In this month’s episode, you’ll get all of the latest and greatest news in the world of Randolph Shepherd. It is time for the quarterly Blitz
Intro Music (00:00):
Trerry (00:26):
Well, you don't have the Dynamic duo this month, Batman is off. So Robin is doing it solo this month. Uh, but we, uh, wanna welcome you to the We are Randolph Shepherd podcast. I'm Terry Smith, the co-host of the podcast, Nikki Gecos. My partner is taking some time off, and since this was the quarterly blitz that we are recording, uh, you'll hear all the news. That is the news a little later. Um, I'm doing it solo. Really proud of Nikki Nikki's. Taken some time off during the holidays, spending time with family. Christmas means a lot to Nikki, and, uh, family means a lot to Nikki. So he's spending some time celebrating the holidays with family. And I have to admit, I have had no text messages, emails, phone calls. He really is taking some time away. He'll be returning on January the sixth. And so, um, I'm looking forward to, to him being back.
(01:24)
I'm actually off as well. Uh, I've taken off some time during the holidays. I'm actually in South Carolina with all my grandkids this week. This is the week between Christmas and, and, uh, new Year's. I'm actually recording this on New Year's Eve and, uh, you'll hear more about that in, uh, just a few minutes. But the big news is, it is 2025 and means that you are here and enjoying and, and, and listening to the first podcast of year number four of the We are Randolph Shepherd podcast. I cannot believe that Nick and I have been doing this for three years and starting number four. And I tell you, it's something that I have really, really enjoyed very much. Uh, but we wanna wish you a happy New year. Hope that 2025 brings many blessings to you. Uh, 2024 was a very busy year for us, and 2025 is shaping up to be more the same.
(02:25)
I wanna start by thanking our sponsors. We could not do this without our sponsors. That includes the National Association of Blind Merchants, Coca-Cola, Blackstone Consulting, Southern Food Service, Siteline Wealth Management, Sodexo inReach, Tyler Technologies, FSIG, selected Cantaloupe, Keurig, Dr. Pepper, commissary Services of Nashville. And our newest sponsor for 2025 is Greenway Supply Company. And you'll be hearing more from them next month. Um, we, we hope to have them on for just a quick minute to tell you what they do. And especially if you're a military dining vendor, I think you're gonna wanna especially tune in and listen to the podcast on, uh, the drops, February the first, and find out more about Greenway Supply Company. And, um, you know, we, we why they are sponsoring the We Are Rand Shepherd podcast. So, as I said, we, I'm recording this on New Year's Eve, and I'm not much one to, to, to make New Year's resolutions.
(03:36)
And if you've heard me in the past, Nikki and I have talked about this, you already know that. Uh, but I'm gonna break with tradition, uh, this time. And, um, there is one resolution that I am going to make and that resolution is that I am not going to talk about Tennessee sports, uh, anymore. Um, that doesn't mean I'm not a Tennessee fan through and through my arm. My blood bleeds orange, that'll never change. But I got to thinking about it back before the year, I sort of bragging. And we went and beat Oklahoma at Oklahoma and things were flying high. And I got to bragging a little bit. And then the week after I bragged about it on the podcast, we go to Arkansas and we get beat. And so that's sort of embarrassing, but we get it back together and we beat Alabama.
(04:30)
And I come back on here and I'm start to brag a little bit about beating Alabama. Then we turn around and just get our tails kicked by Georgia. And it looks like we're gonna miss the playoffs. But we, we, we managed to rebound just enough to get into the college football playoffs. And I'm bragging about making the playoffs. And then we get kicked by Ohio State in the first round of the playoffs. Uh, and by the way, those of you who texted me during the games and after the games, um, you know, I, I appreciate it 'cause, uh, you obviously listened and you know where my, where, where my loyalties lie. Now some of you text in sympathy and some of you text just to gimme a hard time. Uh, but I can take it either way. Uh, but, um, the, the fact is that in 2025, I'm not going to talk about Tennessee sports until a season is over.
(05:27)
Uh, and then you may hear me say something, uh, about it, you know, how, how we did during the season. But, um, I think I've, I put the jinx on them and we are going to change that in 2025. Okay? So, um, what, when Nikki's back next month, uh, we'll get to go back and we'll get to review our football predictions for, for 2024, uh, and see you, did either one of us get the National Champion correct in Foot College football? And did either one of us get the two Super Bowl teams correctly identified? So, uh, we'll, we'll see how that goes. Um, um, I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd be betting that, uh, we didn't do very well. But, uh, you can't ever tell. Last year Nikki in preseason picked the Michigan Wolverines to win the National Championship. And sure enough, um, they did just that. Um, I mentioned that I was, uh, in, in, in South Carolina with my grandkids. And if you're a regular listener to this podcast, you know that, uh, I talk about my grandkids a lot. They mean a lot to me. Uh, they're very special kids. And, uh, so they're here with me. And I just want to take, if you just, if you'll just allow me to take two or three minutes and introduce you to my grandkids, and here they are.
Marlo (06:56):
My name is Marlo and I'm nine years old. My name is Charlie and I'm nine. My name is Henley and I'm eight. My name is Ford. Im five and a half.
Trerry (07:07):
Okay. Before we go any further, Henley, what is that on your arm?
Charlie (07:12):
A cast.
Trerry (07:14):
And why do you have a cast?
Charlie (07:16):
Because I broke my arm.
Trerry (07:18):
You broke your arm? And how did you break your arm?
