Barbara McMasters

Barbara McMasters serves as a key procurement lead within Federal Prison Industries (Unicor), a U.S. Department of Justice entity dedicated to workforce development through inmate labor. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions aligned with Unicor’s mission to produce essential goods and services for federal agencies while fostering rehabilitation through industrial training. Her work centers on sourcing manufactured products and industrial equipment, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and maximizing the efficiency of government supply chains. She routinely handles full-and-open and set-aside contracts under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, with a strong emphasis on quality control, cost-effectiveness, and mission alignment. McMasters maintains enduring relationships with a select group of certified vendors, including Veterans Range Solutions, LLC, Krueger International, Inc., and Blind Industries and Services of Maryland—organizations that align with Unicor’s rehabilitative and socioeconomic goals. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for partnerships with mission-driven manufacturers and social enterprises that share Unicor’s commitment to employment equity and workforce development. These relationships are characterized by long-term collaboration, consistent performance, and alignment with federal priorities around inclusive economic opportunity. Her procurement strategy is heavily oriented toward small business set-asides, with approximately 78% of awards designated under FAR 19.5 as Total Small Business Set-Asides. This reflects a deliberate and sustained commitment to expanding participation by small, disadvantaged, and socially and economically disadvantaged firms, reinforcing Unicor’s broader goals of equity and economic inclusion within federal contracting. Her primary technical focus lies in NAICS 333310 (Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing), where she procures industrial equipment used in correctional manufacturing operations. She also sources commercial equipment through NAICS 423440 and specialty wood products under NAICS 321999, demonstrating deep expertise in procurement for light manufacturing, material handling, and facility support systems essential to Unicor’s production ecosystem.