Healon Knight

Healon Knight serves as a key procurement professional within the Maritime Administration, supporting the agency’s mission to sustain the operational readiness of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Responsible for managing complex acquisitions in shipbuilding and marine infrastructure, Knight oversees contracts for vessel repair, modernization, and related maritime systems. Their work directly enables the long-term viability of federally maintained vessels critical to national defense and emergency response logistics. Acquisitions under their purview typically involve shipyard services, structural upgrades, and environmental compliance systems, aligning with the agency’s focus on preserving aging maritime assets through targeted capital improvements. Knight maintains consistent working relationships with specialized ship repair and marine manufacturing firms, including Bay Marine Boatworks, Inc., Bay Ship & Yacht Co., and Revel Environmental Manufacturing, Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for contractors with proven expertise in dry-dock operations, hull restoration, and marine environmental systems. The contracting patterns indicate a reliance on experienced, niche vendors capable of executing technically demanding work on historic and defense-class vessels, often requiring adherence to stringent U.S. Coast Guard and MARAD specifications. While the majority of acquisitions are open to all competitors, Knight demonstrates a meaningful commitment to small business participation, with approximately 30.8% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster capability development among qualified small manufacturers and shipyard service providers, without reliance on 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB-specific set-asides. The primary technical focus lies in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), underscoring deep expertise in marine engineering and vessel maintenance. Additional procurement activity includes related categories such as transportation equipment manufacturing and heavy civil engineering, supporting integrated infrastructure upgrades across the Reserve Fleet. Knight’s domain knowledge centers on the lifecycle management of maritime assets and the regulatory frameworks governing their preservation.