Karla Agurto

Karla Agurto serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Office of Acquisition and Procurement, supporting mission-critical research infrastructure at field stations and experimental sites. She manages the acquisition of specialized laboratory instrumentation, precision environmental control systems, and facility maintenance services essential to sustaining agricultural science operations. Her work directly enables data-driven research by ensuring that federal research facilities remain operational, compliant, and technologically current, aligning with the agency’s strategic goals of innovation and resilience in agricultural science. Agurto maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of contractors, including McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, and L1 Enterprises Incorporated. These partnerships reflect a focus on firms capable of delivering complex site development, technical infrastructure support, and specialized environmental systems. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, technical proficiency, and long-term vendor collaboration, particularly with contractors experienced in federal research facility environments and compliance with federal construction and environmental standards. A strong advocate for small business participation, Agurto consistently prioritizes Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with 75% of her procurements reserved for small businesses. This pattern underscores a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic inclusion, fostering opportunities for qualified small firms to contribute to high-impact scientific missions. Her contracting patterns reflect a structured preference for small business vendors while maintaining rigorous performance standards across all awarded contracts. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 562111 (Solid Waste Collection), reflecting the need for environmental compliance and sustainable operations at USDA research sites, complemented by NAICS 333921 (Elevator and Moving Stairway Manufacturing) for facility modernization projects. These categories highlight her technical expertise in managing logistics and infrastructure services that support the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible operation of federal agricultural research facilities.