Maytag Aircraft Corporation, as part of a joint venture with TK&K, was recently the recipient of a subtle but important pat on the back from Uncle Sam.

Since 2010, the government contractor company has managed approximately 13 fuel storage locations for the U.S. Army in various locations in Germany, and several additional fuel storage facilities in Italy. At some of those locations they also deliver fuel to the Army aircraft, typically helicopters, said President and COO David Nelson.

Nelson is pleased to report that the government evaluation system, Contractor Performance Assessment Ratings System, or CPARS, received for these contracts resulted in "exceptional" ratings across the board, the highest rating possible. Having such acclaim, he said, is "probably the best marketing tool in our business."

They not only received great marks, Maytag was able to retain those contracts at U.S. military bases in Germany and Italy.

"The retention…combined with the ringing endorsement of the customer that says, 'Hey, you guys rock…' Other government agencies for other procurements that we're bidding have access to all that performance detail, so it's very important," Nelson said.

These European-based contracts are also important because they are one of the areas that Maytag is allowed to operate as a prime contractor (more and more often, Maytag, due to its large size, is essentially barred from bidding as a prime contractor under many of the small business set aside markets in the U.S.). These renewed contracts contribute to Maytag's growing international presence and operations in Europe.

"The retention is essentially…an endorsement [of Maytag] over the last five years," Nelson said. "It was a competitively bid contract - we had four other competitors - and retaining it reinforced the high level of service we've been providing them the last few years."