Muskegon Area First's government contracting assistance group has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Defense Department for the next five years.

The Muskegon Area First's Procurement Technical Assistance Center will receive $108,000 from the federal government annually for the next five years. That is up from the current $83,000 annual grant the center had been receiving, according to Muskegon Area First President Jim Edmonson.

Muskegon Area First -- the local economic development agency -- and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. match the federal funds for the center's $216,000 annual budget.

"The U.S. government is the single largest purchaser of goods and services in the world," said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, in announcing the award. "Local businesses should look to Muskegon Area First to determine whether they have the potential of meeting any of its large number of needs."

The center is a resource for existing Muskegon-area defense contractors such as L-3 Communications, Alcoa Howmet Castings and Johnson Technology, Edmonson said. The center also encourages other businesses to explore providing the federal government with goods and services, he added.

"Government buys everything from battleships to potato chips," Edmonson said.

Center Director Pam Vanderlaan-Poort said the agency helped area businesses procure nearly $80 million in government contracts in 2005. Products have included such items as food, aircraft components and cleaning supplies and contract awards have ranged in value from $1,000 to $1.5 million.

The procurement center serves a 14-county region from Grand Rapids to Ludington. It is located with Muskegon Area First at 900 Third in Muskegon and also has an office in Big Rapids.