Michigan Print Shop Wins NRC Contract After SBA Expo Meeting
A Detroit matchmaking event connected RJ's Printing of Kalamazoo with a federal nuclear agency, landing the family business a signage contract.
A chance encounter at the Small Business Administration's Supplier Matchmaking Expo in Detroit has resulted in a federal procurement award for RJ's Printing, a family-owned printing and design company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The firm will supply event signage, visual displays, and supply chain materials to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to support the agency's external engagement operations.
The NRC needed new materials after adopting a rebranded logo and required duplicate sets of display items to equip staff attending simultaneous events at multiple locations. Anthony Briggs, the NRC's Chief Sourcing Officer for Small Business and Supply Chain Optimization, first encountered RJ's Printing when the father-and-son owners approached the agency's expo booth. The pair described their design capabilities and brought samples that, Briggs said, spoke for themselves. He was equally struck by their candor: they had never previously considered the NRC as a potential customer, having been unaware the agency procured goods from outside vendors.
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Briggs credited the expo format with dramatically accelerating the procurement process. A single event compressed what he estimated would have been days of vendor identification, capability vetting, and scheduling into a few focused hours of direct supplier meetings. The NRC attended the Detroit, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., editions of the 2026 expo series as a buyer, seeking suppliers for immediate needs and longer-term nuclear supply chain development.
In 2026, SBA hosted four Supplier Matchmaking Expos — in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, and Washington — drawing more than 2,600 attendees and facilitating over 1,400 individual matchmaking sessions. The events are designed to strengthen domestic supply chains and connect small manufacturers with federal procurement opportunities they might otherwise never learn about. Officials noted that demand for qualified nuclear manufacturers is expected to significantly outpace supply, making small-business outreach a strategic priority.
The contract for RJ's Printing covers table throws, display panels highlighting procurement and regulatory assistance, QR-code stickers, and design services, with the potential for follow-on orders as new NRC initiatives develop. Continue reading at Small Business Administration.
