Latest news with #KevinBrandt
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Ridge Parkway's iconic Mabry Mill being renovated after recent ice storms
PATRICK COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – Mabry Mill, a popular stop for photos in Patrick County, stands on the blue ridge parkway, however, the mill has been closed to the public because of recent ice storms. But now renovations have started. (Photo Credit: Zoe Mowery) 'It's almost hard to describe how much people love Mabry Mill. The mill is the iconic image of life here in Appalachia,' said Kevin Brandt, the Vice President for Engagement with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Mabry Mill was built over a century ago by Ed and Lizzie Mabry, where for three decades the couple ground corn, sawed lumber and did blacksmithing. The tools they used still sit inside the mill, and with these renovations the first step has been to ensure they stay safe, and the renovations stay historically accurate. (Photo Credit: Zoe Mowery) Summer lane closures and work zones on Blue Ridge Parkway 'The second step will be to remove the shakes, the old shakes, and see if everything underneath is in good condition or needs to be repaired. The craftsman from the preservation training center will be able to do that. If they find that once they do, then they will install the new shakes,' said Brandt. (Photo Credit: Zoe Mowery) Now, for some folks who may be unfamiliar with the area, a fun fact about Mabry Mill is it's one of the most photographed places on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That was until an ice storm earlier this year damaged the roof, closing the mill to visitors, but now, the repairs are underway. Roanoke Valley recognized as 'Best of the Blue Ridge for 2025' by Blue Ridge Outdoors 'It's exciting to see a new roof come on and hopefully help revitalize our tourism and we want people to enjoy the parkway and come down and visit and go on into Meadows of Dan and Floyd County and the Town of Floyd, and enjoy the shops and the local communities,' said Rebecca Adcock, the Executive Director for the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce. Local businesses are still recovering from those ice storms. While they are grateful the mill will reopen soon, they say there are other problems that need to be addressed. (Photo Credit: Zoe Mowery) 'It's devastating to local businesses, that it takes the parkway that long to clean up the road so there's many symptoms to a larger problem. So while we're really grateful for the new roof on Mabry Mill, it's just one of many, many problems,' said Felecia Shelor, the owner of Poor Farmers Market and Concord Corner Store, 'And the answer can't be addressed with donations from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, it's going to have to be a federal government effort.' Officials with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation say they hope to have the mill back open by the end of June or beginning of July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Baker Tilly Insights Into Transformative Ways AI Is Helping Government Contractors
Authored by Kevin Brandt Government contracting has always been characterized by complex processes, documentation and rigorous compliance requirements. The processes traditionally demand human resources and expertise to navigate. Additionally, these legacy processes often lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for innovation. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are deployed to address these longstanding challenges. The intersection of AI and government contracting showcases a shift in how government contractors operate and maintain compliance. The impact of AI in the contracting industry is beyond automation of routine tasks, it is now enabling a more strategic approach that can adapt to changing needs and leverage data in unprecedented ways. Proposal development and optimization Government contractors are now using AI-powered tools to improve their proposal development process and win rates. These systems analyze past successful proposals, client-specific requirements and evaluation criteria to help contractors create more compelling and compliant bids. AI tools in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems can parse complex government solicitations in minutes rather than the hours it would take proposal teams to do manually, extracting key requirements, deadlines and evaluation criteria into organized formats. Practical applications include: For contractors of all sizes, these AI capabilities mean more proposals can be developed with fewer resources, while simultaneously improving quality and compliance. This can be a genuine competitive advantage in the federal marketplace. Contract management Once a contract is won, AI can ensure successful performance, identify potential issues before they become problems and gather data to strengthen future bids. AI capabilities automatically extract and track key contract terms, deliverable schedules and compliance requirements, alerting when deadlines approach or potential performance issues emerge. More sophisticated systems can analyze performance data across multiple contracts to identify trends and patterns. For example, these tools might recognize that certain types of deliverables consistently fall behind schedule, allowing contractors to address systemic issues before they impact customer satisfaction. Practical applications include: These capabilities not only improve performance on current contracts but also build a stronger foundation for winning future work by ensuring customer satisfaction and documenting past performance. Risk mitigation Government contractors operate in a highly regulated environment where compliance failures can lead to serious consequences. AI-powered ERP solutions can continuously monitor transactions, communications and activities for potential compliance issues. For example, these tools can analyze expense reports to flag potential violations of contract billing rules. Beyond these applications, predictive analytics models embedded in AI enable contractors to take preemptive measures to reduce potential issues by forecasting future risks based on historical data. Practical applications include: By identifying and addressing compliance issues before they escalate, AI can help contractors avoid costly problems while simultaneously reducing the administrative burden of manual compliance reviews. Decision-making AI-integrated solutions integrate data from across the organization to provide executives with actionable insights that drive better business decisions. Specialized government contracting platforms such as Deltek have incorporated AI capabilities that go beyond traditional reporting. These tools use machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and relationships in complex data sets that would be impossible for humans to discover through conventional example, the solutions can identify correlations between specific proposal strategies and win rates or between contract types and profitability metrics, helping leadership allocate resources more applications include: By replacing intuition and gut feelings with data-driven insights, these AI systems are helping contractors make more objective, evidence-based decisions about where to invest their limited resources for maximum return. How we can help Deltek solutions for government contractors leverage AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and provide data-driven insights. These capabilities help reduce manual effort, mitigate risks and optimize performance, ultimately driving greater efficiency and compliance. As a trusted Deltek alliance partner, Baker Tilly provides seamless implementation, integration and optimization of Deltek's enterprise solutions. Contact a Baker Tilly specialist to learn more.
