Carol Johnson | Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK – More than 200 companies and defense industry partners filled the Exhibition Hall of the French Lick Resort Tuesday for the Buy Indiana Expo, an event that helps industries make connections with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division.
Hosted by the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by NSWC Crane, Buy Indiana offers a day of workshops and panel discussions focused on educating companies on how to conduct business with the federal government.
When so much business is conducted over the phone and via email, Buy Indiana is an opportunity to network face-to-face with other defense companies and Crane officials in one place.
Kaylee Diamond, deputy for Small Business at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, was among the speakers welcoming the vendors. Networking is just one part of the event, she said.
“Buy Indiana is more than a networking event,” Diamond said. “The people in this room are ultimately shaping how capability gets to the warfighter.”
Diamond said the Crane base, the third largest naval base in the world, is seeing continued growth across its key mission areas.
“With that growth comes opportunity. It also brings a need for us to broaden and strengthen the industrial base that supports it,” she said.
The companies at Buy Indiana run from small businesses located in the counties surrounding Crane to Fortune 500 companies that provide technical expertise in mission-critical sectors.
Dr. Angela Lewis, technical director at NSWC Crane, said Crane’s role as a critical hub for national defense innovation hinges on collaborations with private industry innovators.
“The reliance we have on industry partners has never been more clear,” she said. “To maintain our technical edge and to outpace our adversaries, seamless collaboration between the War Department and private industry is no longer just beneficial, it’s a mission-critical imperative.”
Crane’s needs aren’t limited to engineering services and innovation.. The base uses outside support for facility maintenance, construction and general operational support. With members of Crane’s procurement and acquisition teams in attendance, the Buy Indiana Expo serves as a “vital strategic platform” for businesses of all sizes with “clear roadmaps to be a part of the War Department’s procurement processes,” Lewis said.
The companies at the Expo represented 23 states. The Radius Indiana region was well represented.
Embree Machine Inc. is a small CNC and precision machining company in Springville. Patrick Embree was manning the company’s booth. The business was founded 21 years ago and has gradually grown its work with Crane. He said defense work makes up about 60% of its business.
Attending the Buy Indiana Expo has been an important part of that growth.
“We come here every year and that helps us because you have an opportunity to meet other contractors. People say we produce really good components. A lot of the work we get is through word of mouth because of our quality of work,” he said.
The company employs six and is in the process of moving to a larger building on Ind. 54 in Springville.
“The Buy Indiana Expo has helped grow our connections,” Embree said. “It helps us connect with engineers and contractors by putting a name to a face.”
Paragon Force, headquartered in Bloomfield, is another company that attends Buy Indiana every year. Founded in 2009 by President and Owner Sherri Davis, the company provides a range of specialized services in support of defense and government operations. Examples of the company’s custom foam asset protections were featured at the Paragon Force booth.
Paragon Force manufactures custom storage for military applications, producing precision-cut foam designed to safeguard sensitive equipment, including weapons and electronics. The company’s work reflects a strong emphasis on quality, reliability, and mission readiness.
Davis noted that the majority of Paragon Force’s business is associated with Crane and the Department of War. In addition to its foam manufacturing capabilities, the company operates from NorthGate, their 30-acre industrial park in Bloomfield, where it supports a broad range of operations. Paragon Force also provides engineering and logistics services and has recently expanded its capabilities to include a dedicated metrology division, equipped with precision coordinate measuring machines.
“Since founding our business in 2009, we have partnered with SAIC as our primary large business partner, alongside a number of other valued teammates and industry partners,” Davis stated. “Their mentorship and collaboration have been instrumental to our growth and success. Large businesses in this region are a tremendous resource to the local community and to small companies like ours.”
Davis leads the organization alongside her husband, COO J.R. Davis. Under their leadership, the company has experienced steady expansion, growing from an initial workforce of five employees to more than 100.