Charlie (07:20):
By falling off the bar.
Trerry (07:23):
In gymnastics?
Charlie (07:24):
Yes.
Terry (07:25):
Oh, sweetie. It's a beautiful cast, though. And pop signed it, didn't he? Okay. So all these kids are unique. They're into different things. Milo,
Trerry (07:33):
Uh, is my little techie and my, uh, guitarist takes guitar lessons. Uh, Milo, which do you like better? Do you like country guitar?
Terry (07:43):
Do you like rock guitar or do you like classical?
Charlie (07:46):
I like playing classical, but I like listening to rock and roll.
Terry (07:50):
Oh, that's, that's a pretty cool answer. I like that answer. And, uh, you're a big Nintendo Switch guy.
Charlie (07:55):
Yes.
Terry (07:56):
What's your favorite game?
Charlie (07:58):
Mm, Lego Star Wars.
Trerry (08:00):
Lego Star Wars. Okay. Is that a Christmas present?
Charlie (08:03):
Yes.
Trerry (08:04):
Oh, well, great. And then we're gonna move on down to Charlie Lou. Charlie is my little TaeKwonDo girl. What belt are you, Charlie?
Marlo (08:14):
I'm a, um, blue stripe. Blue stripe.
Trerry (08:17):
And you're on the, um, demo team?
Marlo (08:20):
Yes, I'm on the demo team, which means I perform for people at like the schools and stuff.
Terry (08:25):
How do you enjoy that?
Marlo (08:26):
I really like performing, but it sometimes is a pain in the butt to practice the same thing all the time,
Trerry (08:32):
Over and over and over, uh, over till you get it. Right. And speaking of having to practice over and over and over till you get it right. Henley, you mentioned gymnastics. You have to practice a lot, don't you?
Charlie (08:45):
Mm-hmm
Terry (08:46):
And what is your favorite event?
Charlie (08:48):
Vault.
Terry (08:49):
Vault. I thought you
Trerry (08:51):
Would say floor exercise. 'cause that's what I've seen you practice the most. You like the vault the best? Yes. And it was the bar that you broke your arm on?
Charlie (09:00):
Yes.
Trerry (09:01):
And Ford, this is my little ninja. Uh, he takes
Terry (09:04):
Ninja classes. Tell me about your ninja classes. Ford.
Ford (09:07):
So you get to swing on the, uh, wings, like, uh, one-to-one and like monkey balls, but it's inside and it's kind of like a big, big playground.
Terry (09:20):
Oh, cool. Play
Ford (09:21):
With, but they have to tell you which one you have to do.
Terry (09:24):
Okay. And you also
Trerry (09:25):
Play basketball, don't you? Are you, are you good at basketball?
Ford (09:28):
Yeah.
Trerry (09:29):
You're good at basketball too. So he is a ninja and a basketball player. So you guys can see how how different all, all, all these kids are. So, um, kids, we just finished our Christmas together. Uh, what's it like to have Christmas with Oman Pops?
All Grandkids (09:47):
He so money presents every,
Trerry (09:59):
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Okay, I got it. So, so you got lots of presents and, and, and lots of good things and had an exciting time. But tell me who brings you more presence? Santa Claus or Pops? Pops. Pops. So guys, you heard it there first Pops outrank Santa Claus. Is that true guys? Yes. Okay, guys, I'm glad people got to meet you. I talk about you all the time on the podcast, and now they will know who I'm talking about. I love you guys so much.
Marlo (10:35):
You too pops.
Trerry (10:36):
So you can see why those kids mean so much to me. Um, you know, my favorite role is that a pops and, uh, you know, those kids make it, make it a lot of fun. But let's get on with the business at hand. And, uh, looking back a little bit today at 2024, but I want to talk first about Blast. Nikki and I talked about it on the last podcast. We did our business leadership and superior training conference in Nashville in November. We had right at 600 people there. Uh, it was an amazing event. People are still talking about, uh, how great it was. And, um, you know, I think it, I think it was, we know it was the biggest blast ever. Um, and I think it was probably the best blast ever. I said we could never top 2016 in Chicago. Uh, but I think we did.
(11:27)
Uh, everything came off, uh, without a hitch, starting with the attorney staff training on that first Tuesday and going all the way through to the workshop that Jimmy Newsome did for us, uh, on Friday morning. And it just, it, we, we, we pulled it off without a hitch and really proud of the quality of the training, the quality of the speakers that we were able to bring, as well as the entertainment that we were able to, to present. So, uh, you know, Nikki says, well, that's the last big blast. And then he keep then he sort of waffles about it a little bit. So we'll see if that was the last big blast. I think you, you think you're gonna see a lot of a smaller kind of, uh, training events in the future, but, you know, never say never. There may be another big major blast on the horizon.
(12:18)
Um, I know for a fact two or three different states have have reached out and said, you know, you gotta do another blast and we wanna host it. So we'll see if those discussions go anywhere. But, um, you know, 2024 is gonna be, uh, a very hard one to, to top. But, uh, who, who knows? We, we, we, we, we may try it again sometime. Uh, you know, looking back at 2024, I just wanna mention some of the things that happened over the course of the year. Um, I wanna get into sort of the updates for the, for the last quarter. That's what the Blitz is for the new, new, new listeners. Once every quarter, we do just a news update. And, uh, we update you on anything and everything going on in Rand Shepherd. And that's, that's what this issue is. But I wanna look back at 24 just for, um, just take a few minutes if you allow me to do so.
