Disposition Services participates in ReMA ‘26

Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services personnel joined more than 6,000 suppliers, recyclers, and service providers at the Recycled Materials Association convention in Las Vegas April 13-16.

Synchronizing with industry standards is a critical factor for the agency's success, especially considering that approximately 80% of all property turned into DLA Disposition Services sites leaves on a public sales contract.

Public Sales Division Chief Brian Smith said contracting personnel attend these types of conferences to hear from industry professionals and better align surplus property contracts, which also aligns with DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon's vision for the organization.

"It's important to know where this industry is going so we're not left behind, and it helps us to know what we need to do to move towards industry best practices and what they are doing," Smith said. "We want to keep our team and operations up to date with new technologies and how best to utilize new processes."

Smith also said that the public sales program is committed to being represented at premier industry events like ReMA, and that participation increases program awareness, provides the opportunity to listen and learn from industry leaders, and ensures contracts are closely aligned with industry best practices.

Beyond shaping future contracts, the four-day event provided vital networking and educational opportunities.

"A conference like this allows us to establish and build relationships, which can also lead to moving property, reducing costs to the warfighter, and maintaining lethality as best as we can," Property Disposal Specialist Scott Rogers said.

Sales Contracting Officer Kris Smoker manages DLA's useable and scrap property and hazardous materials overseas and said events like this can also serve as an opportunity to educate private firms on DLA Disposition Services' role and capability to help potential industry partners gain more awareness of the organization's mission.

"When we first started attending these conventions, people didn't realize that it was our scrap they were purchasing because they were actually working with a vendor," Smith said. "Now these other organizations are learning that they can buy directly from us, resulting in savings for the taxpayer."

As a federal agency, DLA Disposition Services is unique due to the fact the organization has the authority to sell eligible items to the public to help offset the disposal costs for the military services, ultimately reducing the impact to the taxpayer. By observing the latest innovations in infrastructure and material processing at events like ReMA, property and disposal specialists stay informed on evolving technologies, ensuring they deliver the best possible services to the warfighter.

To learn more about the DLA Disposition Services Public Sales, visit the public sales offerings webpage.