Sandia National Laboratories’ Mentor-Protégé Program, an initiative dedicated to fostering the growth of small and disadvantaged businesses within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) complex, has once again garnered prestigious recognition for its significant impact and success. The program’s continued excellence underscores the DOE’s commitment to integrating diverse suppliers into its critical national security and scientific missions. At the heart of this achievement is Royina Lopez, Sandia’s supplier relations specialist, whose leadership as program manager has dramatically expanded the reach and effectiveness of this mentorship framework, positioning Sandia as a benchmark for collaborative innovation across the DOE enterprise.
The DOE’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) annually recognizes exemplary programs and leaders who contribute to the strategic inclusion of small businesses in the nation’s energy sector. This year, Lopez received the distinguished Director’s Excellence Award, an honor not given lightly, recognizing her exceptional efforts in transforming the Mentor-Protégé Program into the largest and most robust in the DOE network. Her work has been instrumental in elevating small business participation in complex federal projects, driving both economic growth and technological advancements.
Lopez’s vision extended beyond routine program management. She was pivotal in authoring a comprehensive Mentor Program Guide that standardizes protocols across the DOE’s various sites. This guide provides a consistent framework for mentor-protégé relationships, enhancing the quality and predictability of engagements while reducing administrative barriers that often impede small business growth. By establishing this blueprint, she has enabled a scalable and replicable model that other DOE laboratories and contractors now adopt with measurable success.
In addition, Lopez spearheaded the first-ever Mentor-Protégé Forum, a groundbreaking event that brought together mentors, protégés, and emerging small businesses engaged or aspiring to engage with DOE contracts. This forum created a dynamic platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and strategic alignment, further amplifying the program’s visibility and value proposition. Attendees gained insights into navigating the complex regulatory environment of DOE procurements and leveraged peer experiences to enhance their competitive positioning.
Among the protégés recognized for outstanding advancement through this program is Strategic Industry Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business headquartered in Kingsburg, California. Founded by Jason Miller in 2007, the company was built upon a rich legacy of skilled trades but initially faced the challenge of penetrating Sandia National Laboratories’ contractor ecosystem. Miller’s personal trajectory—from entrepreneurially inclined MBA graduate to leader of a family-rooted construction business—illustrates the transformative power of tailored mentorship in bridging market entry barriers.
Strategic Industry Inc. specializes primarily in general construction and electrical trade services, industries that inherently demand precision, adherence to rigorous safety standards, and compliance with evolving technological protocols. The company’s growth trajectory is particularly notable given its expansion into highly specialized projects such as electrical upgrades and security system installations at DOE facilities, which require sophisticated technical acumen and certification adherence. Leveraging mentorship, the firm enhanced its internal capacities, streamlined compliance protocols, and restructured operational workflows to meet the demanding standards expected by DOE laboratories.
The timeline of progress accelerated significantly following Strategic Industry’s acceptance into Sandia’s Mentor-Protégé Program in 2020. This partnership enabled the company to navigate complex federal contracting landscapes and gain invaluable access to project opportunities that were previously elusive. Strategic Industry’s portfolio has since expanded to include laboratory renovations, electrical services, and infrastructure security upgrades across Sandia’s California site, along with significant contracts at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. These projects collectively exceed $2 million in value, demonstrating not only technical prowess but also the strategic economic impact the company now commands.
Further expanding its operational reach, Strategic Industry has recently initiated projects on Sandia’s Albuquerque campus, a move that signifies broadening trust and reliance on their capabilities across geographically diverse DOE facilities. The company is actively pursuing additional contracts at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, and New Mexico Veterans Affairs facilities, signaling robust growth and diversification into multifaceted infrastructural domains. To support this trajectory, Strategic Industry inaugurated an Albuquerque office in early 2025, underpinning its commitment to scalability, regional engagement, and enhanced project management capacity.
This ascent exemplifies the tangible outcomes that well-structured mentorship programs can generate, particularly when aligned with the technical rigor and compliance requirements of large scientific institutions. The company’s leadership credits the Mentor-Protégé Program with fundamentally reshaping their approach to contracting, business development, and project execution. By acquiring not only business skills but also insight into DOE’s compliance frameworks and risk management protocols, Strategic Industry has cultivated a competitive edge, enabling successful participation in high-stakes, technically complex projects.
Recognition as DOE’s Protégé of the Year further cements Strategic Industry’s stature as a model small business flourishing within a demanding federal marketplace. The award acknowledges not only corporate leadership but also the dedicated workforce behind the scenes—electricians, contractors, project managers, and administrative staff whose expertise and perseverance drive daily operations. The company’s co-owner, Rick Arteaga, emphasizes the collective effort and familial support essential to sustaining their growth, highlighting the personal sacrifices that often accompany high-performance contracting in this sector.
The story of Strategic Industry Inc. also reflects broader themes relevant to workforce development and veteran reintegration in technical trades. By leveraging the deep experience of its senior members—founders with decades of electrical and contracting expertise—the company preserves and expands critical skilled labor in the energy and defense sectors. This intergenerational knowledge transfer, coupled with contemporary business acumen, positions Strategic Industry as a formidable player within DOE’s evolving supply chains.
Ultimately, what began as a vision to build a meaningful enterprise within a competitive industry has evolved into a dynamic success story propelled by strategic mentorship, technical excellence, and steadfast commitment. Sandia National Laboratories’ Mentor-Protégé Program continues to serve as a catalyst for such transformations, underpinning DOE’s broader mission objectives by ensuring that small businesses like Strategic Industry Inc. are not just participants but pivotal contributors to the innovation and infrastructure essential for national security and scientific advancement.
Subject of Research: Mentor-Protégé Programs supporting small business growth within DOE national laboratories
Article Title: Sandia’s Mentor-Protégé Program Powers Small Business Breakthroughs in National Laboratory Contracting
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Image Credits: Craig Fritz/Sandia National Labs
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development, Mentor-Protégé Program, Department of Energy, National Laboratories, Strategic Industry Inc., Electrical Trades, Construction, Veteran-Owned Business, Federal Contracting, Sandia National Laboratories
