Materion Brush Inc.

Materion Brush Inc. Elmore Metals Division, a subsidiary of Materion Corporation based in Elmore, Ohio, manufactures advanced beryllium alloys, precision metal parts, and specialty materials for defense and aerospace programs, operating as a prime contractor (43% of recent awards) and substantially as a subcontractor (57%) to major defense primes. The vendor competes full-and-open without set-asides, with no SBA certifications. Materion is cited as the sole U.S.-based manufacturer with access to required ore for instrument-grade beryllium specifications, a critical material constraint that anchors its position in NASA, Air Force, and Department of Energy national security supply chains.

Prime work concentrates in advanced materials research and spacecraft components. Materion holds a $2.48 million sole-source firm fixed-price contract with NASA Goddard Space Center (awarded September 2024, completing July 2026) for 898 pounds of instrument-grade I-220-H beryllium supporting the Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer 1.2-meter telescope. A second NASA Goddard contract, awarded January 2027 for $967,685, delivers beryllium descent sphere components for the DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission. The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded an $8.67 million cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract (August 2023, completing April 2027) for research and development in additive manufacturing of beryllium for defense applications, with a companion $500,000 firm fixed-price contract (November 2022) for additive manufacturing of beryllides supporting hypersonic vehicle technology. The Defense Health Agency awarded a $250,000 project grant under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420, completing September 2026) to assess mortality risk and co-morbidities from beryllium exposure.

Customer concentration splits between aerospace and defense. By award count, the Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command leads with 13 awards, followed by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration and Department of the Army (each 11 awards), covering roughly 52% of recent activity. By potential value, the Air Force Research Laboratory dominates at $9.2 million across two awards, with the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials contributing $5.3 million across four awards, and NASA Goddard contributing $4.8 million across six awards — together accounting for 97% of combined potential value. The bifurcated ranking reflects Materion's role as a specialty materials supplier on high-dollar research contracts (AFRL, DLA) and as a component manufacturer on higher-volume ship and aircraft production (Navy, Army primes).

Subcontract footprint spans defense platforms and national laboratories. Materion supplies beryllium blanks and specialty alloys to Triad National Security, LLC for Los Alamos National Laboratory management and operation contracts, delivering metals and textiles, industrial fixtures, and minerals (awards through August 2026). General Atomics receives inertial confinement fusion target research and development support, with tubing, metals, alloys, and fabrication services across multiple 2024–2026 sub awards. Electric Boat Corporation sources specialized materials for Virginia-class submarine long-lead items, including secondary propulsion unit components and streamlined change couplings (awards through November 2024). Lockheed Martin receives aluminum metal matrix composite and gimbal ring castings for F-35 aircraft long-lead procurement supporting international partner and foreign military sales (awards through September 2024). Bell Textron sources aluminum metal matrix composite materials for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program supporting Army vertical lift development (awards through January 2024). Raytheon Company receives beryllium mining capacity nonrecurring engineering and optical raw materials (awards through February 2025). Smaller subs route through Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies and UT-Battelle for national security campus and Oak Ridge National Laboratory work.

Activity trajectory shows material volatility. Awards peaked at 24 in 2024, falling to 7 in 2025 and 8 in 2026, with a single award in 2027 to date. Combined potential value stands at $20 million against obligated dollars of $69.9 million, reflecting invoiced performance on multi-year contracts. Three awards with ultimate completion inside the next twenty-four months carry combined potential value of $10.1 million, exposing the vendor to recompete in that window on AFRL additive manufacturing work and NASA Goddard beryllium supply contracts. Top NAICS concentration spans Aircraft Manufacturing (18 awards), Ship Building and Repairing (13), Nonferrous Foundries (8), Powder Metallurgy (8), and Research and Development in Physical Sciences (8), capturing the vendor's role as a critical materials supplier to the aerospace-defense industrial base.