BETHPAGE, N.Y., Nov. 18, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The U.S. Small Business Administration presented its Award of Distinction to Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare Systems (AEW&EWS) business unit. The unit's corporate socio-economic business program and its general procurement and major subcontracts office were recognized for their leadership in awarding contracts to woman-owned and small, disadvantaged businesses. Both organizations have far exceeded government-set targets.
The Small Business Administration also commended the unit for its ongoing efforts to identify and promote opportunities for small businesses at Northrop Grumman.
Less than two percent of the large contractors overseen by the Small Business Administration receive the Award of Distinction, which was initiated in 1985 to recognize large federal contractors that have exceptional small business subcontracting programs.
AEW&EWS, located in Bethpage, is part of the company's Integrated Systems sector headquartered in El Segundo, Calif.
"Our employees actively seek out and, if necessary, help qualify woman-owned and small, disadvantaged businesses to support us," says Anthony Piazza, AEW&EWS' chief financial officer and vice president of business management. "Those efforts have been recognized with ratings of 'Outstanding' from the Defense Contract Management Agency for the past several years. For Northrop Grumman and its Small Business Administration partners, it's a win-win situation: the fresh ideas they bring us help satisfy our customers' requirements. In turn, the small businesses gain new opportunities to grow and prosper."
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration enterprise. It designs, develops, produces and supports network-enabled integrated systems and subsystems for government and civil customers worldwide. Integrated Systems delivers best-value solutions, products and services that support military and homeland defense missions in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; battle management command and control; and integrated strike warfare.
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