The DOD's Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office handed out eight such awards in the 8th year of the program.

The Mentor Protégé Program is designed to match up larger, well-established government contractors with small and/or disadvantaged businesses in order to increase the overall pool of government contractors.

"The Mentor-Protégé Program has benefited both Battelle and MTS Technologies in addition to bringing the best services to the Department of Defense," said Battelle's director of the program, Bob Acker.

MTS Technologies, headquartered in Arlington, VA, is a diversified, professional service firm specializing in business consulting, information technology and engineering and logistic services. It also has major offices in Johnstown, PA; Troy, MI; San Diego, CA; and Orlando, FL. The company has doubled its revenues and employee base in the two years it's been involved with Battelle in the Mentor-Protégé program.

"MTS has truly benefited from our mentor protégé relationship with Battelle. We are exactly one year from graduating the Small Business Administration 8(a) program and feel that involvement in the Mentor-Protégé program has helped us prepare for the transition into the open market," said Daniel T. Perkins, President/CEO, MTS Technologies, Inc.

Battelle serves industry and government in the areas of technology development, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle has annual revenues of $1 billion, has operations at more than 100 locations and clients in 30 countries. It counts as its successes the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on the compact disc, medical technology breakthroughs, and fiber optic advancements for telecommunications.

For more information, contact Battelle Media Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (614) 424-5544 or at delaneyk@battelle.org or visit www.battelle.org.