(13:14)
Um, but of course, the big thing that we did, you know, was our lawsuit, the NA's lawsuit against the Army Air Force Exchange Service. People keep asking, what's the status of that? Well, we are waiting for the judge to rule in federal court in Texas, uh, the a fees in the Department of Defense ask that the case be dismissed, uh, arguing that if the, if they were in violation of the law, it is up to the state agencies to file for arbitration. And, uh, they said, we do not have standing. So we knew that was gonna be their argument from day one. Uh, and there's a possibility that they could rule against us. Uh, but we're optimistic that they, that that will not be the case and that we will get our chance and get our day in court. So, um, we're still waiting. We can't tell you when that decisions gonna come down.
(14:08)
Um, but when it does, we will definitely get the word out that, you know, the crux of the situation is that we believe that a fees, which is the Army Air Force Exchange Service, is blocking opportunities for blind vendors under the Randolph Shepherd priority to operate vending facilities on military basis. And so we've taken them to court to try to stop them from doing that. So, let's see. You know, if we can get our day in court, I'm 99% sure we win. It's just having a judge tell us that, um, that that's gonna, uh, that, that he's going to give us that opportunity. Um, 'cause he could say that it's up to the state agencies. And the reason we had to file this lawsuit in the first place is because state agencies have not been doing that. Um, so, um, you know, we're not very, that would not be a very encouraging sign, but we do have a plan B.
(14:59)
So we will see how that, how that goes. In February, we, we hosted a full day listing session with the, uh, rehabilitation Services Administration. We spent an entire day, we brought in a lot of speakers just presenting to the RSA leadership on different issues, uh, impacting, uh, Randolph Shepherd. And we thought it was a very, very productive, uh, day, well worth the time and money spent, uh, putting that listing session together. And, um, so we were very, very pleased with, with, with that, out of those listing sessions. And, you know, and they came two, came two technical assistance circulars. And, uh, we thought they were both very, very good in, in, in, in the way that they supported, uh, Randolph Shepherd. They supported the vendors in, in, in, in giving the agencies a lot of leeway in terms of providing supports for the vendors, and also a lot of leeway in terms of how they can be creative and open up new locations with, with, with using federal dollars.
(16:09)
And so we were, we were very pleased. We're not taking all the credit for it. N-C-S-A-B, the National Council of State Agencies from the line. They had, uh, smaller, uh, listing sessions. Uh, but, um, um, you know, so, and, and they certainly have some influence in this process. But, uh, we were very pleased with the two technical assistance that did come, come out. Um, as a result of those listing sessions. We talked about Blast. You know, we did a couple of other sessions this in 2024. And the biggest, uh, you know, was Blast Innovation, uh, in Orlando in February. Um, that was a conference that we put together in fairly short order, uh, thinking we were gonna, you know, put a little conference together, bring about a hundred people to talk about innovation. And we ended up hitting, um, you know, close to 300 people for that.
(16:59)
It was absolutely a phenomenal three day event in Orlando. We always love being in Florida. And, uh, those folks down there are, are great hosts. And so we had a good time, uh, doing that. We did the Vista Northeast Show again in Atlantic City. We've been doing that show for a couple of years, and, um, did some training in conjunction with that large buying show. So, uh, you know, that was another, uh, successful, um, training activity that, uh, that we did. Uh, speaking of training, we, we worked in collaboration with the National Council and State Agencies for the Blind. Um, and we sponsored monthly, uh, training calls for, uh, blind vendors and agency on a number of topics. We sort of took six months and sort of led up to blast, uh, with, with those six different topics that we presented on. And we were very, uh, pleased with the, with the response that we got to those monthly training sessions, and happy to be able to collaborate with N-C-S-A-B and bringing those to you.
(18:09)
Nikki and I had an opportunity to speak at the fall meeting of N-C-S-A-B-N-C-L. Um, and, and, and we enjoyed that, uh, very much as well. We continued our, uh, relationship with the Light Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, uh, which we work, which we collaborate with in, in, in providing the Business Enterprises program, uh, learning, uh, um, training program, entry-level training program for new blind vendors. In 2024, we trained 58 people went through that program. Uh, we now have 39 states participating, uh, in, in, in, in that using it, in using the, the training modules through the Lighthouse, the online training modules, uh, in collaboration with their own entry level training, uh, which has proved very, very successful. Uh, we also helped, um, the Lighthouse get a federal grant, uh, to develop, uh, training modules in the area of healthy vending. And these training modules will become part of the entry level training program, um, as, as, as we move forward.
(19:19)
So the relationship with the Chicago Lighthouse is, is, is, is going strong, and we are very proud of the place that it holds in the Randolph Shepherd community and the role it plays in training perspective blind vendors. You heard us talk about doing state agency training. Well, uh, um, staying with the theme of training. We contracted with two states to do their annual training conferences in 2024. And there's a couple of other states that are talking to us about 2025, um, and, and, and possibly doing theirs. We'll see, uh, if those discussions go, go anywhere. But, um, you know, I think some folks were very impressed who had not been to any of our trainings. They showed up at Blast and they were blown away. And so they've approached us about, Hey, could you do training, our training for us, um, in, in our state?
