Carolyn F Burns

Carolyn F. Burns serves as a secondary procurement contact within the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Gf, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to maintain and modernize critical naval vessels through industrial and technical contracting. While not the primary contracting officer, she plays a vital role in facilitating acquisition processes for specialized shipyard services, including machinery repair, industrial components, and logistical support. Her work ensures alignment with naval readiness goals by coordinating contract actions that uphold stringent compliance, quality control, and lifecycle sustainment standards for fleet-critical platforms. Burns maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of industrial and technical contractors, including G I INDUSTRIAL-MARINE, LLC, OWL INTERNATIONAL INC., AMEE BAY, LLC, MID ATLANTIC ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC., and MILLS MARINE & SHIP REPAIR LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in marine engineering, precision sealing systems, and long-haul specialized freight services. Her procurement approach emphasizes reliability, regulatory adherence, and technical capability, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in shipyard-specific operational demands. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a strong inclination toward small business participation, with nearly half of all acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. While no single socioeconomic category dominates, the consistent use of total small business set-asides signals a deliberate strategy to broaden vendor diversity and enhance competition within the shipyard’s supply base. This reflects a broader agency commitment to leveraging small business innovation to sustain naval infrastructure. Burns’ procurement focus centers on niche industrial categories, particularly Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing (NAICS 339991), Testing Laboratories and Services (NAICS 541380), and Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing (NAICS 326220). These reflect the shipyard’s need for mission-critical components that ensure hydraulic integrity, non-destructive testing compliance, and mechanical system durability. Her expertise lies in procuring specialized, low-volume, high-reliability goods and services essential to naval vessel sustainment.