EIGS recently visited with Johnny Hays, Program Manager for Skylla Engineering at Stennis Space Center, to learn more about the company, their work in Mississippi, and the future direction of the company. Skylla Engineering is an active member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA).

The Sensor: Tell our readers about Skylla Engineering and your role with the company.

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Washington Perspective

Commentary From: Michael Liu, Sr. Vice President, Dutko Worldwide

"By now, for those of you with a strong interest in what happens to NASA's FFY 2012 budget, you are aware that the request is the same in absolute dollars ($18.7 billion) as in the FFY 2011 request, meaning a reduction in real terms when inflation is accounted for. Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Ralph Hall (R-Tx) and Ranking Member, Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tx) both expressed concerns about the Administration's priorities in accordance with the 'compromise' under the 2010 appropriations agreement, but Administrator Bolden assured them that he was listening to them. The 800 pound gorilla of course is whether the battle over deficits, debt and the debt ceiling will result in significant cuts to the current NASA budget proposal.

My prediction is that it is better than 50-50 that NASA will take a noticeable haircut. With the receding appetite of Republicans to tackle on social entitlement programs head on this year, all discretionary programs will be even under more pressure by budget cutters on both sides of the aisle. The first line of attack will probably be an "across the board" approach where every agency, with a few exceptions, will take the same percentage cut in their budgets using the Administration's FFY 2012 proposal as the baseline. A second less likely approach would be a more surgical operation where large "savings" targets will be set which may vary by agency, and Congress will look at each program within the agencies for cuts and dictate them in the various agencies' FFY 2012 appropriations acts. A variation of this would be the setting of mandatory savings targets and allow the Administration to make the cuts with required frequent reporting to Congress on the cuts being made.

To add to the uncertainty you can count on all this NOT being accomplished by the end of the FFY 2011 fiscal year (September 30, 2011). Things will likely drag on through the end of the calendar year. Specifics on a budget will have to await agreements on the debt ceiling issue later this summer, and by August the Republican presidential primary season will be in full swing and what Congress does or doesn't do regarding fiscal management of our country will very much be the fodder of campaign and media discourse. What is broadcast and blogged will complicate getting timely agreement on a budget. And keep a close eye on inflation, the Middle East, Japan and the continuing financial crisis with Greece (and connections to Ireland, Portugal and Spain). on these fronts will have a direct impact on how Congress and Administration deal with the politics and realities of the FFY 2012 budget."

Event Spotlight

Small Business Summit 2011
Want to Start a New Business or Grow your Existing Business?
Attend this Seminar and Get the Tools You Need to Succeed! The event will be held June 1-2, 2011 from 8:00-5:00 at Homewood Suites in Covington, LA.

Featuring:

• Incorporation Workshop and Assistance
• Business Plan Development and Review
• Branding
• Government Contracting
• Accounting and Financial Management
• Human Resources
• Intellectual Property

Resource Spotlight

A Resource for Small Businesses
Contributor: Ellen K. Davis, Certified Small Business Specialist

Nagging: (verb) to keep in a state of troubled awareness or anxiety, as a recurrent pain or problem
–Webster

The first quarter of 2011 has come and gone so quickly! Barring extensions, the majority of taxpayers have filed their personal income tax and business owners have filed their first quarterly taxes. You may believe it is time to take a deep breath, push the word ‘tax’ into the back of the mind, and focus on your business. While that is easier said than done, I urge you to invest a few more minutes.

While the ‘nagging› words financial statement, home office deduction, and payroll tax are still fresh in your mind, it is important to reflect and make a decision on how to be better prepared for 2012 tax season. A plan that will take the power away from the ‘tax words’ that have been invading your good mood and will enable you to redirect the energy spent ignoring what you do not truly understand.

The Tax and Accounting section of GoSmallBiz.com will provide you with all of the tools necessary to cement a plan for both your personal and business tax. With articles, Q & A’s, and tax dictionary, you may begin to ‘fill in the gaps’ regarding terminology. By submitting questions to our experts, you can devise a plan (or double-check the current plan) within the next 24 hours. These experts can also guide you through the new tax laws for small business owners and how you may use them to your advantage. Most importantly, you may speak to a Tax Attorney directly to ensure your decisions are 100% correct.

Then take a deep breath, push the word ‘tax’ into the back of your mind, and focus on your business.

Whether the last ‘nagging’ decision you made involved Tax and Accounting or not, I encourage you to go to the site. Membership is not necessary to read the articles or peruse the Q&A's. Select the tab on the left that correlates with the last decision you made at gut-level but has crept into to your mind more than once. Double–check the decision. Defeat the Nag.