(20:13)
So, so we've, we've had some very, um, preliminary conversations about that. So we'll see where that, where, where that goes. Another thing that we did in 2024 was, uh, we conducted the Randolph Shepherd 1 0 1 and committee training, uh, for three different state committees. And, uh, that's a virtual training class that, uh, that, that I present, uh, where we sort of go through Randolph Shepherd, uh, look at the regulations, look at the history, and, uh, also, um, then there's, there's a part two of that where we look at the role of the committee and how to be an effective committee. So, uh, if your Committee of blind vendors is interested in any, any training like that, it is about, um, um, you, you need to set aside basically two different, um, times for, to do the virtual training. And, uh, those are about 90 minutes in length each.
(21:10)
So, uh, if that's something you're interested in, you can get into contact with me and we can talk further about that. And we can also do something at your annual state conference in, in with those two things. Um, we continue working with Michael Delto, our Social Security consultant in 2024. He helped, um, 120 of our Randolph Shepherd blind vendors, uh, work with Social Security and their, uh, SSDI issues. So Big year for, for, for Michael Alto. Um, and, um, you know, those people who we've been able to help, who have been able to contribute so that we can pass it forward and, and continue to help vendors, uh, that is much appreciated. And, uh, you know, we have, we have to pay Michael for that work. So if anybody out there, uh, you know, thinks we're doing a good job and they want to contribute, then you know, we welcome those donations.
(22:10)
We continued our monthly committee chair calls. It's something we do every month, um, with, uh, the committee chairs and vice chairs, and generally have a guest speaker. And, and a lot of times it's just sort of round table discussions. And, uh, so if you're not getting our emails or you're not participating in the committee chair or vice chair calls and you wanna be, then you need to, um, let me know. Uh, in the area of advocacy, which we do a lot of, uh, if you heard us talk in the past, we tried to get innovation dollars from Congress to, to put money into the Randolph Shepherd program, to give states to do innovative projects. We asked for $36 million. We were asking for money that the states would return, that were returning unspent money from the VR program. And it just made good sense to say, Hey, you know, let's give these money back to the states that want it, and let them do innovation, innovative projects, uh, then, and they wouldn't have to put up a match.
(23:16)
And, you know, and, and a lot of other, uh, advantages to doing it that way. But then the states threw us a curve ball by matching all the federal dollars. And there were no dollars returned to the federal government the first time in recent memory that that has happened. So there were no innovation dollars that we were able to grab for Randolph Shepherd. We continue to have conversations with Congress about how we can address that in the future. The Randolph Shepherd Act specifically allows Congress to appropriate money for Randolph Shepherd. It never has. The only money that has ever been appropriated for Randolph Shepherd is the money we got during CID for the, uh, relief to the vendors in 2020. And other than that, there's never been a penny of money appropriated for Randolph Shepherd dating back to 1936. And we continue to talk with Congress about how to, to change that.
(24:11)
We've continued to have conversations with the Senate Small Business Committee that is showing some interest in being able to, to help us. And one of the areas that we're talking with them about primarily is in the area of contracting. Uh, the, the federal agencies are required to contract with small businesses, and they have to meet a quota. And Randolph Shepherd, uh, does not count as a small business because the contract is awarded to the state. So, um, we're trying to figure out how they're, how the states, how the contracting officers don't get penalized by giving a contract to Randolph Shepherd. 'cause currently, uh, they do not want to give it to Randolph Shepherd for that reason and that reason alone. Uh, and if we were way to take that disincentive away, we think it would help. Um, so that's sort of, uh, you know, some of the stuff that, um, uh, we've been, we did in 2024, and like I said, 2025 is gonna be even a bigger year.
(25:15)
One hit some of the highlights, um, you know, for the last quarter. And, uh, to give you, give you some of the news. That is the news. And let, let's start with RSA, the Rotation Services Administration. We were expecting a third technical assistant circular to be released this quarter. Uh, it did not happen. It was actually supposed to be released a quarter before that, and it did not happen. Um, we understand that there are still some, um, you know, intention to, to release that tack on. I think it's gonna be on SETASIDE and Management services. I'm really not sure the extent of, of, of what that tack will cover. Um, but, um, so far we have not seen that come out. And we'll have to see whether it comes out in early 2025 or not. We are anxious to hear that. Um, you know, it, another thing that we related to RSA is that they had indicated that there was, uh, we, we anticipated there was gonna be a notice of proposed rulemaking, um, uh, for, to address the issue of, well, to address the issue of, you know, whether or not a ev charging station is a vending machine.
(26:30)
And, um, the, I think they were looking at changing the definitions of vending machine vending facility. Uh, you know, they did post something on the website that sort of gave us some indication of what they were looking at with no details. Uh, and those regulations never were published. Um, and I think they are pretty well dead at this point considering the, you know, the election and we have a new president. Uh, this new president is not gonna be really big onto new regulations, so I would be shocked if the notice for proposed rulemaking proceeded. But, but, uh, you know, never say never. So we will have to see what happens with that, but we're not very optimistic that anything's gonna happen, uh, with it. And, um, so we'll just, we'll, we'll just probably be a little disappointed in that one. Speaking of RSA, I wanna send out our best wishes to Joanne Wilson, who's the former commissioner of RSA.
