The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Johnson Machine Works, Inc., a small business manufacturer based in Chariton, Iowa, a $428,000 firm fixed-price purchase order on August 23, 2022, for the fabrication and delivery of one spillway bulkhead at Barkley Dam in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. The bulkhead, approximately 58 feet long and 8 feet tall with an estimated weight of 60,000 pounds, is part of an emergency maintenance project requiring specialized hydraulic steel fabrication. Johnson Machine Works was required to complete the fabrication, painting, and delivery within 240 days of award, with all work meeting American Institute of Steel Construction and American Welding Society standards. The contract was set aside 100 percent for small business concerns under NAICS code 332312 for fabricated structural metal manufacturing.
This award reflects Johnson Machine Works' established expertise in critical water infrastructure components, supported by its $50.6 million multiple-award indefinite delivery contract with the Army Corps of Engineers' Huntington District covering lock and dam structural operating equipment fabrication and rehabilitation. The company has a demonstrated track record executing similar task orders for dam components across multiple Corps districts, including projects valued up to $3.64 million. The ultimate completion date of September 26, 2024, provided the contractor with adequate time to meet the demanding technical and quality specifications required for this critical infrastructure component supporting the Corps' dam and reservoir management operations.