Prairie View Industries

Prairie View Industries in Fairbury, a leading U.S. manufacturer of multifold aluminum wheelchair ramps and modular ramp systems as well as a designer of food service equipment, began working with the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) in 2012.

Roger McCullough, NBDC Procurement Technical Assistance program consultant, assisted the company with migrating its Central Contracting Registration (CCR) to the government's System for Award Management (SAM). He also helped establish a BidMatch profile that enables Prairie View Industries to receive notifications of open federal and state contract solicitations. The company receives an average of 10 notifications each day.

Since then, NBDC has maintained a working relationship with the company to make certain the SAM registration is up to date, the BidMatch profile is current and accurate, and that the leadership understands the solicitations that are sent to them," McCullough says.

The company's use of that assistance has played a significant role as Prairie View Industries earns the honor of 2016 Government Contractor of the Year.

Prairie View Industries' Vice President of Sales, John Waldrep, says the company does considerable business with the U.S. Veteran's Administration.

"There are so many hoops to jump through in order to do business with the government," he says. "We can't afford to hire the kind of person we would need to do that, so we are grateful we've had Roger on our side to help walk us through that process."

The company was founded by Richard Allen in Prairie View, Kan., in 1991. It has since relocated to Fairbury, where it occupies a 135,000-square-foot facility. It manufactures portable wheelchair ramps, recreational products, organizational shelves, pet ramps and food service equipment, including wheeled racks for a variety of uses. It also fabricates custom food service equipment and complete commercial kitchens.

In 2007, Prairie View Industries began selling products to the Department of Veteran Affairs. The company's government sales have increased in recent years. Most recently, the company was awarded a five-year Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract under the Federal Supply Schedule 65IIF for Patient Mobility Devices.

The company's mission is to help mobility-challenged people to lead more active, productive and happier lives. It strives to improve designs for better adaptability in everyday use. It encourages customer input and can adapt many products to meet specific needs.

Waldrep says that as a family-owned company, Prairie View Industries believes in sharing its success with its employees and the community. A well-earned reputation for high quality helps the company maintain a positive way of life for its more than 100 employees.

"Roger has helped us as we further our growth," Waldrep says. "He reaches out to us quite frequently with useful information and ideas. We expect to expand that relationship in the future."