Success Story: Karish Industries

Employee Empowerment and Strategic Partnerships Lead to Contract Wins for Karish Industries

Location: Southern and Northern California | Orange and Alameda Counties | Buena Park / Livermore

Business Type: Electrical Supply Distributor

Small Business Center: NorCal APEX Accelerator

Assistance Received: Procurement and Contracting

California State Assembly Districts: 49 and 16 

California State Senate Districts: 25 and 7 

Visit Karish Industries online

Karish Industries is a small, employee-owned distributor that has offered copper/aluminum wire, fiber optic cable, and other electrical parts to Alameda County and beyond since 2009. Founded to support the local community, Karish Industries operates as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company, empowering their employees through shared ownership of the business. While they had already performed successfully on California State contracts, they knew the federal market held greater opportunities but needed guidance to navigate the complex federal contracting landscape.

As Karish Industries grew over the years, they faced a significant challenge with their SAM (System for Award Management) registration renewal. The SAM system had recently been updated and was experiencing numerous technical issues affecting both renewals and new registrations. Additionally, the employee who had been their authorized representative was no longer with the company, creating an access barrier. Partner Bruce Smith knew that resolving these registration issues was critical to pursuing federal contracting opportunities and reached out to Norcal APEX Accelerator for assistance.

Norcal APEX Accelerator immediately went to work on the SAM renewal during their first meeting. Within one month of connecting, Bruce was able to submit a notarized letter to SAM to regain account access and begin the renewal process. However, once they accessed the account and submitted renewal information, they discovered that the banking information was outdated and couldn’t be changed after submission. After numerous meetings and calls to the SAM help desk, Norcal APEX Accelerator helped them determine that starting a completely new registration would be the best path forward.

While working through the SAM registration challenges, Bruce actively participated in Norcal APEX Accelerator training webinars and procurement fairs to learn about and network with government agencies. Taking advantage of their location near federal laboratories like Lawrence Livermore and Sandia labs, Bruce was able to connect with his counselor in person during public events. Thanks to efforts from their APEX counselor, Karish Industries was able to get connected directly with the labs and be included on the list of attending firms for networking events.

“We are eternally grateful for Norcal APEX Accelerator and their staff of experts and professionals,” shared Bruce Smith, Partner. “They gave us the tools and advice to participate in government contracts and gain visibility and interaction with government agencies, elevating our company to the next level.”

With Norcal APEX Accelerator’s support and Karish Industries’ perseverance, they successfully completed their new SAM registration and continued submitting bids to state and local agencies, winning various contracts with local city and county agencies. They began selling to Caltrans, the Coast Guard, and various military agencies. Most significantly, with their completed SAM registration, they were able to connect with Lawrence Livermore Laboratories to become a preferred vendor for upcoming projects.

Karish Industries continues to win contracts in the local, state, and federal markets, knowing they have the ongoing support needed to sustain their success in government contracting while maintaining their commitment to employee ownership and community support. Visit Karish Industries online here.

And, if you’re interested in government contracting opportunities and are located in Northern California, connect with Norcal APEX Accelerator here to learn about their procurement and contracting services.

9/26/2025