Army veteran opens woman-owned construction contracting business
Lalini Enterprises of Washington, D.C. | Domiciled in Florida
After serving 25 years in the Army as an Environmental Science Officer, Lalini Pillay decided that she wanted to transition out, and start a business of her own. She wanted to use the skills she’d developed in the service and become a government contractor, serving the government in a different capacity. That’s when she created Lalini Enterprises, a government contractor specializing in construction.
Although Pillay had knowledge of the industry, she realized she needed some guidance in developing the business itself.
“I reached out to the Florida PTAC at USF because as a new business owner, I didn’t have much of an idea of how to tailor my business and develop it,” Pillay said. “So, I read online that this office delivered the needs that I was looking for. I reached out to and met with Karen Krymski,
and she has been extremely helpful since then.”
Since contacting the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at University of South Florida, Pillay has noticed a significant amount of growth within her business.
“My business has grown tremendously since working with Florida PTAC at USF,” she said. “Karen has been extremely helpful in helping me navigate through SAM, actually helping me get my first contract and successfully completing it.
“I had no contracts before engaging with Karen, and since then I have completed two contracts successfully, one of them being with the Department of Interior, and the other with the National Park Service. She has been extremely helpful in guiding me and supporting me from getting contracts to completion.”
Because of the success Pillay has experienced in working with the Florida PTAC at USF thus far, she is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her business and would recommend the Florida PTAC at USF to other small businesses.
“As I continue moving forward with my business, I will continue to use the Florida PTAC,” she said. “They’ve been very receptive to my questions and have provided all the support I’ve needed. As my business grows, I will have additional questions so I will continue to use them as much as I can in the future.
Pillay is grateful for the connections she’s made through the Florida PTAC at USF, especially with her procurement specialist, Krymski.
“She’s awesome. She has resources at her fingertips and she’s always willing to share them. If you have the opportunity as a small business, reach out to her or the PTAC office. They are amazing and wonderful to work with.”
