Oak Ridge National Laboratory closed out fiscal year 2025 with its annual Small Business of the Year Awards ceremony, held Tuesday, May 19, at the ORNL Conference Center. Six honorees — five small business subcontractors and one ORNL staff member — were recognized for their contributions to the laboratory’s science and operations mission.
ORNL Presents Six Awards at Annual Ceremony
The May 19 ceremony brought together lab staff, procurement teams, and small business partners to mark another year of collaboration. It was organized by ORNL’s Small Business Programs Office, which operates within the lab’s Contracts Division and coordinates the recognition each fiscal year.
Ann Weaver, deputy for operations at ORNL, addressed the gathering and emphasized the value of these partnerships. “Small businesses are vital partners in delivering ORNL’s mission, bringing specialized expertise that help our teams succeed,” she said. “We’re proud to recognize this year’s award winners and their impactful contributions to U.S. science and innovation.”
The six honorees spanned multiple award categories, covering fields from advanced fabrication to biometric staffing support. Each was nominated by ORNL staff who observed outstanding performance firsthand — a process that keeps recognition grounded in day-to-day working relationships rather than abstract metrics.
Why Small Businesses Are Central to ORNL Operations
ORNL relies on small business subcontractors for a wide range of specialized work — engineering, fabrication, staffing, laboratory equipment and supplies. In each of those areas, targeted expertise can produce measurable differences in research outcomes.
The Small Business Programs Office plays a direct role in helping ORNL meet federal small business subcontracting goals. It provides training and tools to help staff identify and connect with qualified suppliers across different procurement needs, and it works to build partnerships with small, diverse, and local suppliers — a priority that reflects both federal policy and ORNL’s commitment to its regional business community.
Full List of 2025 Award Recipients and Their Contributions
Six honorees received recognition across five award categories, each selected based on specific contributions to ORNL’s science and operations during fiscal year 2025.
Alloy Fabrication (Clinton, TN) earned Small Business of the Year for its versatility and technical expertise in aluminum welding. The company provided critical support for the High Flux Isotope Reactor — known as HFIR — one of ORNL’s most significant research facilities.
Manhattan Legacy Service (Oak Ridge, TN) took home Women-Owned Small Business of the Year. The company provided staffing support for the BRIAR Biometrics Project, demonstrating consistent performance in a specialized and sensitive area of work.
HOLMANS USA (Albuquerque, NM) won Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year. The company supplied high-performance computing components and helped streamline procurement in ways that also expanded opportunities for other small businesses in the HPC space.
Lyme Technology Solutions (Lebanon, NH) received a second Small Business of the Year award, distinguishing itself as a catalog supplier through quick response times and proactive customer support — qualities ORNL staff specifically cited in their nominations.
Schmiede Corporation (Tullahoma, TN) earned the second Women-Owned Small Business of the Year award for quality machining and fabrication work. The company contributed directly to the HFIR Beryllium Reflector Replacement project, a technically demanding effort at the reactor facility.
Taurus Hinton, an ORNL procurement officer, received the Small Business Advocate of the Year award. Hinton was recognized for his active participation in small business outreach events and his willingness to take on expanded small business responsibilities within his role.
Background: ORNL’s Small Business Program and Procurement Leadership
ORNL’s procurement operations are led by Tim Cannella, director of contracts, with Cassandra McGee Stuart serving as manager of small business and supplier enablement. Their teams oversee the relationships and processes that make small business partnerships functional at scale.
The Small Business Programs Office sits at the center of that work. Its mission is to promote partnerships with small, diverse, and local suppliers while ensuring the lab meets its federal subcontracting obligations — and to equip ORNL staff with the resources they need to engage small businesses effectively.
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. That context gives the lab’s procurement decisions a significance extending well beyond any single contract. The lab’s supplier network spans multiple states, and the annual awards ceremony serves as the primary vehicle for acknowledging the small business contributions that support its broader scientific mission.
Businesses and staff members interested in learning more about ORNL’s small business programs can visit smallbusiness.ornl.gov.
The 2025 Small Business Awards recognized five subcontractors — Alloy Fabrication, Manhattan Legacy Service, HOLMANS USA, Lyme Technology Solutions, and Schmiede Corporation — alongside internal advocate Taurus Hinton. Honorees came from Tennessee, New Mexico, and New Hampshire, reflecting the geographic reach of ORNL’s supplier network.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and speaks Spanish, German, English, and Italian.