For more information, visit www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/ellenk73. Or, feel free to contact me directly, ellenk73@prepaidlegal.com

Image of the Month

High Mississippi River water has Residents as well as Local, State, and Federal Officials Bracing for Floods

A satellite image shows water flowing through the Bonnet Carre Spillway upriver from New Orleans, on May 17 Credit: Digital Globe

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Items of Interest

Technology May Allow Drivers to Skip DMV Lines

Most drivers dread the annual visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but Williamson County, Tennessee is testing a new way to test your vehicle while saving you time, money and the environment. A company called Environmental Systems Products is running a pilot remote sensing vehicle emissions testing program called CleanScreen in Williamson County. The new technology can read your cars emissions as it drives down the street. This is a voluntary testing option for Williamson County drivers that complements the preexisting vehicle inspection program. If you chose to participate in the CleanScreen program, you will never have to wait in line at the DMV again.

Read more: www.wsmv.com

Did You Know

Did you know A group of technical education institutions in the US have come together to form the National Geospatial Technology Centre (NGTC), with the aim of "the voice for geospatial programs nationwide?"

The NGTC has confirmed annual funding of $1.25 million for four years from the National Scientific Foundation and is a partnership of seven community colleges, a community and technical college system, and Penn State and San Diego State Universities. For more information, www.surveyequipment.com

Doing Business in Mississippi

4th Annual Southeastern United States - Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference to Include Business-to-Business Matchmaking Opportunities for Participating Businesses

On June 12-14, 2011, Governor Haley Barbour and Premier David Alward of New Brunswick will host the 4th Annual Southeastern United States - Canadian Provinces Alliance (SEUS-CP) Conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Over 200 businesses from six southeastern U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces will participate in the conference and its business-to-business matchmaking sessions. This year's conference theme is "Innovate-Connect-Compete." The event will include topical discussion forums, valuable business networking opportunities, compelling keynotes and the two-day matchmaking program. The event will focus on opportunities in the information communications and technology, advanced manufacturing, energy and clean technology sectors.

The business-to-business matchmaking portion of the conference is designed to assist conference delegates in identifying and forming new business relationships and networking with peers in targeted sectors. The program also aims to promote business-to-academia connections and government-to-government connections that will potentially promote commercial and economic exchanges, as well as collaborative alliances. Participating companies and other entities will be matched based on mutual business interests.

Canada is Mississippi's top export market, and numerous business opportunities await Mississippi companies interested in expanding their sales through international trade. The registration deadline for the business-to-business matchmaking component of the conference is May 16, 2011. Take advantage of this great networking event and register at www.seuscp.org.

For questions regarding the business-to-business matchmaking meetings, contact Vickie Watters, Mississippi Development Authority's international trade specialist for Canada, at vwatters@mississippi.org or 601.359.3155.

Global Perspectives
 

Fajr satellite to be launched in four months
Tehran Times

Speaking in a seminar on Iran's space programs held at Amir Kabri University in Tehran, Ibrahimi said Fajr satellite carries out remote sensing and topography missions. He also said Simorgh (phoenix) satellite will be launched within the next 2 years, …

[Read the full article]

India's new satellite beams high quality images
Space Daily

by Staff Writers India's latest advanced remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2 has beamed high quality images distinctly showing the northern and western regions of the country, the space agency said Monday. Select images were presented to Prime …

[Read the full article]

GIS Technologies Reducing Long Term Risk in the Retail Sector
Your-Story.org (press release)

London, UK – May 10, 2011 – Research conducted by TechNavio reveals that the Global GIS Technologies market in the Retail sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13 percent. The report, which focuses on North America, EMEA, and APAC, indicates that …

[Read the full article]

Contour mapping to help zone in on floods
Times of India

A composite multi-dimensional digitized map of Mumbai , also known as geographic information system (GIS ), has been prepared . The impending need for a GIS for Mumbai was stressed upon by a fact-finding committee set up in the wake of the 26 /7 floods …

[Read the full article]

Hays: Skylla Engineering is a forward-moving company that has a proven record of success. With initial backgrounds in systems engineering, the company grew to include a range of engineering services, locations in seven states and several overseas sites, and a strong experienced-based set of teammates. Even during the time of our nation's economic downturn, Skylla continued to grow. With success came a broadening base of technical services to include the work here at Stennis. Skylla proudly provides a range of services at Stennis to include GIS, IT, meteorology, data mining, electrical and mechanical technician support, warehousing, inventory control, as well as testing and analysis. To understand Skylla you need to understand the vision of our president, Gabe Beltran: to provide the best product available to the end users, primarily our warfighters. This drive is built on the bedrock of commitments to our customers, our employees, and the communities where we serve.