(27:33)
She is also the, uh, the wife of NAB and board member Harold Wilson from Virginia. Uh, she was very, very ill. Um, and, uh, is start is recovering now. And, uh, just wanna send out our prayers and, and good wishes to Joanne and Harold. Joanne is one of one of our favorite people in the whole world, and we wish her a speedy recovery while we're sending out best wishes. Um, I'd be remiss if I did not mention Michael Armstrong. Michael Armstrong is the committee chair from Georgia while at Blast. Um, he became ill, um, suffered what we were told were some, uh, mini strokes, was in intensive care in the hospital in Nashville for some time, uh, has been transferred back to, uh, Georgia, not exactly sure of his status having in the, you know, the last couple of weeks. Uh, but, uh, we keep Michael and his family in our, our thoughts and prayers.
(28:39)
Uh, and also we had a vendor in Texas that was involved in a car accident. It's pretty serious. Uh, Harvey, uh, Stefano was, um, was injured and, uh, wish him a speedy, uh, re re recovery. I wanna mention about, um, you know, the state BEP rules. Uh, I've been helping three states, uh, rewrite, revise their state BEP rules, and, uh, getting ready. All three states will be submitting those to RSA fairly soon. We have a package of model rules that, uh, we're happy to share with, with, with states, um, and, um, uh, you know, we're gonna be posting those on our website. Um, you know, I'm happy to work with states, you know, to, to, to customize the model rules. But, uh, you know, I think most states are capable of taking these model rules and then some implementing policies and really, you know, updating the way that you do business.
(29:39)
But in the meantime, we've had some issues with our website, but, uh, so we, we, we don't have the model rules up. Uh, and I want to get a few, couple of updates to those. But, uh, in the meantime, if anybody wants those model rules, then they need to, you know, reach out to me and happy to provide copies. I think I get more questions about, you know, what's gonna happen with the new administration coming in and, uh, the Department of Government efficiency. You know, we don't know. I mean, I mean, you know, we don't, we don't, we don't have a crystal ball. We have no way of knowing. Um, so, you know, we're gonna, we're going into this. We can say this, we can say that Randolph Shepherd has always been a bipartisan program. It has never been one that was supported by one party over the other.
(30:31)
And so, you know, we don't think that from that standpoint, somebody, you know, because the party's changed, and one party now has control of the, you know, both branches as well as the presidency, that that's a, a bad omen for, for, for Randolph Shepherd. You know, there could be some positives coming out of that. Um, you know, the, the president has indicated he plans to, uh, you know, bring federal workers back to the office, has reported that only 6% of federal workers now work at five day work week in the office, uh, while, and, and many of them are working full-time, uh, remotely. And, you know, we're seeing the same thing in the private sector where private sectors, banks and other corporate offices are requiring their employees to come back. The interesting thing about this is that, you know, on the one hand, this will be great news for our blind vendors on federal properties and even state and local properties, if, if, if states follow suit and bring all the state workers back.
(31:37)
But, um, um, you know, uh, the flip side of that is that, you know, according to Elon Musk, and, you know, 40 to 60% of the, of the employees are expected to quit. Um, you know, if they're required to come back and work full time. So, on the one hand, we may be getting more employees back into the office, but on the other hand, we may have a lot of them quit, but they're not in the office. They're not our customers anyway. So from a business standpoint, I guess, uh, from Randolph Shepherd, that would be a plus, an overall plus for us, if they do bring them back. Now, I don't want anybody out there to expect this to happen overnight. It is not gonna happen overnight. Uh, there are things that play here such as union contracts. As a matter of fact, um, you know, the federal government is entering into new union contracts, right?
(32:28)
Here is the, this administration goes out, which will allow, um, you know, work at home options for several years to come. And so know what this administration will try to do with those union contracts remains to, uh, be seen. You've also got the question of space. Where do you bring all these employees? If you do call them back, the federal government has let go. A lot of the lease space that they had, RSA, for example, the building they were in in Washington, DC was leased. And, uh, you know, that that building, they, you know, the federal government let it go. And, uh, so, uh, you know, they, they, they don't have that building to go back to. So there's not as much space available to call these workers back. So that's really gonna be some interesting dynamics to watch as we go through this. Another positive, you know, and you know, is, you know, the, the, the president's, uh, president-elect's plan for deportation.
(33:29)
You say, well, how's that gonna help Randolph Shepherd? Well, the answer is that, um, according to published reports, they plan to build several, um, detention facilities in Texas and Arizona, uh, to house these, uh, these, these immigrants before they ship 'em back. And they're talking about, uh, you know, they could, that could house up to a hundred thousand people. Um, those will be, uh, you know, federal property, and we would argue that the Rand Ship priority applies. So there may be some opportunities there as, as well, again, a lot of questions about what about Social security? You know, both parties, again, you know, they do not want to touch Social Security. Um, you know, so I, I, I think, you know, your SSDI is probably, you know, as safe as could be. Uh, not to say that somebody won't take a look at 'em. I, I can tell you this, there are people that, that really resent, uh, some of the, the benefits and some of the, the breaks that our guys get.
(34:32)
So if this is communicated to the right people, and then maybe, you know, somebody could take a look at it and, you know, it would be up to us to really, uh, you know, advocate to make sure that we keep those benefits. Some, uh, department of Defense, um, news, um, I mentioned the AFEs lawsuit. Uh, as I said, we're waiting on the judge to rule on that. So, uh, not much else to add there. We are very happy that, uh, and congratulate the Utah State Licensing Agency. And Willie Black and his teaming partner, FSIG, they are back in business at Hill Air Force Base. They took over, um, on November one and Willie Black, who, uh, uh, is the, the vendor there was, was there to greet the troops on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. And, um, we're, we're really happy that that one is back in the Randolph Shepherd fold.
