tPlymouth Township-based Loc Performance Products has been awarded a $161-million defense contract to enhance the mobility of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, an armored vehicle used by the U.S. military.
tThe Loc team will perform upgrades to vehicles in Ford Hood, Texas; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Fort Riley, Kan. They will also oversee inspections, new equipment training, and a road test for each upgraded vehicle.
tTo fulfill the contract, Loc will add approximately 40 employees by 2015, beginning with quality and manufacturing engineers, to be followed by new production workers, says Lou Burr, the company’s president.
t“This is a game-changer, and it's going to nearly double the size of our company,” Burr says. “It positions Loc for additional growth in support of other (Engineering Change Proposal) combat vehicle modifications…”
tHe adds that future modification projects may benefit from technology that is currently under development at Loc through an Army Small Business Innovative Research Phase II contract.
tBurr says Loc was selected for the project over four other bidders that included traditional prime contractor corporations.
t“This award represents a watershed moment in procurement history for the U.S. Army,” Burr says. “This type of contract is normally sole-sourced to the original prime contractor, which typically does not result in the best value for the Army. Because this was a full and open competition, the Army saves taxpayers millions of dollars, and demonstrates a new model for cost-effective procurement.”
