Northwoods Aviation Inc.

Northwoods Aviation Inc., a for-profit Subchapter S corporation based in Cadillac, Michigan, operates as a prime contractor providing aircraft rental and aerial firefighting support services to federal land management and interior agencies under total small business set-asides and full-and-open competition. The vendor competes exclusively as a prime (100% of recent awards) and holds no subcontractor footprint; it does not participate in government-wide vehicles or agency-wide IDIQs.

Northwoods Aviation's capability portfolio centers on fixed-wing aircraft rental and wildland firefighting services. Representative work includes a $7 million multiple-award IDIQ for National Light Fixed Wing Services awarded by the National Interagency Fire Center in January 2024 (running through December 31, 2033) under total small business set-aside, a $9.982 million on-call aircraft rental BPA from the Interior Business Center awarded January 2023 for National Park Service operations across multiple locations, and a $32,039 firm fixed-price BPA call from the National Park Service Midwest Region for aircraft rental supporting Isle Royale National Park surveys (awarded May 7, 2026, completion April 30, 2027). Recent smaller awards include a $35,054 winter research flight program call, an $8,840 search and rescue support call, and a $27,452 summer resources management call, all issued as firm fixed-price BPA calls set-aside for total small business through the Interior Business Center agreement.

Customer concentration is split between wildfire suppression work and park operations. The National Interagency Fire Center dominates by award count and dollar volume, accounting for 14 awards worth $17.3 million combined potential value (46% of total). The Interior Business Center and the Office of Policy Management and Budget account for nearly $20 million in combined potential value through two large IDIQ and BPA vehicles, while the National Park Service Midwest Region has issued four smaller calls totaling $103 thousand. Top customers by award count and potential value diverge: the National Interagency Fire Center leads on both metrics, but the Interior Business Center's single large BPA represents 27% of total portfolio dollars despite being one award. Activity has been uneven — five awards in 2023, one in 2024, three in 2025, one in 2026 — with modest recompete exposure ahead: only one award (potential value $32 thousand) reaches completion within the next twenty-four months.

Work is categorized primarily under nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation (16 awards) and nonscheduled chartered passenger air transportation (12 awards) NAICS codes, with 15 awards tagged to forest-range fire suppression and presuppression PSC codes. Performance occurs in Cadillac, Michigan and subordinate locations including Grand Marais, Minnesota, Isle Royale National Park, and northeastern Minnesota. Combined potential value across all awards stands at $37.6 million; combined obligated dollars total $2.4 million, reflecting the IDIQ and BPA structure where most value remains unexercised pending task order issuance.