Carlos Colon

Carlos Colon serves as a Contract Specialist within the Federal Prison System’s MDC Guayanbo, responsible for managing the procurement of critical subsistence services to support the dietary needs of incarcerated populations. His role centers on ensuring compliance with federal nutrition standards, religious dietary accommodations, and health safety regulations through the acquisition of perishable food products, dairy, and baked goods. He executes full-cycle contracting actions—from market research and solicitation development to award and contract administration—primarily under FAR Part 12 for commercial items and Part 13 for simplified acquisitions. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to maintain safe, humane, and nutritionally adequate institutional operations. Colon maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of established vendors, including MENDEZ & CO INC, SHAVER FOODS LLC, VAQUERIA TRES MONJITAS INC, and MENU FOOD AND BAR INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for experienced commercial suppliers with proven capacity to deliver perishable goods under strict federal custody protocols. His contracting approach emphasizes reliability, supply chain resilience, and adherence to food safety standards, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in performance accountability and regulatory compliance. While the majority of his acquisitions—80%—are conducted without set-asides, Colon consistently allocates 20% of his portfolio to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses in the food supply chain. His socioeconomic contracting patterns prioritize broad-based small business participation without favoring specific categories like 8(a) or HUBZone, reflecting a balanced approach to competition and capability. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 424410 (General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers) and 424430 (Dairy Product Merchant Wholesalers), with secondary activity in plumbing, HVAC, and specialized equipment manufacturing. This reflects deep expertise in perishable food logistics, cold-chain distribution, and institutional kitchen supply systems, positioning him as a subject matter expert in mission-critical food service procurement within the federal corrections environment.