What a GSA Schedule Is, and the Miami Salesman Who Manages One
Government buyers order millions of products through the federal schedules program. Luther Pierre of Sterile Services Co. explains the business by doing it.
Most people never see the catalog that keeps the government running: the copier toner, the safety gloves, the laptops and the floor cleaner. Much of it can be ordered through the Multiple Award Schedule, the General Services Administration program also known as the schedules, or the Federal Supply Schedule. Through it, federal, state, local and tribal buyers get commercial products and services from approved vendors at prices negotiated in advance, with access to millions of items.
For a supplier, a schedule contract is a key to the building. Winning one puts a supplier's catalog in front of agencies at prices already set. Keeping it means doing the paperwork, the pricing and the compliance year after year.
The man with the key
In Miami, that job belongs to Luther Pierre. He is the business development manager at Sterile Services Co., where the company describes his work as federal sales and the strategic management of its GSA Schedule contracts, with a particular focus on product sales. He has held the role since 2018, after three years as an account representative at Continental & Global Services, where he worked public bids for clients including the Department of Health and the City of Miami.
What sits on the shelf
SSC's products division sells industrial and maintenance supplies, medical and facility supplies, office supplies, janitorial and sanitation products, and IT equipment, peripherals and software to federal, state and local and commercial buyers. Its services side runs program management, IT support, logistics and facilities work. On the small-business side of federal buying, the company holds SBA certifications including 8(a), HUBZone and service-disabled veteran-owned.
Why it matters to a small business
The schedules are one route a small supplier has into government work, and the government tracks how much reaches small firms. In fiscal year 2024, small businesses won $183.27 billion in federal prime contracts, 28.78% of eligible dollars and a record. Behind each of those orders is someone like Pierre, matching what an agency needs to what is already on contract.
Highlights
What is a GSA Schedule?
The GSA's Multiple Award Schedule, also called the Federal Supply Schedule, lets federal, state, local and tribal buyers purchase commercial products and services from approved vendors at prices negotiated in advance.
Who is Luther Pierre?
Luther Pierre is the business development manager at Sterile Services Co. in Miami, where he manages federal sales and the company's GSA Schedule contracts.
How much federal contracting goes to small businesses?
In fiscal year 2024, small businesses received $183.27 billion in federal prime contracts, 28.78% of the total.
