Ice Floe, LLC

Ice Floe, LLC, operating through its Nichols Brothers Boat Builders division and registered in SAM.gov since June 2008, is a small business shipbuilder and repair contractor specializing in maritime maintenance, repair, and preservation services for the U.S. Navy. The company operates a shipyard facility in Freeland, Washington, and has established itself as a qualified provider of specialized naval vessel services, including submarine preservation work, yard craft maintenance, and harbor tug repairs. Ice Floe's expertise encompasses hull maintenance, surface preparation, coating application, and structural repairs that support Navy operations across multiple vessel classes.

Ice Floe, LLC has secured significant federal contract awards totaling approximately $5.1 million across multiple definitive contracts and delivery orders, all funded by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) or Navy Installations Command (NAVFAC). Under a total small business set-aside designation, the company was awarded a $1,804,833 firm-fixed price contract for delivery of deep draft submarine camel separators to Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, completed in July 2022. Additional contracts included a $2,443,703.05 award for maintenance and repair services on the YT-802 VALIENT harbor tug, involving docking, cleaning, blasting, preservation, and structural repairs conducted at the Freeland shipyard between March and August 2021. Ice Floe also secured a $885,478.75 contract for maintenance, repair, and preservation services on yard craft vessels YC-1490 and YC-1664, completed in September 2021. All definitive contracts were designated as small business set-asides and performed at the company's Freeland facility. Additionally, Ice Floe holds a delivery order for a $1,000 minimum guarantee under the Navy Submarine Preservation and Repair IDIQ contract. The company has also served as a subcontractor to General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc. and Serco Inc., providing goods and services on federal contracts awarded in 2022 and 2023.

Ice Floe, LLC has received two federal grant awards totaling $1,591,725 through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration under the Assistance to Small Shipyards program (CFDA 20.814). The most recent grant, valued at $357,317 and awarded on August 19, 2025, funds the purchase and installation of capital equipment including a CNC router table, CNC laser table, dust collector, dehumidifier, and 15 multi-process welders with wire feeds, with completion scheduled for August 18, 2027. An earlier grant of $1,234,408, awarded July 21, 2022 and completed July 29, 2024, supported installation of a one-sided welder with material handling conveyor system and transitional magnetic bed. Both grants are intended to enhance efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality in ship construction and repair operations at the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders division in Freeland, Washington, while fostering employee skills and productivity in the domestic maritime industry.

Ice Floe, LLC holds a multiple-award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at $88.1 million awarded by Naval Sea Systems Command on April 1, 2025, with performance extending through March 31, 2030. This contract, designated without set-aside requirements, falls under the Navy Submarine Preservation and Repair parent vehicle and provides comprehensive maintenance services for Navy submarines, including blasting, surface preparation, coating application for hulls and ballast tanks, lead bin repair, anode installation, and tile removal and installation. The IDIQ also encompasses potential non-SUBSAFE structural repairs performed according to NAVSEA standards. Work under this vehicle is primarily performed in Bremerton, Washington, and enables competitive task order awards among multiple IDIQ holders. As of the award date, a $1,000 minimum guarantee task order has been issued, establishing Ice Floe as an active participant in this significant submarine preservation and repair initiative.