MONTPELIER, Vt. -
Rick Cochran stood before the Vermont Legislature Thursday to receive an award only one other Vermont business has ever received.
"Out of all Vermont businesses to be chosen was truly amazing," Cochran said.
Thirty years ago, Ben and Jerry's received the SBA Person of the Year award. This year, that award went to Cochran for his company Mobile Medical International Corporation. The company creates emergency mobile medical units, including ones that are still being used in Joplin, Mo., after the devastating Tornado.
But the state of Vermont isn't buying in.
Reporter Susie Steimle: Does it feel ironic to be here and be recognized by the state and in the same turn have a conversation about how the state is not doing business with your company?
Rick Cochran: It's a bit of a slap in the face, no question.
Hours after his public recognition, Cochran entered into a closed-door meeting with the governor and members of his administration to discuss why they purchased an out-of-state pop-up hospital in case of a state emergency, without even considering MMIC.
"The governor certainly promotes buying Vermont first. The reality is we're not saying we have to be the only company, we're saying at least give us the opportunity to bid and be competitive," Cochran said.
"It's the goal of the administration and my personal goal to make sure we look at Vermont products when possible and that's what I'll commit to going forward," said Dr. Harry Chen, the Vermont health commissioner.
But Chen says this time it didn't make sense to buy locally. Vermont already had one pop-up hospital which was purchased by Central Vermont Hospital back in 2010 after the H1N1 outbreak. Dr. Chen says it made sense to purchase an identical unit to ensure they'd fit together and that in an emergency workers would already know how the unit worked.
"You could put them together and double your capacity," Chen said.
But Cochran says making the units compatible with other company's units is standard in the industry. Both the state and Cochran agreed after the meeting to work together to avoid a situation like this in the future.
Chen says CVH did look at MMIC back in 2010 and decided not to purchase a unit from them because it was 40 percent more expensive.
