Ara, Inc.

Ara, Inc., doing business as Aerospace Research Associates, is a veteran-owned small business prime contractor based in San Dimas, California, that manufactures specialized aerospace components and aircraft maintenance parts for the Defense Logistics Agency. The company competes entirely on the open market (no set-aside designations) and as a small business set-aside prime on selective DLA contracts; recent activity shows mixed set-aside posture, with aircraft seat cushion and resilient weapon mount awards split between Total Small Business set-asides and competitive full-and-open procurements.

Ara's capability footprint is tightly focused on aerospace manufacturing. The company supplies aircraft seat cushions (both standard and seat-back variants), resilient weapon mounts, helical torsion springs, mechanical fasteners (nuts, sleeves, plain hexagon nuts), and related airframe components. Top NAICS codes confirm this concentration: Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (264 awards), Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (54 awards), and Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing (50 awards). Representative work includes a $2 million Total Small Business set-aside IDC awarded April 11, 2024, by DLA Aviation for aircraft seat cushions and related aviation components (ultimate completion April 10, 2026); a $82,891.20 Total Small Business delivery order from DLA Aviation for aircraft seat cushions awarded December 19, 2025 (completion July 7, 2026); and a $15,872.40 full-and-open delivery order from DLA Aviation for resilient weapon mounts awarded September 16, 2025 (completion December 8, 2025).

Customer concentration is extreme. DLA Aviation dominates the portfolio, accounting for 272 of 698 total awards (39% of all awards) and $25.2 million of $28.1 million combined potential value (90% of dollars). The next four customers — Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime (79 awards, $1.2 million), Department of the Army Materiel Command Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command (13 awards, $643 thousand), Defense Logistics Agency (72 awards, $641 thousand), and DLA Troop Support Hardware (55 awards, $157 thousand) — collectively account for only 10% of potential value. This portfolio skew reflects Ara's narrow role as a parts manufacturer feeding DLA's aviation supply chain rather than a systems integrator or service provider.

Ara holds multiple single-award indefinite delivery contracts with DLA divisions. The largest active IDC is a $2.5 million Total Small Business award to Ara (March 2, 2026, completion March 1, 2028) for aircraft seat cushions and related components. A $2 million Total Small Business IDC awarded April 11, 2024, running through April 10, 2026, has drawn three delivery orders totaling $283,606 (14% utilization). A $350,000 non-set-aside IDC awarded March 30, 2026, runs through March 29, 2031. An older $250,000 IDC for resilient weapon mounts, awarded November 8, 2021, with completion November 7, 2025, has executed at least seven documented delivery orders since 2022. The top five parent vehicles (all DLA IDCs) account for approximately 57 task orders combined, suggesting task-order activity is the primary delivery mechanism. Most delivery orders are firm fixed price with performance at Ara's San Dimas facility.

Activity has been volatile. Award volume peaked at 14 in 2024, dropped to 6 in 2025, and stood at 2 by March 2026. Combined potential value has grown from early work but remains modest relative to obligation history ($28.1 million potential value against $42.8 million obligated, indicating aging contracts with invoiced activity exceeding ceiling projections). The oldest award in source data traces to 1981, confirming a multi-decade DLA supply relationship, though recent annual activity suggests the relationship may be maturing or contracting. No recompete cliff detail is provided, but the March 1, 2028, completion date on the $2.5 million IDC and April 10, 2026, date on the $2 million IDC represent upcoming renewal milestones.

Ara operates exclusively as a prime contractor; the source reports zero subcontract work. The company has no presence on government-wide vehicles (GWACs, BPAs), no GSA Schedule seat, and no parent relationships with larger primes. Its footprint is restricted to direct task orders under single-award DLA IDCs, making Ara a specialized supplier within DLA's aviation and logistics supply chain but not a strategic vehicle for other federal customers or teaming arrangements.