Michael J. Ash

Mike J. Ash serves as a Purchase Agent for the USDA Forest Service, responsible for executing timely and compliant acquisitions to support operational readiness across remote and rugged federal lands. His role centers on procuring critical goods and services essential to forest health, infrastructure resilience, and emergency response capabilities. He manages a diverse portfolio of construction, technical, and professional services contracts, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and the agency’s mission to sustain national forest ecosystems. His acquisitions directly enable field operations, including facility maintenance, environmental restoration, and workforce support in high-priority geographic zones. Ash maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of contractors including ACI FEDERAL INC, ONE STOP RECRUITING LLC, GONDO ROY E MD, THE LOCUMS CO, LLC, and AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC. These partnerships reflect a blend of construction, staffing, medical, and technology service providers critical to sustaining Forest Service operations. His procurement approach emphasizes reliability, regulatory compliance, and performance-based outcomes, fostering long-term vendor engagement with firms capable of delivering specialized services in challenging environments. A strong advocate for small business participation, Ash consistently prioritizes small business set-asides, with over 58% of his acquisitions designated for total small business contracting under FAR 19.5. He also actively supports 8(a) competed set-asides and HUBZone participation, reflecting a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic equity and community-based economic development. His contracting patterns demonstrate a strategic emphasis on expanding opportunities for disadvantaged and geographically targeted small businesses aligned with the Forest Service’s regional operational needs. His primary procurement focus lies in commercial and institutional building construction (NAICS 236220), roofing (238160), and plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning systems (238220), alongside water and sewer infrastructure (237110) and analytical laboratory instrumentation (334516). These categories reflect his technical expertise in sustaining forest service facilities, ranger stations, and field laboratories, ensuring mission-critical infrastructure remains functional, safe, and resilient in remote and high-risk environments.