Livermore Lab Triples Spending In Tracy

The economic impact of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Tracy increased across a number of key categories in FY15. LLNL spending on goods and services in Tracy more than tripled and the payroll of employees living in Tracy topped $60 million for the first time.

$3.7 million spent on goods and services in Tracy

Total procurements by LLNL – purchases of goods and services, not including supplemental labor – totaled $446 million in FY15, up from $377 million in FY14. California, San Joaquin County and Tracy all benefited from this increased spending on goods and services: California procurements increased from $152 million to $203 million; San Joaquin County procurements increased from $2.6 million to $6.7 million; and Tracy procurements increased from $1 million to $3.7 million ($976,821 to $3,734,634 to be exact).

$60 million infused into Tracy in the form of payroll

The number of LLNL employees totaled 5,917 in FY15, up from 5,665 in FY14. This workforce growth led to moderate increases in the number of San Joaquin County and Tracy residents who work at LLNL: 1,203 LLNL employees live in San Joaquin County, up from 1,116 in FY14; and 599 LLNL employees call Tracy home, up from 573. These Tracy employees accounted for $60 million in payroll in FY15, up from $55 million (,009,482 to $55,492,531). The payroll base for San Joaquin County residents was $117 million in FY15, up from $106 million.

Doing business with LLNL

LLNL looks to do business with local, small businesses that are competitively priced, high performance in quality and safety, financially secure, and able to meet contract requirements on schedule. LLNL lists the following products and services as common procurement categories:

• Audio/visual equipment and supplies
• Chemicals
• Construction goods and services
• Environmental services
• Equipment maintenance, repair and calibration services
• Fabrication and machining services
• Facilities maintenance
• Fuel Hazardous waste treatment and disposal
• Industrial and specialty gases
• ISO transportainers
• Legal services
• Pagers and paging services
• Personal protective equipment
• Propane
• Software engineering services
• Software maintenance and licensing
• Training services
• Translation and interpretation services

Tracy businesses can position themselves to compete for sub-contract work with LLNL by following the tips outlined in last year’s Tracy Chamber blog post titled “5 Tips To Compete For Government Subcontract.” Additionally, business owners are encouraged to visit the LLNL Supply Chain website for resources and more information about programs for small businesses and suppliers.

Nolan O’Brien represents LLNL on the Tracy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is one of 599 LLNL employees who call Tracy their home. He can be reached by phone at 925-422-3399 or by email at obrien32@llnl.gov.