Creation of a Nevada chapter of the National Defense Industries Association acknowledges the growing importance of military contracts to the state, organizers of the organization say.
Organizers now are working against a self-imposed deadline of 30 days to make sure they've got the 50 corporate and individual members the proposed chapter needs to become affiliated with the national organization.
"We see the defense industry as a key industry in Nevada, said Rob Hooper, executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority and interim president of the association.
An important task of the new chapter, Hooper said, will be creation of a network of defense contractors who can learn about the subcontractors available locally and can identify needs in the supply chain for defense-related companies in Nevada.
He said organizers believe they already have reached the 50-member threshold to create the chapter.
The Procurement Outreach Program of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, a program that helps companies in the state win government contracts, helped spearhead development of the chapter.
The national association describes its mission as providing a legal and ethical forum for government officials and defense contractors to share information.
The organization counts about 1,400 companies and 46,000 individuals among its members nationwide.
