Kathryn Bates

Kathryn Bates supports the procurement mission of Mschq Norfolk under the Department of the Navy, facilitating critical acquisitions that sustain the operational readiness of U.S. Navy surface and auxiliary vessels. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on ship repair, marine equipment maintenance, and mission-critical logistics services, ensuring timely delivery of technical and operational support to fleet assets. Her work directly enables the agency’s core objective of maintaining continuous naval deployment through reliable, high-integrity contracting for maritime infrastructure and engineering services. Bates maintains strategic relationships with key contractors including ExxonMobil Marine Limited, Vigor Marine LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., and Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc., reflecting a preference for established industry partners with proven capabilities in naval maintenance, deep-sea transport, and defense engineering. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term vendor partnerships grounded in technical expertise and regulatory compliance, particularly in shipyard services and specialized marine systems. These relationships are cultivated to ensure consistent performance and mission alignment across complex, high-stakes maritime operations. Her procurement activity shows a strong orientation toward open competition, with 93.1% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, indicating a primary focus on capability and readiness over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation remains limited at 6.9%, it is primarily channeled through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, suggesting a measured, performance-driven approach to socioeconomic contracting rather than targeted programs like 8(a) or HUBZone. The majority of her acquisitions fall under NAICS 811310 for commercial and industrial machinery repair and maintenance, with significant activity in shipbuilding and repair (336611) and engineering services (541330). She specializes in procuring technical services for vessel sustainment, marine propulsion systems, and mission-critical equipment, demonstrating deep domain expertise in naval logistics and maritime industrial support. Her work ensures the Navy’s fleet remains mission-ready through precision contracting in high-reliability technical domains.