitments to DOE. Each of these awardees has proven their commitment to our mission time and again through exceptional support. By partnering with small businesses, we are able to be a more diverse and innovate team. Their willingness to go above and beyond has allowed us to move the cleanup schedule ahead by four years.”

The seven small business subcontractors were honored at an awards breakfast held in Oak Ridge on Wednesday, August 26. The ceremony included comments from Jay Mullis, manager of the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, and Rueter.


The businesses recognized are:

• Small Business of the Year: Workspace Solutions Inc., a Knoxville-based full-service office furniture company providing design, sales, installation and ongoing service.

• Small Business of the Year: Tellico Electric Inc., a full-service electrical contractor in Lenoir City that is focused on heavy industrial and plant work.

• Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year: Steel Plate LLC/Knoxville Sheet Metal Works Inc., a Knoxville-based company with over 90 years of experience in certified welding and metal fabrication.

• HUBZone Small Business of the Year: Street Legal Industries, Inc., an Oak Ridge-based business that provides Professional Infrastructure Support Services to federal and commercial entities.

• Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Lynx Supply, Inc., a small, woman-owned nuclear and industrial safety supply company based in Oak Ridge.

• Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: Southeast Equipment Sales, a locally-owned company that specializes in construction machinery and equipment rentals, including hard-to-find equipment.

• Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: Premier Contracting & Technical Services Inc., an Oak Ridge-based business that supplies hard-to-find large equipment as well as industrial and office supplies.


UCOR, an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, is the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s lead environmental cleanup partner. Since August 2011, UCOR has worked to reduce environmental risk by cleaning up legacy facilities from the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, allowing DOE to repurpose the land and buildings for use as a multi-purpose industrial park, national park, and conservation area. The company is also cleaning up contaminated facilities that are no longer in use at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, reducing environmental risk and helping the DOE Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration to continue their missions.

Published September 10, 2020