Certified Manufacturing, Inc. (CMI) is a woman-owned small business specializing in the manufacture and test of cables and wire harnesses, circuit cards, electro-mechanical, and parts procurement and kitting services. They are AS9100 Certified and provide turn-key fabrication to demanding aerospace specifications. CMI has provided top quality parts to DoD, NASA and Aerospace clients for over 20 years!
THE CHALLENGE
Like most small businesses, CMI does not have a full time IT staff. Management knew that to continue to bid on and win Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, they must meet DoD Cybersecurity requirements spelled out in NIST 800-171 and prepare themselves for the upcoming Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). CMI management knew they lacked the inhouse cybersecurity experience and turned to the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council, part of the FloridaMakes network, for guidance.
FLORIDAMAKES ROLE
The FloridaMakes Business Advisor worked with and nominated CMI to be part of a DoD and NIST MEP pilot program to assist manufacturers in the defense industrial base meet the stringent cybersecurity requirements. After a nationwide search, CMI was chosen as one of eleven manufacturers throughout the US to receive a grant to aid in NIST 800-171 assessment and to address the state of their current cybersecurity compliance. The Business Advisor and CMI interviewed multiple FloridaMakes vetted cybersecurity third party providers (TPP) and chose a provider that fit the company’s needs. After receiving their assessment, CMI discovered much work was needed and continued working with the TPP to implement a full networking equipment upgrade, security control implementations, as well as assistance with creating company policies and procedures, and employee cybersecurity awareness training. With the assistance of the TPP, CMI was able to meet all current contractual requirements and is poised towards meeting the new CMMC requirements, all within a tight 90-day timeframe. CMI is proud to say they are CMMC Level 3 Compliant and eagerly await the opportunity for their CMMC Certification audit!
RESULTS
- Increased/Retained Sales: Renewal of $1M in DoD awarded contracts that will soon require CMMC Level 3 Certification
- Cost Savings: Awarded $20K NIST MEP Cybersecurity for DoD Manufacturers grant
TESTIMONIAL
CMI has recently (over the past year) been approached by several major prime contractors to bid on projects that had flow down requirements including being compliant to NIST 800-171CMI and FloridaMakes immediately started the vetting process and within a short period of time we contracted with our chosen teammates. The selection process was detailed and certainly eye opening. We had no idea the depth of the cybersecurity requirements – our local IT consultant said this was way over his head and we needed to outsource this effort.
That is exactly what we did with our FloridaMakes Business Advisor, Daniel Krug, who guided us to a solution that was going to work for our company’s needs. Together we interviewed many cyber security and physical security providers and ultimately selected our team. FloridaMakes and CMI structured the contract terms and immediately started to execute the plan.
The plan was to be NIST 800-171 compliant and CMMC Level 3 ready in 90 days! This plan was communicated to our primes and accepted as a way forward with those programs that had the flow down requirement to be NIST 800-171 compliant. Within 60 days we were NIST 800-171 and our prime contractors are extremely impressed and even more so with our current status of being CMMC Level 3 ready and on schedule! Without our FloridaMakes Business Advisor this critical milestone would not have been possible for CMI.
— Pamela Bechtold, President and Robert Bechtold, VP, Chief Operations Officer