Within 36 hours of receiving notice to pursue work addressing the Deepwater Horizon spill, Cherokee responded. Across the Gulf of Mexico, Cherokee rapidly dispatched 75 safety auditors and observers. Our well-trained staff had OSHA 40-hour Hazwoper and HAZMAT certifications, ensuring avoidance of workplace hazards during the long effort to mitigate the environmental impact of a 4.9-million-barrel oil spill.

By quickly ramping up the necessary staff in response to Hurricane Katrina, Cherokee’s technical support services assisted federal recovery efforts throughout Louisiana and Mississippi – helping affected communities rebuild at every step along the way. The technical support team provided critical public assistance operations and complete debris removal, while our civil and structural engineering support team restored community infrastructure. Our municipal cost accounting provided important oversight, and together with our architectural and construction review, ensured the responsible standards Cherokee adheres to on all contracts were set in stone.

 

Cherokee Federal’s team of engineering and manufacturing companies has a long history of providing superior service on long-running programs with difficult technical requirements. For this five-year defense contract, Cherokee produced interconnect wire assemblies, instrument panels and other limited source details for military aircraft. Cherokee maintained a supplier performance rating of 100%, on both quality and delivery, for the duration of the program. Through seamless integration and constant communication, our quality, manufacturing, testing, engineering and product launch teams proactively identified and mitigated risks. The contract was a build-to-print requirement, with approximately 500 engineering changes from the defense firm on the products Cherokee manufactured.

 

When demand surges, Cherokee scales whether it’s establishing call centers and support desks or manufacturing products that power life-saving equipment, like tactical quiet generators (TQGs). During a 10-year contract to manufacture TQGs for a defense contractor, Cherokee maintained a >99% on-time delivery and quality rating. Continuous improvement that utilized Kaizen, 5S, and other lean tools gave Cherokee the flexibility to scale rapidly. Surge demand from our customers increased monthly deliveries of TQGs as much as 25% with very little notice, and without cutting corners. To anticipate such demand, Cherokee maintained quality and on-time delivery through a production cell concept. This concept minimized wasted motion, improved product flow and resolved product issues. Production cells demonstrably improved the overall efficiency of TQG build and test times – year after year.

 

Tribal 8(a) Contracting Benefits:

• Contracts are awarded rapidly for quick-turn acquisition & purchasing
• 13 CFR 124.506(b) provides no limit on contract dollar amount to tribal 8(a) companies
• Direct award ceiling, without J&A, up to $22 million
• For DoD agencies, direct award ceiling, without J&A, up to $100 million – per the revision of Section 811 of the NDAA
• Unlimited direct award ability with approved J&A requirements
• Tribal 8(a) sole source awards are not protestable
• Streamlined process allows for administrative cost savings

We’re ready to serve and support efforts to win the fight against COVID-19.