WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force Materiel Command’s year-old effort to consolidate purchases of goods and services that are common necessities for bases across the Air Force drew a crowd of business executives Tuesday who are interested in serving that demand.

The Enterprise Sourcing Group, established by the AFMC in October 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, teamed with DaytonDefense, the regional association of defense contractors, for a conference at which Air Force officials are telling businesses what the supply needs are. There is potentially a $5 billion acquisition market of business opportunities to supply as many as 71 bases across the country, Air Force officials said.

Pressure in Washington to cut defense spending may drive more Air Force organizations to adopt the standardized, bulk-purchasing model because industry has already demonstrated its potential to save money, said Robert C. Shofner, an Air Force civilian who is director of the Enterprise Sourcing Group.

“Industry has been doing this for some time,” Shofner said. “The Air Force is now catching up.”

The Enterprise Sourcing Group is still establishing its structure and its operating procedures. But its goals include standardizing the contracting methods and establishing lists of pre-approved contractors to make it easier for bases to procure services and supplies that are widely needed, Shofner said.

Those include services and supplies as varied as medical services, security guards, roofing, taxiway lighting and toilet paper.

Executives of large and small companies at the conference said they are encouraged and hope to take advantage of the bulk-purchasing efforts to boost business.

“In theory, it should drive the price down, because it’s more efficient,” said David Hart, sales and marketing director for Segue Technologies Inc., an information technology company that serves Defense Department agencies.

The conference, which ends Wednesday, drew a full house of 500 attendees from government and industry to Hope Hotel and Conference Center at Wright-Patterson. Participants came from 37 states and Washington, D.C. Organizers plan to do the conference again in 2012.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.