RFD Beaufort Inc.

RFD Beaufort Inc., a foreign-owned manufacturer of military maritime and aerospace safety equipment based in Sharon Center, Ohio, serves as a prime contractor (98% of awards) supplying specialized inflatable life rafts, submarine escape immersion suits, anti-G garments, and related components to the Department of Defense and allied federal agencies. The company competes full-and-open across all major awards with no set-aside posture.

RFD Beaufort's customer concentration is pronounced and Navy-centric. The Department of the Navy Naval Supply Systems Command dominates the portfolio at 258 awards carrying $889.2 million in combined potential value, representing the lion's share of activity. The Naval Sea Systems Command follows with 209 awards valued at $4.9 million combined, and the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Clothing and Textiles segment accounts for 21 awards at $36.5 million combined potential value. These three entities represent approximately 95% of the vendor's combined potential value across all awards. The concentration reflects RFD Beaufort's positioning as a single-source original equipment manufacturer for specialized Navy personnel safety gear rather than a diversified supplier — a strategic dependency position that insulates the vendor from competition but creates recompete concentration risk.

The vendor holds a $58.9 million multiple-award indefinite delivery contract with Naval Supply Systems Command for Mark-7 (25-person) and Mark-8 (50-person) inflatable life rafts extending through September 2026, from which 27 task orders have been placed. An $81.7 million single-award IDV with Naval Supply Systems Command for submarine escape immersion suits anchors the largest long-term vehicle. A $9.7 million single-award IDV with Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support for anti-G garments rounds out the primary vehicle holdings. Beyond these named vehicles, RFD Beaufort places work under two legacy indefinite delivery contracts (N0010405AZE01 and N0010400DZD00) and a blanket purchase agreement (N0010410AZE01) that together account for 223 task orders. These older vehicles appear to be in wind-down — recent award activity has shifted to the named 2021-2026 vehicles. Representative prime work includes a $7.5 million definitive contract from Naval Supply Systems Command (awarded February 2026) for submarine escape immersion suits with delivery through May 2027, a $5.2 million delivery order from Naval Supply Systems Command (June 2023) for inflatable life rafts, and a $2.9 million delivery order (July 2023) for inflatable life raft products.

Activity trajectory shows relative stability — 14 to 18 awards annually from 2022 through 2024, with a modest decline to 15 awards in 2025 and 10 awards year-to-date in 2026. Only three awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, carrying combined potential value of $9 million, indicating manageable near-term recompete exposure. The $58.9 million life raft IDV and $81.7 million submarine escape suits IDV both extend beyond the near-term cliff, mitigating urgency.

RFD Beaufort subcontracts to major defense primes on naval shipbuilding and sustainment programs. Huntington Ingalls Incorporated is the largest subcontracting relationship, with eight recorded sub-awards spanning DDG 51-class destroyer life raft provisioning, LPD and LHA-class amphibious warfare ship life raft integration, and ship availability product work. Bath Iron Works Corporation and Textron Systems Corp are secondary subcontracting partners, with work on DDG 51-class construction and LCAC (landing craft air cushion) long-lead material. A February 2025 Lockheed Martin sub-award references F-35 Joint Strike Fighter provisioning support across multiple operational locations (Eglin, Lemoore, Luke Air Force Bases and Beaufort facility operations), indicating RParts and button-metal provisioning work. The sub-award footprint, though representing only 2% of total awards by count, demonstrates integration into tier-one shipbuilder and fighter-platform sustainment supply chains.

The vendor's award portfolio spans 741 total awards (prime and sub combined) with $982.6 million in combined potential value; 30% has been obligated. The top NAICS categories underscore product focus: All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (299 awards), All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (55 awards), and Storage Battery Manufacturing (39 awards). Across all PSC codes, Marine Lifesaving and Diving Equipment dominates with 348 awards, Batteries Rechargeable with 59 awards, and Specialized Flight Clothing and Accessories with 22 awards, confirming RFD Beaufort's core identity as a maritime and aviation personnel safety supplier.