L.b.i., Inc.

L.b.i., Inc., doing business as LBI Inc., a for-profit Subchapter S corporation headquartered in Groton, Connecticut, manufactures fabricated metal products, fiberglass composites, and marine equipment for the Department of Defense as a prime contractor (88% of recent awards) and as a subcontractor to major defense primes, competing predominantly full-and-open rather than under set-aside designations. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Groton and Poquonock Bridge, Connecticut.

LBI's federal portfolio centers on specialized maritime equipment for naval operations, submarine infrastructure, and oceanographic research. Representative prime work includes a $898,660 sole-source delivery of AXIB II air-deployable Arctic weather buoys to the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (September 2024), a $2.1 million definitive contract from Naval Sea Systems Command for a composite submarine deep draft separator (July 2021), a $482,420 total small business set-aside for HA-8 submarine restoration labor to the Chief of Naval Operations (August 2023), and a $255,910 total small business set-aside to the Coast Guard for six 45-foot reinforced plastic composite camel fenders and installation hardware (September 2023). Recent lower-dollar work includes Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime purchase orders for gear assemblies, winches, electronic components, and motor controllers, valued individually between $471 and $262,000 and awarded on firm fixed-price, full-and-open basis. LBI also performs subcontracted manufacturing work under Electric Boat Corporation on submarine component changes and under Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation on fiber optic cable manufacturing, with a research sub-award from the University of Connecticut on a low-cost ocean CTD profiler development grant (February 2026).

LBI's customer concentration is heavily Navy-centric and consolidated around four agencies. The top five customers by both award count and dollar value account for 73% of awards and 95% of combined potential value. The Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command dominates with 22 awards carrying $44.4 million in combined potential value, followed by the Navy's Secretary of the Navy Office of Naval Research (9 awards, $11 million), the Navy's Information Warfare Systems Command (15 awards, $7.4 million), and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (12 awards, $3 million). The Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, the fourth highest by award count with 17 awards, represents only $493 thousand in combined potential value—a stark divergence showing DLA places frequent small orders. The General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service Management Services Center anchors $4 million in combined potential value on a single award.

LBI operates under three parent vehicles: an indefinite delivery contract (N6554013D0023) generating 5 task orders valued at $7.3 million, a second indefinite delivery contract (N6600103D0005) with 5 task orders at $6.1 million, and a third (N0016718D0006) carrying 4 task orders at $1.8 million. The vendor also holds a position on the Federal Supply Schedule GS10F0377T with 3 task orders at $68 thousand combined potential value.

Activity accelerated from five awards in 2022 to a peak of 16 in 2024, then moderated to nine in 2025 and five year-to-date in 2026. The combined potential value across 103 prime and sub awards totals $73.2 million, with $31.9 million obligated (44% of potential). The vendor's NAICS profile spans Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing (10 awards), All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (9 awards), Ship Building and Repairing (9 awards), and Engineering Services (9 awards). Its PSC concentration runs to Miscellaneous Ship and Marine Equipment (23 awards) and Buoys (8 awards), reflecting the oceanographic and naval propulsion-system character of the work.

As a subcontractor, LBI supplies components and labor to Electric Boat Corporation on submarine weapon launcher procurement and stowage modifications, to Atlantic Diving Supply on post winches, and to Northrop Grumman on fiber optic cable manufacturing under a cost-plus-fixed-fee program support contract running through FY26.

LBI, Inc. has 47 years of experience in composite materials, composite and materials fabrication, and mechanical systems design. LBI, Inc. has the capabilities in-house to design, prototype, test, and put into production a wide range of innovative ideas and designs in the most cost effective and beneficial way to our customers. LBI, Inc. extensive experience with marine mechanical systems have led to robust cost effective solutions to our many government clients including NOAA, NUWC Newport division, SPAWAR, NAVSEA, among many others,