Each year, SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties recognizes owners and entrepreneurs that have demonstrated unique vision, innovation, and achievement in support of the local economy and small business community.

Congratulations were extended to five 2023 Small Business Achievement Award winners honored on June 1 at a celebratory luncheon at the Penn Oaks Golf Club.

Learn how they were able to ‘collaborate for success’ with the support and guidance of their SCORE mentors.      

Garrison Birckett

Meet one of the winners, Garrison Birckett, founder and owner of Advanced EEO Solutions, LLC

Garrison and SCORE worked together so he could achieve full federal contractor status, enabling the company to grow and succeed.

Advanced EEO Solutions (AES) offers Equal Employment Opportunity services, Title VII of the civil rights act, in reference to employment discrimination for federal government employees.

Garrison Birckett, founder and owner of AES, began as an EEO Investigator and worked his way to being a project manager supervising field professionals who investigate EEO claims. 

Garrison’s consulting business was formed in 2012 after he learned the business working as a program manager for Prime contractors.

A ‘Prime’ contractor obtains the contract with the government. The Prime then contracts with sub-contractors.  His consulting business was successful as a sub-contractor to Primes.

Starting in late 2019 and early 2020, Garrison recognized that his business base might disappear as his Prime’s principals were mentioning retirement. 

He made a conscious effort to convert his business to become a Prime.  His plan required him to learn how to successfully identify and bid on government Prime contracts. AES has acted as both a Prime and a sub-contractor to facilitate services for over 30 federal government agencies.

The plan included direct contracting with the government.  He applied for and was granted SBA (Small Business Administration) 8A Certification, a business assistance program for small disadvantaged businesses. 

A broad range of support is available to organizations that are owned and controlled at least 51 percent by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. 

Garrison’s firm offers deep expertise in the following services: consulting, EEO investigations, counseling, and hands-on training.

Today

AES utilizes professional relationships to form a team of experts in niche areas.  As a Prime, he brings in the right sub-contractors to do the job. The company’s team of professionals own their own businesses, manage their own law practices, or perform expert services to multiple agencies in their chosen field as contractors. 

As a result, they can support one another in these disciplines and form partnerships for larger ventures to effectively compete with larger companies for government contracts.

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Find a SCORE mentor today.

SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business experts, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, we have provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs nationwide. SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties has been operating since 1985, with 100 dedicated volunteers today who provide confidential mentoring at no charge and offer business seminars, workshops and webinars to benefit the local community. 

SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).