What is The GSA?

On the homepage of Action Compaction Equipment’s website, you’ll notice the GSA logo and the words “GSA Approved Vendor.”  What is the GSA? GSA stands for General Services Administration. It’s an independent U.S. government agency originally established in 1949 by President Truman. Basically, it was started to streamline administrative work of the federal government, dealing with administering supplies and providing workplaces for federal employees. Back then, GSA handled a variety of tasks, including disposing of war surplus goods as well as stockpiling supplies for wartime. Today, GSA’s role typically includes providing transportation and workspace to federal workers and facilitating the government’s purchase of goods and services from commercial vendors. The GSA is involved in constructing, managing and preserving government buildings. It also handles government websites and works to develop government-wide cost-minimizing policies. There are about 12,000 federal workers employed by the GSA, overseeing $66 billion of procurement annually. The GSA has several divisions, including the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), the Public Buildings Service (PBS), and the Technology Transformation Service (TTS). When you see the term “GSA approved” it indicates that an organization (like Action Compaction Equipment) has been approved to sell to the U.S. government through the GSA. When an organization is “GSA approved,” that means the government buyer benefits from shorter lead times, lower administrative costs and less complex procurement regulations. In essence, the GSA helps streamline government purchasing by approving quality organizations, like Action Compaction Equipment, as a “go-to” source for products needed, such as trash compactors and odor control systems. Besides dealing with workspaces and buildings, the GSA is essentially the purchasing department of the U.S. government. It regularly lists contracts or schedules so vendors can make their bids to get government business. To find out more information about the GSA, please visit its website at http://www.gsa.gov/.      ]]>