Johnson said that PNDC has helped with “ introductions to both commercial and federal entities , allowing us to navigate the complex landscape of the Department of Defense and its business requirements more efficiently as a small company .”
In 2021 they were asked to attend the conference on short notice , because another partner could not attend . Johnson was concerned at the time about the cost of participating , but he said , reassuringly , “ PNDC and the Washington Department of Commerce came to the rescue here . Commerce provided a STEP grant that allowed us to attend for only a few thousand dollars out of pocket . We would not have been able to attend without this support .”
PNDC has established relationships with each member state ’ s Department of Commerce for various levels of STEP grants . Each state does it differently , so PNDC can help introduce businesses to the appropriate agencies to help fund the conference .
Another attendee this year is John B . Sullivan , CEO of ColdAvenger LLC of Missoula , Montana . Their 15-year-old business designs cold-weather clothing items for the U . S . Military and European military allies . They aren ’ t currently a member of PNDC but are researching it .
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