Thern Inc.

Thern Inc., a Winona, Minnesota-based manufacturer of industrial lifting and rigging equipment, operates as a for-profit Subchapter S Corporation that supplies precision mechanical components, winches, cranes, hoists, and mast-mounted systems to federal defense and civilian agencies almost exclusively as a prime contractor (97% of recent awards) under full-and-open and total small business set-aside competitions, with no SBA 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or women-owned designations. The company has over 70 years of manufacturing experience and competes in NAICS 333923 (Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing) and PSC Winches, Hoists, Cranes, and Derricks.

Thern's customer base concentrates heavily in Navy and Army logistics and operations. The top five customer agencies account for 92% of combined potential value across all awards: the Department of the Army Materiel Command Communications Electronics Command (7 awards, $757 thousand combined potential value), Department of the Navy Strategic Systems Programs (8 awards, $548 thousand), GSA Federal Acquisition Service (1 award, $475 thousand), Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (6 awards, $363 thousand), and Department of the Navy Naval Air Systems Command Naval Air Warfare Center (7 awards, $247 thousand). The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation ranks third by award count (11 awards) but carries minimal dollar value ($10 thousand combined), a divergence reflecting high-volume, low-dollar component orders such as fasteners, bearings, and pins against large platform purchase orders for specialized assemblies.

Thern holds a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract (47QMCA24D0003) with a $475 thousand ceiling running through November 29, 2028, which has been leveraged by the Navy, DLA, and FAA for direct task orders on winches, cranes, and precision mechanical equipment on a firm fixed-price basis. The company also places task orders under Army Communications Electronics Command IDIQs (W31P4Q22D0004, with 3 task orders) and DLA indefinite delivery vehicles (DLA70081C3089 and DLA70087C3557). Representative prime work includes a $68 thousand Naval Surface Warfare Center procurement for four mast-mounted hoists on a sole-source basis, a $73 thousand Naval Strategic Systems Programs mast-mounted hoist order, a $151 thousand Navy Strategic Systems Programs delivery of six mast-mounted hoists, and a $49 thousand Naval Air Warfare Center purchase order for a Thern Winch 4HPF3M-S1 motor assembly under total small business set-aside. A $13.5 thousand FAA purchase order in March 2026 for an ASR-9 portable crane exemplifies Thern's civil aviation equipment supply.

Activity has remained steady at four to nine awards per year over the past five years, with recent momentum slightly up (9 awards in 2025, 4 in 2026 year-to-date through mid-March). Only two awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months with combined potential value of $74 thousand, indicating minimal recompete cliff exposure in the short term. Thern performs subcontract manufacturing work for Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation on the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) low-rate initial production and full-rate production phases, specifically overhead traveling crane, hoist, and monorail system manufacturing. Combined potential value across all ninety awards (prime and sub, going back to 1981) stands at $2.6 million, with $2.3 million obligated, reflecting Thern's role as a specialized component and equipment supplier serving high-security military platforms rather than as a large-scale systems integrator.

Spur Gear Hand Winches - 500 lbs. to 10,000 lbs. Capacity

Worm Gear Hand Winches - 750 lbs. to 4,600 lbs. Capacity

Portable Power Winches - 2,000 lbs. to 4,600 lbs. Capacity

Portable Capstan Winches - 1,000 lbs. Capacity

Electric Winches - 800 lbs. to 120,000 lbs. Capacity

Hydraulic Winches - 800 lbs. to 100,000 lbs. Capacity

Air / Pneumatic Winches - 1,000 lbs. to 40,000 lbs. Capacity

Standard and Custom NEMA Rated Controls

Portable Davit Cranes - 500 lbs. to 3,000 lbs. Capacity

Fixed Davit Cranes - 1,200 lbs. to 4,400 lbs. Capacity

Wire Ropes and Rigging Equipment

Specialties

o Material Handling, Construction, Mining, Aerospace,

Parachute Drying, Vehicle Recovery

o Water/Wastewater, Theatre, Entertainment Spaces