Hector Cortes

Hector Cortes serves as a key procurement professional within the SFLC Procurement Branch 3 (00040) of the U.S. Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security. He is responsible for managing acquisitions that sustain and modernize the Coast Guard’s maritime fleet, ensuring operational readiness through shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance services. His portfolio primarily includes complex contracts for vessel systems, marine infrastructure, and specialized industrial equipment critical to cutter lifecycle management. Cortes operates within the federal acquisition framework to deliver mission-critical capabilities while adhering to statutory compliance and strategic readiness goals. Cortes maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of specialized marine and industrial contractors, including Philadelphia Electrical Equipment Co., JDCI Enterprises, Inc., ALS Services USA, Corp., Cabras Marine Corporation, and Bay Marine Boatworks, Inc. These vendors provide niche expertise in vessel electrification, mechanical repair, marine fabrication, and technical maintenance services. His contracting patterns reflect a preference for established, technically capable small firms with proven track records in maritime environments, fostering long-term partnerships that ensure quality, reliability, and mission continuity. Cortes demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with approximately 70.6% of his awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and other socioeconomic categories aligned with Coast Guard procurement priorities. His approach emphasizes inclusive competition while maintaining rigorous performance standards for mission-critical maritime systems. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), with additional emphasis on commercial and industrial machinery repair (811310), electrical apparatus wholesaling (423610), and fabricated metal product manufacturing (332999). This technical domain requires deep familiarity with marine engineering standards, corrosion-resistant materials, and Coast Guard-specific regulatory compliance, positioning Cortes as a specialist in complex, safety-sensitive maritime acquisitions.