Karen Hodge

Karen Hodge serves as a key procurement professional within Federal Prison Industries (Unicor), supporting the agency’s mission to provide vocational training and meaningful employment to incarcerated individuals through the production of essential goods for federal agencies. She manages a portfolio of acquisitions focused on manufacturing and distribution contracts that align with Unicor’s operational needs, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while advancing rehabilitation goals. Her work centers on sourcing goods produced by inmate labor, primarily in food manufacturing and ophthalmic product lines, and she plays a critical role in executing contracts that balance cost-efficiency, quality, and social impact. Hodge maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including VETERANS RANGE SOLUTIONS, LLC, KRUEGER INTERNATIONAL, INC., and BLIND INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES OF MARYLAND. These partnerships reflect a strategic alignment with mission-driven organizations that share Unicor’s commitment to workforce development and social enterprise. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term, performance-based agreements with vendors capable of supporting large-scale, low-margin production requirements, often involving custom manufacturing or niche distribution channels. She exhibits a 100% commitment to Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, ensuring all procurements are reserved exclusively for small businesses, with a strong preference for those owned by veterans, individuals with disabilities, or located in economically disadvantaged areas. This reflects a deliberate socioeconomic strategy to amplify impact beyond procurement—leveraging federal contracts to support inclusive economic opportunity. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 311119 (Other Animal Food Manufacturing), which constitutes 60% of her portfolio, alongside NAICS 423460 and 339115 for ophthalmic goods wholesale and manufacturing, respectively. She specializes in acquiring high-volume, low-complexity consumer and institutional products—ranging from pet food and animal feed to eyewear and optical components—produced under Unicor’s integrated manufacturing model.