"Sixdion Inc. signs $3.5 million dollar contract"

OHSWEKEN - Sixdion Inc. signed two contracts Thursday totaling $3.5 million dollars. The first was a publishing service contract with the federal government's Department of National Defense valued at $168 thousand dollars. The second, a subcontract from Bombardier Services worth $3.36 million dollars.

"These are exciting times for us as a company, we're beginning a new phase and a new development of Sixdion," said Lewis Staats, CEO of Sixdion.

Bombardier Services, a Canadian Forces publication company based out of Mirabel Quebec joined with the Six Nations company to bid on federal contracts for Aboriginal firms under the Federal Government's Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB). "We look at what we are best at and look at who else is the best and combine to create the lowest cost for them, (client) said Bombardier Services President and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Kalhok.

PSAB is a strategy conducted by the federal government to increase participation by Aboriginal companies in bids for federal procurement contracts. An insurance that business with Native content will receive 2.3 percent of federal government procurement contracts. Procurement refers to the act of acquiring goods, services and construction.

In order to be eligible for these contracts the Natives must control and own 51 per cent of the firm employing a staff of one third Aboriginal.

Over the next three years Sixdion will work in alliance with Bombardier in the production of Canadian Forces publications.

The Six Nations based Aboriginal firm will assist Bombardier services with the formatting and editing procedures involved with producing Canadian Forces publications. Sixdion will also format internet and other media publications. This will all be administered while complying with the Department of National Defenses quality assurance requirements.

Doug Forbes Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development representative said of the companies team approach "they won the contracts because they are capable computer firms with strong support and leading edge technology."

Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MP Bob Speller, on behalf of National Defense Minister Art Eggleton said of the contract, "today, we celebrate entrepreneurialism. It's an exciting development for the area and for the government's Aboriginal action strategy to foster native business development."

In a news release Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Jane Stewart describes the contract as "an excellent example of the kind of partnership result Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB) is designed to foster."