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Good morning Chainnan Torldldsen and members of the Subcommittee. My name is Constantine 

 (Connie) BassilaJas and I am President of Grey Fox Technologies - a small busmess firm 

 specializing in gas turbine related technologies. I am extremely honored to have been given the 

 opportunity' to share my favorable experiences witii the Small Business Administration's SBIR 

 program and ofifer recommendations on how the program can be further enhanced from the view 

 point of a new small busmess firm. 



1 thought it might be helpful, before starting my testimony, if I first provided a bnef overview of 

 my experience due to my newness to the SBIR program. I joined liic Pratt & Whimey Aircraft 

 Division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in 1957 as a systems engmeer after graduating 

 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with a BSME. During the next 36 years with UTC and 

 later. General Electnc Aircraft Engines, I held many cnticai engineering, business development, 

 and program management positions in the gas turbine mdustry. I also supplemented this work 

 expenence by obtaining an MSME and MBA from RPI. In late 1993, 1 founded Grey Fox 

 Technologies after attending and becoming motivated at an excellent National SBIR Conference 

 held in Washington on October 13-15, 1993 sponsored by DoD and NSF. 



Now on to my testimony. 



Grev Fox Technologies Overview 



As you well know, the aircraft engine industry has been downsized due to reductions in defense 

 funding, a slowdown in the world's commercial air transport business and intensive international 

 competition. The industry is bemg forced to further reduce head count and otiier expenses to meet 

 stockholder commitments. This environment is cutting into the industry's capability to explore the 

 jngcr term technologies needed to protect its market posrtion in the next centiffy against growing 

 international competition. Grey Fox Technologies has been structured to supplement the aircraft 

 engine mdustry's cnticai need for new technologies by competing for U. S. Government contracts 

 such as those related to the SBIR and STTR programs. As you will hear m a few moments, our 

 track record shows that we have been very successftil in meeting this objective. 



Grey Fox Technologies was formed by former General Electric Aircraft Engine (GEAE) 

 employees. Its principal- -place of business is in Andover, Massachusetts with employees located in 

 both Massachusetts and Ohio. Grey Fox Technologies is staffed with an extremely talented team of 



gas turbme engineering, manufacturing, and product support professionals with a track record 



second to none in the gas turbine mdustry. The Grey Fox Technologies Team has extensive, hard 

 learned experience on what it takes to design, develop and commercialize advanced technology 

 concepts for aircraft, industrial, and marine gas turbme applications. In addition, the Grey Fox 

 Technologies team has demonstrated skills in setting up and managing a wide range of consortium 

 efforts. 



Grey Fox Technologies is dedicated to growth... doing useful worit... developing a product niche 

 and providing good jobs for both former salary and hourly aerospace industry employees. As an 

 added benefit to the U. S Government, Grey Fox Technologies is creating an inventory of critical 

 resources - both retired and laid-ofiF aerospace employees - that will be available and up-to-date 

 with modem gas turbine technology in the event of a national emergency. 



