Chesapeake Marine Refrigeration Corp

Chesapeake Marine Refrigeration Corp, a for-profit Subchapter S corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia, manufactures and supplies marine refrigeration equipment—compressors, condensers, air-cooling units, and related HVAC components—and performs specialized repair and overhaul services on those systems for naval vessels. The vendor operates as a prime contractor on full-and-open federal procurements, with no SBA set-aside designations on the majority of its recent work despite holding small business certifications that enable occasional participation in small-business-reserved competitions.

The customer concentration is deep and narrow: Chesapeake serves exclusively Navy and coast-guard maritime agencies. The top five funding agencies (Naval Supply Systems Command, Military Sealift Command, Naval Sea Systems Command, Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, and U.S. Coast Guard) account for 66% of award count and 92% of combined potential value. Naval Supply Systems Command dominates with 123 awards valued at $11 million in combined potential; Military Sealift Command follows with 78 awards valued at $2 million. This customer concentration reflects the vendor's strategic geographic and technical position: its Norfolk location and specialized expertise in naval refrigeration systems create recurring demand for replacement compressors, condenser repairs, air-plant overhauls aboard specific named vessels (USS NORMANDY, USS BATAAN, USS MAHAN, CVN-series carriers), and maintenance kits. Recent representative prime awards include a $1.28 million definitive contract with Naval Supply Systems Command for refrigeration compressor repair (August 2024), a $664 thousand NAVSUP repair order for multiple compressors with 70-day turnaround target (October 2024), and a $600 thousand NAVSUP compressor delivery (June 2024).

Chesapeake's NAICS and PSC footprint confirms this narrow focus: the top NAICS category is air-conditioning and industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturing (198 awards), followed by air and gas compressor manufacturing (45 awards) and refrigeration equipment merchant wholesale (33 awards). The top PSC code is Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Components (235 awards), then Compressors and Vacuum Pumps (83 awards). The vendor is operationally embedded in naval shipyard and fleet supply chains: work is performed primarily in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, with completion dates tied to vessel maintenance schedules and fleet readiness.

Parent-vehicle activity is minimal and fragmented: the top IDC is N0010493DV147 (4 task orders), with remaining vehicles (DLA IDCs and BPAs) carrying one task order each. This pattern suggests Chesapeake competes primarily through direct Navy and Coast Guard purchase orders rather than through government-wide IDIQs or GSA schedules, reducing its visibility on multi-agency vehicles.

Prime awards comprise 99% of the portfolio; Chesapeake holds eight sub-awards since 2022 on larger naval overhaul and modernization efforts. Named prime contractors include Huntington Ingalls Inc. (CVN-series carrier refueling and complex overhaul sub-work on AC plants and modular refrigeration systems), Vigor Marine LLC (USS JOHN S McCAIN destroyer maintenance—AC plant overhaul labor and materials), HII Fleet Support Group LLC (unprogrammed dry-docking and repairs, and specialized MRS support aboard USS GEORGE H W BUSH), and Electric Boat Corporation (submarine engineering change instructions). Subcontract work remains ancillary to the prime footprint; Chesapeake's core value derives from being a direct supplier of replacement parts and repair services to Navy logistics commands.

Activity has been steady over the past four years—17 awards in 2022, 9 in 2023, 17 in 2024, and 18 in 2025—with six awards through June 2026. Combined potential value across all 551 awards stands at $18.4 million, though obligated dollars reach $27.2 million (148% of potential), indicating frequent contract modifications and follow-on work against the same purchase-order authorizations. Only three awards (combined potential value $1 million) face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, suggesting low recompete exposure in the near term and stable recurring task order flow on established Navy supply relationships.