The Defense Logistics Agency awarded New Balance a $17,325,438 firm-fixed-price contract on March 15, 2018, to supply USA-made athletic shoes to new service members arriving at basic training.
Why it happened
The Berry Amendment requires the military to buy USA-made clothing and equipment to the greatest extent possible, but recruits had long received a cash allowance of about $80 to buy any athletic shoes they wanted. Maine’s congressional delegation secured a provision in the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Pentagon to treat recruit athletic footwear as subject to the Berry Amendment.
The contract
- New Balance won one of three DLA contracts for USA-made athletic footwear under the provision.
- The base period is 18 months, with an 18-month option.
- New Balance runs factories in Skowhegan, Norridgewock and Norway, Maine, which employ about 1,000 workers, according to the Portland Press Herald.
“The Pentagon is now rightly prioritizing American workers and supporting American jobs to equip U.S. troops,” Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Rep. Bruce Poliquin said in a joint statement. New Balance CEO Rob DeMartini said the award confirmed the company’s “ability to deliver high-quality American-made athletic footwear for our nation’s servicemen and women.”
For how the program reached recruits, see our 2019 coverage.
FAQ
How big is the contract?
$17,325,438, firm-fixed-price, with an 18-month base period and an 18-month option.
What law required it?
A provision in the fiscal 2017 NDAA that made recruit athletic footwear subject to the Berry Amendment.
Where are the shoes made?
New Balance’s factories in Skowhegan, Norridgewock and Norway, Maine.
Source & credit
Source: Office of Sen. Angus King: “Collins, King, Poliquin Applaud $17.3 Million New Balance Contract with Department of Defense”, March 15, 2018.
Also: Portland Press Herald: “New Balance gets $17.3 million contract to provide military footwear”.