In October 2010, I became the Program Manager for operations at Stennis Space Center. The foundation for continued success was already in place so my role was easy. In Skylla's method of operation, I provide on-site, centralized control to meet our customers' needs, but our teammates' responsibility and accountability are more than adequate to meet the challenge. I am proud to be a part of the Skylla team.

The Sensor: Skylla Engineering has a rich history of supporting military programs and technical services. Give us an idea of who your customers are and some of Skylla's products and services.

Hays: The senior leadership of Skylla is all former or retired Marines. Likewise, I am a retired Air Force officer and we all carry the values of integrity, service and excellence through our work to customers. Needless to say there is a strong sense of support to the military with several contracts with the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Space and Naval Warfare Center (SPAWAR), (Atlantic). There is a true sense of value for teammates, personally and collectively, and specifically for customer and product. The essence of service has carried over into contracts with Department of Energy (DOE), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Engineering Services allowed Skylla to customize designs to meet the needs of the Marines by installing wiring harnesses and connectivity for armored personnel carriers (APCs). Our ability to provide all facets of radio frequency identification (RFID) and item unique identification (IUID) has led to contracts for inventory control, high-value asset control and anti-pass back/mass egress functionality. The ability to customize software with our Marine Corps Accountability Tool and Inventory Control System (MCATICS) demonstrates our ability to interface inventory with desktop and portable inventory applications. Our successes with software integration lead to expanding our services to IT. As the company grew still larger, experiences in test and evaluation, component repair and calibration, scientific analysis, and quality assessment led to products in cartography, communications, measurement and diagnostic equipment, and weaponry.

The Sensor: Since opening an office at Stennis Space Center in 2008, Skylla has won a number of large contracts. Can you tell us more about the work in Mississippi?

Hays: Our first contract at Stennis was with the USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF). Their mission is to provide quality hydrologic equipment and instrumentation to the USGS scientists in their hydrologic data collection efforts. The importance of the USGC HIF mission and its value to our country's natural resources is understood and shared by all. Our commitment to our customers and their missions holds true on each contract we support. We have three technical services contracts at Stennis: USGS, Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO), and National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Whether we are assisting in the preservation of our water resources, providing navigational information to our military, or providing collected weather data to the nation, we are committed professionals doing our part for our customers and our nation.

The Sensor: Skylla is a strong proponent of teaming with partners who share similar philosophies and ideologies in order to produce enhanced results for your customers. Can you elaborate on that practice and give examples of your teaming partnerships?

Hays: Skylla has partnered with companies both as a prime contractor and as a sub-contractor. Our partnering efforts hold true not just in Stennis, but also across the entire company. While we have been working in the small business arena, the company has committed itself to a path of sustainable growth. To this end, Skylla will partner with other contractors who share our vision and professional practices. Using the same business model of demonstrating proven performance and providing services at fair prices will continue to be the foundation of our success. Partnering makes sense as we compete for larger, multi-task contracts.

The Sensor: What value do you think an organization such as the Magnolia Business Alliance brings to your company?

Hays: Skylla has a fundamental belief in being a part of and contributing to the community. The strength of being a part of Magnolia Business Alliance is to work together to shape the environment of the area and future. An alliance gives voice to key growth ideas that impact every facet of community: small businesses, growing work force, education, cultural development, and stability to families. The network of business personnel with similar concerns may or may not land business contacts, but the alliance promotes fairness especially in local political decisions that impact small businesses.

The Sensor: What do you see on the horizon for Skylla Engineering, particularly for your operations in Mississippi?

Hays: Skylla Engineering plans to continue to grow within the local area. There are numerous opportunities along the Gulf Coast that we are monitoring carefully. What's important to us is finding a good match between customer and service provider. With Stennis as a hub, we will continue to develop technical services work specifically within GIS, IT, and test and evaluation. Our skills in RFID/IUID can have a positive impact on any inventory control requirements so we are also monitoring those opportunities as well. As we keep an eye towards local efforts with NASA and SPAWAR we hope to use our military support specialties to bring and add value to additional local customers. And, to answer the question completely, it is fair to mention that Teaming with local companies is definitely in our future.

About Skylla Engineering:
Since 2004, Skylla Engineering Ltd. has earned the reputation of an elite group of professionals providing evolutionary engineering solutions, using emergent technologies, within compressed timelines to uncompromising customers. Skylla Engineering Ltd. is a Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and an SBA certified 8(a) company with several Eastern and Southeastern regional offices. Skylla's experiences incorporates engineering, IT, logistics, and program management support services. As both a Prime and Sub-contractor, they have established an efficient business structure that is dedicated to offering best-value support to customers and providing the most qualified personnel in the industry. Skylla uses a broad employee experience base to deliver timely and tangible solutions to customers. For more information, visit www.skyllaeng.com.