The Challenge

313 company logo

As a small business in Warren bidding on Department of Defense contracts, Dr. Rita Fields knew that in order to win contracts, 313 Industries needed to meet the compliance requirements of DFARS 252.204-7012.  In addition to this, the DoD released the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification standard that would require all companies to be certified to a specified maturity level by 2025 and since 313 Industries had taken minimal steps to meet the NIST 800-171, they  knew they needed to start addressing the requirements right away. However, for a company with limited financial resources, finding a trusted consultant that was able to support this initiative while remaining within their budget and timeline, was a challenge.  To assist with this, 313 began looking for external support through seminars and local resources.

Background

Dr Rita Fields and Dan Kendall

Dan Kendall and Dr. Rita Fields of 313 Industries

313 Industries Inc. is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise and Women Owned Small Business located in Warren, Michigan that provides contract machining and manufacturing for the world’s most demanding industries including defense, aerospace and automotive.

The experience of the 313 team coupled with the intelligent use of the latest technologies ensures that 313 Industries consistently delivers the highest quality, reliable delivery and competitive pricing. When the US Military plans upgrades that will add functionality to armored vehicles located around the world, they look to 313 Industries to provide the componentry, hardware and all items necessary to perform the installation. “When we close the lid on one of the products we manufacture, it’s likely that a soldier somewhere around the world will be the next person to open it. It must be there when they expect it, and it all has to be right. When a soldier opens one of the products, it better all be there, down to the last washer. There is no hardware store where our soldiers are serving.” said CEO Rita Fields.  With a leadership team strong in strategic planning and manufacturing, 313 Industries Inc. specializes in full and limited-run production and delivers consistently high quality hard-to-machine parts, which is critical for a Department of Defense supplier.

313 Industries’ CEO Rita Fields began her journey as a homeless, high school dropout with a newborn. However, she refused to let these challenges stop her. Through grit, integrity and perseverance, Dr. Fields changed her trajectory and became an advocate for underserved populations and is working to make a difference in the local community. She created 313 Industries with the aim of better supporting the military.  313 offers contractor diversity that is much needed in and supported by the Department of Defense and other government agencies. 313 Industries Inc. focuses on corporate social responsibility by pledging to reinvest 5% of their revenue into local Detroit non-profit organizations.

Solution

In seeking support for the new cybersecurity requirements rolling out from the DoD, 313 Industries learned of the Defense Cybersecurity Assurance Program (DCAP) operated by the Economic Growth Institute at the University of Michigan from their local Procurement Technical Assistance Center and reached out for help.  With the assistance of the DCAP, 313 Industries was introduced to a thoroughly vetted list of cybersecurity consultants that have proven to meet the needs of a small business. Through this process, after reviewing three vetted consultant proposals, 313 chose NSF Global Business Solutions, as their proposal best aligned with 313’s needs, timeline, and budget to assist them with meeting the DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements.  Through this process, they were able to implement the required processes and procedures to assist in preparation for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

Results

With matching funds provided through DCAP, 313 Industries was able to attain compliance to DFARS 252.204-7012 by conducting a detailed gap assessment, developing a System Security Plan and a Plan of Action and Milestones for addressing the 110 security controls within NIST SP 800-171 plus the additional 20 controls identified in CMMC for level 3 maturity.  By implementing the required security controls, they have taken the appropriate steps to close the gap on our adversaries to collect proprietary company information and to protect CUI for the DoD.  The defense supply chain needs diverse companies and 313 Industries is now well-positioned to continue to be a valued supplier in the defense industrial base.  Without DCAP, 313 would have had difficulty meeting the DoD requirements and could have lost valuable contracts.

“We deeply value our relationship with the DoD and want to honor that by being compliant with their contract requirements. We are incredibly grateful to DCAP for their support in this endeavor.”

-Dr. Rita Fields, CEO of 313

April 13, 2021

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