Sen. Baucus and Sen. Nelson laud tribal success at S&K Technologies

ST. IGNATIUS – Max Baucus and his colleague in the U.S. Senate, Bill Nelson, of Melbourne, Fla.,
toured a tribal facility involved in defense contracting Thursday and told employees and managers
they were impressed by the firm’s success.

BY JOHN STROMNES
Of The Missoulian

Nelson, who flew on a space shuttle mission in the 1980s while he was a Florida congressman and is a
member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said S&K Technologies’ http://sktcorp.com/ preparation of Air Force and Navy
technical manuals is a vital cog in the overall defense effort.
Without those documents – which will be available in digital format, instead of bulky bound volumes – it is
impossible to maintain and repair weapon systems and aircraft.

S&K Technologies also performs Defense Department work in logistics for the Air Force. As a tribal entity it
gets preference in bidding over other firms, but the work must be done to high government standards.

"On the space shuttle, there are 1,500 critical parts, any one of which fails, that’s it. That’s why work such as
S&K Electronics is doing is so important – to get the right parts to the right place so the machines can still
function. Our men and women in uniform are fortunate to be able to rely on people like you," Nelson said.
Baucus said he was particularly impressed by a nondefense initiative by S&K Technologies that will bring
the firm’s information-technology expertise to bear on tribal health care on the Flathead Reservation.

Rhonda Whiting, president of the firm, and Binky Hall, chair of the board of directors, said the firm is
developing in-house software to track, report, bill and account for the entire health-care network managed by the
tribal government for benefit of enrolled tribal members and descendants on the Flathead Reservation.
"This software will give us a tool kit to input and process all information on tribal health, and expedite billing
and services," Hall said.

Hall said once the system has proved its worth on the Flathead Reservation, S&K Technologies will sell or
license it to other tribal health and public health agencies across the nation.
"That’s something that’s really needed," Baucus said.
Nelson, who is helping Baucus in his re-election campaign, said that in Montana, folks call Montana’s
senior senator Max informally. But back in Washington. "Max is a big deal. We don’ t call him Max. We call him
Mr. Chairman."
Baucus, because of seniority and the Democratic control of the Senate, now serves as chair of the Senate
Finance Committee. Finance is "the most important committee in Congress, and Max Baucus is the third most
powerful person in the U.S. Senate. I’m doing my little part to make sure he stays a big deal for the state of
Montana," Nelson said.

Baucus told his listeners that Americans "want good-paying jobs, health care, hope for our children’s
future. You are a critical part of all that. I want to work to get you more contracts."

Baucus visited the Missoula Technical Center on Thursday before traveling north toward Somers, Rollins
and Kalispell for campaign appearances.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2002/08/10/build/local/88-max.inc