(35:33)
Um, good news from Alaska, that Alaska has been awarded the Coast Guard contract at Ketchikan. And, um, so there's gonna be a blind vendor operating that one. The teaming partner there will be BCI, Blackstone Consulting Company. And so that one is coming up early in, in January. Congratulations to Idaho. And Tony Bridges the blind vendor and their teaming partner, Blackstone Consulting. As we understand that the Mountain Home Air Force base in Idaho will be directly negotiating with the SLA for, for their food service. Um, there, um, so some, so some positive developments, uh, in respect to some of these bases. We're trying to figure out what's going on with the Army transformation plans. Uh, the Army wants to change the way it does food services. Uh, we've been told that an RFP could hit the streets any minute, uh, for a project that would affect Fort Drum in New York, Fort Liberty in North Carolina, Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Kavanaugh's in Texas, and Fort Carson in Colorado.
(36:46)
Um, you know, what that con, what that contract will look like remains to be seen. Uh, we were heavily involved in conversations with the, with, with the Army and Department of Defense. When they tried this a couple of years ago, uh, we were able to thwart it. RSA got heavily involved in that. And so now the Army is going, gone back to the drawing table, and it seems like they're, they have shut us out. They've shut out the RSA and they're gone on about it their own way, but they're wanting to modernize the way their troops are fed, which we can't blame them for that. Uh, but we argue that the Randolph Shepherd priority applies. They're wanting to go more to a, a student, uh, campus food court kind of arrangement. And so, um, we are, we are trying to figure out what is going on with that.
(37:37)
Building. One is very interested as well, because they have a lot of the DFA contracts on that. If you notice the basis that I mentioned, none of them really have Randolph Shepherd. Now, Liberty does, but this will not affect the, uh, Randolph Shepherd piece of the business as we understand it. Um, you know, on the not so good news side, um, Florida, uh, bid on the Eglin Air Force base, and they were not in the competitive range there, so we missed an opportunity there. Uh, Georgia is going to arbitration, um, over, um, the fact that the Randolph Shepherd priority is not being recognized in that food service contract there, uh, which is really, you know, head scratching since they went to arbitration once before down there and won on that very issue. And it comes back out on bid, and the Army says, no, the Rand ship priority doesn't apply.
(38:35)
And, um, so it's going back to, um, arbitration. Got some things going on in Arizona at Fort Huachuca that, uh, we're, we're, we're sort of monitoring very closely. It's a very interesting situation there where, uh, the state agency believes that the blind vendors can operate without a teaming partner. Uh, the previous vendor had operated there for years. Scott Weber without a teaming partner, he retired. Um, and, uh, the state has set up all the supports for the help with payroll and everything else so that they do not have to use a, a teaming partner. And Tim Mead is the, the new vendor there. Uh, things seem to be going well, uh, but there are some, some potential litigations and things going on, and we're go, we're sort of watching to see, see where that goes. But from everything we've been able to learn, things are going okay as far as the actual operation of the contract, still waiting on news out of Ohio about their arbitration to get to the Air Force.
(39:45)
The, um, you know, the two issues, there were a fees, uh, which was blocking them from some locations and the payment of utilities. We understand that they may be reaching a settlement on that issue. Um, and so, you know, I don't wanna say much about what that settlement might look like, but that, um, you know, we're, we're encouraged by, by what we're hearing. And, um, you know, we were, we were really interested in seeing, you know, what the, how this arbitration played out because of the, the payment of utilities. Not many of our vendors are required to pay utilities, but it's in, isn't the only place that this happens. And so we were really, really, uh, wanting to, to look at that. Want to congratulate Eddie Turner, um, and the, uh, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services and FSIG. They have been awarded, they've been nominated for an award, uh, for the best food service on, uh, on, on, on their military base.
(40:45)
And, um, so no winner has been announced. And, uh, once we get the word, um, on, on, on that, we hopefully the next, on the next podcast, we'll be able to tell you about how, how, how they won that award. Congratulations, we think to Kansas. Uh, they were in serious danger of losing the, uh, new contract at the Leavenworth Prison. The, um, um, it was a, this was the first military prison contract that Red Off Shepherd had undertaken. Um, and they got off to a rough start, had to bring in a teaming partner, uh, change vendors, looks like that they've got that thing maybe back on, headed in the right direction, and we're gonna be able to salvage it for, for Randolph Shepherd. And, um, uh, I know it was touch and go for a while, but folks are, are feeling a little bit better.
(41:45)
A couple other locations out there, you know, we weren't in particular, I'm, I'm not gonna get into names yet, but, uh, where we are having some difficulties and we're, um, sort of waiting to see how things play out that, you know, where, where we have a, a contract that could be in jeopardy over over poor performance. So, um, the other news in the, the DOD arena is that, you know, Kentucky has gone forward with the, um, four vendors at Fort Knox. Not something that, um, you know, we support, um, but we understand the rationale behind it. This is something the vendors wanted to do in, in, in Kentucky. Um, you know, we think it's, you know, has, has a potential to be very dangerous for, for Rand DOIs Shepherd, but we'll have to see how that plays, uh, plays out. Um, so turning now to the, what's going on in the diff in the States, just some, some quick updates.
