Brian S.Nicholsen

Brian Nicholsen serves as a key procurement lead within the U.S. Coast Guard’s SFLC Procurement Branch 2 (70Z085), responsible for managing complex acquisitions to sustain and modernize the Coast Guard’s fleet of cutters and maritime vessels. His work directly supports the agency’s mission of ensuring operational readiness across coastal, offshore, and open-ocean environments through lifecycle management of naval infrastructure. Nicholsen specializes in shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance contracts, overseeing the full acquisition lifecycle from requirement validation to contract award and administration, with a strong emphasis on technical compliance and long-term vessel reliability. He maintains consistent working relationships with leading maritime industrial contractors, including ROLLS-ROYCE SOLUTIONS AMERICA INC, VIGOR MARINE LLC, JAG INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC, G I INDUSTRIAL-MARINE, LLC, and L1 ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED. These partnerships are centered on specialized shipyard services, propulsion system integration, hull maintenance, and marine engineering solutions. Nicholsen’s contracting approach prioritizes long-term vendor collaboration, leveraging contractor expertise in naval architecture and Coast Guard-specific operational requirements to deliver mission-critical capabilities. Nicholsen demonstrates an unwavering commitment to small business participation, with 100% of his acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster innovation and capacity within the maritime industrial base by directing opportunities to small, qualified firms capable of delivering specialized ship repair and maintenance services. His contracting patterns consistently prioritize socioeconomic goals, ensuring broad access for small businesses in the marine services sector. His procurement focus is overwhelmingly concentrated in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), reflecting deep technical expertise in naval vessel maintenance, dry-docking, and system upgrades. A smaller portion of his portfolio involves nonresidential leasing under NAICS 531120, supporting facility-based repair operations. Nicholsen’s domain expertise lies in the integration of marine engineering standards, Coast Guard technical specifications, and federal acquisition regulations to deliver durable, mission-ready maritime assets.