Did you know that the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA), which is an actual island situated between Iowa and Illinois on the Mississippi River, houses more than one major Army command and over 60 tenant organizations, both public and private entities?
The five major Army organizations on the island each have different and unique buying needs:
- Army Sustainment Command (ASC) – This organization Is the Directorate of Logistics (DOL) for all Army logistics requirements. Their main mission and buying requirements to support are worldwide logistics requirements (basically movement of people and things, storage and maintenance), engineering and IT support, staff augmentation and intelligence services. They also support most of the overseas contingency buying needs at military camps.
- Joint Munitions Command (JMC) – This organization has the main ammunition buying authority for all military services. Their actual purchases to support this mission include metal ammunition containers, metal bomb and grenade parts, flares, fuzes, and chemicals and dyes. The JMC also has the responsibility of management of a number of Government-Owned/Government-Operated and Government-Owned/Contractor-Operated industrial facilities around the country, and would buy items in support of those facilities including raw materials, HVAC, industrial supplies and repair services.
- Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC) – Known as the “factory”, JMTC is what most people associate with RIA with. The factory is a fully operational manufacturing facility, with the Army’s only fully functioning foundry. The JMTC mission is metal fabrication for any Armed service and some private organizations, including some major programs such as the M119 Howitzer (field artillery). They purchase items in support of their manufacturing processes such as industrial gasses, industrial tools and supplies, repair services and raw materials.
- RIA Garrison – This organization serves as the management arm of the physical island and its buildings and land. The requirements of the Garrison include construction and renovation projects on the island, police and fire station to support products and services, office furnishings, and support for the morale, welfare and recreation programs, which includes items such as fitness equipment and food services.
- US Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District (USACE) – The USACE has the buying responsibilities for supplies, services, and constructions within the boundaries of the Rick Island District, which also includes three lakes in Iowa. Some of the purchase requirements include Architect/Engineering services, navigation studies, water quality testing, landscape services and support of all lock and dam operations.
As mentioned above, there are also several tenant organizations located on the RIA, some private (many large defense contractors) and some public entities that would also have buying needs. Some examples include a Department of Veteran’s Affairs managed National Cemetery, a medical clinic managed by tge Army Medical Command, a Defense commissary managed by the Defense Commissary Agency and the Civilian Personnel Operations Center. All these organizations could also be potential target customers and present opportunities for your company. The only difference is that the actual buying office may not be located on the RIA.
Connect with your CIRAS Government Contracting Specialist to discuss any of these commands in more detail and understand how you could do business on the RIA.
For more information, contact Jodi Essex at jodir@iastate.edu or 515-509-0769