(42:45)
We've mentioned Kentucky. Um, Kentucky has been awarded the, uh, contract for Kentucky State University. They're gonna be operating the entire food service, the student, uh, meal plan program there. Um, not a huge contract. It's a couple million dollars, I think. Not a huge university, but, uh, still, I think it's probably maybe one of the only ones, uh, where Randolph Shepherd is operating the actual, uh, student meal plan. Maybe I'm wrong. I know Tennessee had, uh, maybe some on a junior college at one point, but, um, um, I don't know, maybe there's a few more out there, but that's pretty exciting for Kentucky. Uh, they will be teaming with Southern Food Service that teams with them on the military bases. Uh, I don't know of the timeline for that yet, but congratulations to the Kentucky SLA, uh, also happy you, you've heard us talk on this podcast for months that Mississippi was gonna open up.
(43:44)
Its first, uh, inmate commissary, and it is up and running. Uh, we are hearing no complaints, no problems with, with that operation. It's a small facility, 50 60 beds kind of operation. And, um, but, um, it is, um, they, they are finally up and running, and it is a start and really proud of the folks in Mississippi taking the initiative to, to make this happen. And Dorothy Young down there really had to, uh, really do some yeoman's work to pull this, pull this off. And, uh, so congratulations to them. Um, really excited to see, you know, we reported, we had Jim Heman, the, uh, director from Washington, the BEP director from Washington on, uh, on, on our podcast previously. They have, uh, actually bought two food trailers. They're basically food trucks without an engine. Um, and, um, uh, they are full, have full kitchens. And, uh, you know, we've been wanting states to get involved into the, the food truck side side of the business.
(44:44)
A food truck is a vending facility. Um, and, uh, therefore the priority applies in, in, in most cases. But the thing about a food truck or a food trailer is you can park it at the federal building in the daytime. You can take it to the baseball field at night and the concerts on the weekends. So, you know, a lot of opportunities there. And so, uh, we're, we're sort of, uh, uh, really excited to see, to see where that goes in, in Washington. They've made quite the investment, uh, there. Oregon is, well, has also, they bought a couple of smaller trailers, uh, but they too are sort of, uh, uh, taking the lead in, in, in that area. And we congratulate them. Uh, we wanna send our thoughts and prayers out to some of the vendors, um, you know, who were impacted by the hurricanes back in the fall, um, since our last podcast, you know, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina.
(45:40)
Um, you know, we do know that, you know, there were some, some, some vendors had, had, had damage to their homes. Um, mostly it was a case of vendors not having power. We know the vendors in the, uh, North Carolina, Tennessee border where Interstate 40 is still shut down, um, that those rest areas have obviously been closed. So they're still, um, you know, suffering from, from, from, from the effect of, of the hurricane. So, uh, you don't think of hurricanes in on the Tennessee North Carolina border, but that the floods that resulted from all of the rain were just, uh, unbelievable. And being from Tennessee, I can tell you that it was remarkable. And you see some of the pictures and hear some of the stories, it was just, just unbelievable. Um, North Carolina, uh, appears to be really moving in the direction of a nominee agency. Um, it looks like the director there and the agency are, are receptive.
(46:41)
They've developed a scope of work waiting for the RFP to actually hit the streets. Uh, we were told that that would probably be, you know, sometime around January one or by January one. So here we are. So let's see if that hits the street and what it looks like. Wisconsin, on the other hand, had a nominee agency, and they have terminated that contract. And as of present time are operating everything in-house. I don't think they will go back to a nominee, but they could very well. But at this point, uh, they do not have a nominee. So we're really down to, um, only three Virginia, um, Missouri and Georgia. And Georgia is having serious deliberations about eliminating theirs. Um, you know, which I think would be a serious mistake, I think, uh, I, you know, I think nominees give you an avenue to do a lot of things you cannot do in state government.
(47:38)
I've said many times, if I was a director today, uh, I would go the nominee route in two seconds. Um, but, um, you know, a lot of states not inclined to do that, but, uh, looks like that, you know, North Carolina may be. I mentioned the, um, immigration issue earlier. Uh, Florida is in, um, conflict resolution with, um, um, immigration folks, uh, over a detention center there. The Florida BEP has operated the commissary there, very profitable commissary there. And, um, so, um, um, they have been, uh, told that, uh, uh, the contractor who's running the center, who plans on taking over the commissary, they are in conflict resolution. And, uh, don't know the status of that. See, I don't know if it's producing much in the way of results. Uh, but let's hope so. Let's hope we can preserve that location for a blind vendor.
(48:37)
We were involved in a lot of state meetings. Uh, you know, the fall is a busy time for Randolph Shepherd and state, state annual training conferences. Um, we were in Mississippi, we were in Texas, we were in Kentucky, we were in Georgia, we were in Illinois. Uh, we did California virtually. We did Iowa. Virtually, we did Oregon virtually. We did North Carolina virtually, uh, virtually. And then I was also in DC, uh, to do some, uh, technical assistance up there with, with that agency, with, uh, with a meeting of the committee. So we had, um, you know, on the road a lot doing the annual training conferences. We remind you if you are a state that subscribes to our subscription services, you get, uh, one person to come to your state free of charge, uh, as, as a speaker. Um, and in some cases it can be, it's in person.
