Clipper Commodities Inc.

Clipper Commodities Inc., a self-certified small disadvantaged business and DOT-certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise based in Pasadena, California, supplies food commodities and subsistence items to federal correctional institutions as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides. The vendor competes exclusively in small-business set-aside procurement and holds no parent contract vehicles or IDIQs; instead, it wins individual purchase orders from Bureau of Prisons facilities on a quarterly and episodic basis.

Clipper's portfolio centers on institutional food service for the federal corrections system—meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, frozen goods, dry goods, canned vegetables, baked items, and specialized dietary products (kosher, halal) delivered to correctional facilities nationwide. Representative recent awards include a $22,686 firm fixed-price purchase order from the Federal Correctional Institution Berlin for subsistence items (butter, cheeses, canned vegetables, coffee, flour, tortillas) with July 2026 delivery; a $93,216.59 order from Federal Correctional Complex Beaumont for fourth-quarter fiscal year 2025 dry goods (rice, spaghetti, breakfast pastries, coffee cake mix); and a $54,643.20 contract from Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers for first-quarter fiscal year 2026 subsistence covering meat, dairy, frozen foods, and specialty dietary items. All awards are designated total small business set-asides under NAICS codes 311999 (All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing), 311991 (Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing), and 311421 (Cheese Manufacturing), with delivery windows and temperature-controlled transportation requirements typical of federal food procurement.

Customer concentration is narrow and deep within the Bureau of Prisons network. Of 1,151 total awards spanning 2004 to June 2026, the top five Bureau of Prisons locations by award count account for 21% of awards: Federal Correctional Complex Victorville (54 awards, $1.1 million combined potential value), Federal Correctional Institution Herlong (52 awards, $505 thousand), United States Penitentiary Atwater (47 awards, $767 thousand), Federal Correctional Institution Mendota (43 awards, $489 thousand), and Federal Correctional Institution Dublin (42 awards, $364 thousand). By potential value, the same five facilities anchor 26% of combined potential value. The vendor serves 92 distinct federal customer agencies, but the footprint is dominated by the Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons across individual correctional facilities rather than a centralized purchasing office. Clipper holds no blanket purchase agreements, GWACs, or multi-award contracts; each facility issues its own quarterly or episodic solicitation, creating a high-volume, low-dollar transactional model.

Activity has remained steady at 54–71 awards per year over the past five years (2022: 71 awards; 2023: 54; 2024: 69; 2025: 56; 2026: 6 awards to date). Combined potential value stands at $15.5 million across all awards, with $15.3 million obligated (99% execution rate), reflecting reliable invoice collection on small commodity orders. Only one award carries an ultimate completion date within the next 24 months, indicating minimal recompete exposure in the near term; most purchase orders execute within weeks or months of award, creating a rolling pipeline of new solicitations rather than long-term contract cliffs.

Clipper operates as a 100% prime contractor with no subcontractor footprint in the source data. The vendor is registered in SAM.gov since October 2004 and maintains consistent capability in meeting USDA grade standards, temperature-controlled logistics, and federal food safety specifications required for institutional feeding programs. The business model is entirely dependent on continued small-business set-aside eligibility and direct access to individual Bureau of Prisons facility procurement officers, with no diversification into other customer agencies or contract vehicles.

Frozen Wholesale foods: Pastries, Proteins, Fruit, Cheese