(49:32)
Sometimes it's virtual. But be sure to let us know well in advance, if you are wanting a speaker from NABM, you need to contact Nikki Gecos. Still got some state director vacancies out there. North Carolina remains vacant. Uh, Kansas is vacant. Um, Matthew Miller is acting as the interim there in Colorado. John Adams has resigned, to my knowledge, that has not been filled. Um, and in Mississippi, Bobby Harrelson, um, he re he came from Wendy's, uh, and, and stayed on the job seven or eight months, and then went back to Wendy's. So, uh, Dorothy Young down there is looking for a BEP director. Just, uh, some quick updates on what's going on with industry news. You've heard us talk about the Corporate Transparency Act. Um, you know, we're into January now, so it doesn't really matter. But, um, the, you know, that on, again, off again, where you had to file if you were an LLC or some other type of entity, uh, and, and disclose who your owners were.
(50:35)
Um, you know, we heard just that, you know, within few days before the end of the year, that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, um, had to lifted the, the, um, uh, restraining order. And, uh, that the new deadline for filing would be January 13th. And then within 48 hours, another judge has basically shot it down. And, um, um, and that, so that the reporting requirements do not apply. Uh, there's gonna be a court hearing arguments in March, and we'll just the other decide after that, uh, you know, what happens. And beyond that, the electric vehicle charging stations are sort of back in the news. Um, you know, a member of Congress reached out to Nikki and me and the NFB wanted to have a conversation about, uh, where we stood on, on, on that, on that issue. Um, we took the meeting. I can't say that it was with a great deal of enthusiasm, because don't think that, um, under this next administration, you're gonna see a real push for electric vehicle charging stations at the interstate rest areas, which is what this meeting was about.
(51:42)
We're certainly willing to listen and be part of a plan that, you know, recognizes the, uh, the Randolph Sheppard priority, uh, but not very optimistic that there's gonna be much happening in that area. Um, another thing happening January one, um, that's today, uh, 21 states increased their minimum wage. So, uh, you know, make sure you know what your state's minimum wage is. I'm not gonna go through that list of states, but make sure you know that so that you are meeting your, um, your minimum wage requirements. Also, would encourage all of you to go to the NAMA website and check out, uh, their tax benefits and incentives resource, uh, uh, information they have there. A lot of really good information by the National Automatic Merchandising Association on tax benefits and incentives. So go check that out. And last, uh, I, I do wanna mention a couple months ago I talked about that Texas and Oklahoma had introduced vending machines to sell ammunition.
(52:43)
Well, New Jersey has gone the other direction, and they have introduced a bill banning the selling of any ammunition through a vending machine. So it's just a difference of two states. And, you know, shouldn't surprise you. You know that Oklahoma and Texas are the states that say you can, and New Jersey is a state that says you can't. So, um, but, uh, did find that interesting after we had just reported it a few months back, um, that it was something brand new. Before we close, we'll sort of look, look forward a little bit to what the calendar shows. We are gonna be doing a blast conference, uh, uh, mini blast or whatever you want to call it, May 5th and sixth in conjunction with the nama, uh, food Show, um, in, uh, in Las Vegas. So, you know, if you get to go to Vegas, uh, you know, then, then, then we would love to see you there.
(53:37)
We will be doing a training starting late on May the fifth, going all day on May the sixth. Uh, and then you stay over and you go to the NAMA show, May 7th, eighth and ninth. Uh, so you basically go, can go to two conferences and you know, if you've never been to the NAMA show, this is the one you need to go to, uh, 'cause you can come support our event. And, you know, this, this show is just unbelievable. Uh, if you were at Blast, you know, you saw we had, you know, 60, 65 exhibitors, well, at the NAMA show, you're gonna have 300 or 350 exhibitors. Um, and it's just really, really quite amazing. So now they also have some great educational conferences, and then we'll be doing the training as well. So plan on joining us in, in, in Las Vegas, May 5th and sixth.
(54:26)
Um, you just, uh, need to go ahead and, and, and, and book your rooms through the NAMA website. We are, uh, having conversations about doing a fly-in with all the political issues that are, that are happening. Um, and we will be having some planning sessions in January to talk about that. So stay tuned. It will not be a full blown fly in where we just invite anybody to everybody. Uh, but it will be a fly in where if you're member of Congress is on a, um, you know, an important committee or subcommittee, then you know, we may, we may need you in Washington DC for that flying. Um, and Nikki plans to do the Vista Show, the Northeast Buying Show again this year. So mark your calendar's now for October 8th and ninth in Atlantic City. So, um, you know, those, those, that's another event that will be be coming up.
(55:23)
And of course, every year we do the National Federation of the Blind National Convention. This year, it's July 8th through the 13th in New Orleans. So come down and get you some good caging cooking. Um, come meet with the vendors and then attend the, uh, convention of the National Federation of the Blind, again, July the eighth, through the 13th in New Orleans. So that brings us to the close of the, uh, blitz for January of 2025. Again, I wanna wish each and every one of you a happy New Year. Look forward to being back with Nikki in February for our next episode of the We Are Rad Dive Shepherd podcast. Goodnight everybody.
Sponsors (56:15):
The Weir Randolph Shepherd Podcast would like to thank our sponsors, the National Association of Blind Merchants, Coca-Cola, Blackstone Consulting, Southern Food Service, Siteline Wealth Management, Sodexo in Reach, Tyler Technologies, FSIG. You selected Cantaloupe Keurig, Dr. Pepper Commissary services of Nashville.
Terry (56:40):
If you would like to support the We Are Randolph Shepherd Podcast, we would love to have you on board. Corporate sponsors may contact Nikki gecos@nikkicolorado.netscape.net. Individuals who would like to support the podcast may do so by donating to the National Association of Blind merchants@www.blindmerchants.org. We would love to have your support.