Orlando Merritt

Orlando Merritt serves as a key procurement professional within the Defense Logistics Agency’s Energy Directorate (SPE605), responsible for managing strategic energy supply contracts critical to sustaining global military operations. His work centers on securing reliable petroleum-based fuels, natural gas, and associated logistics services to ensure operational readiness across all U.S. armed forces. He oversees complex acquisitions under FAR Part 13 and Part 15 procedures, primarily involving long-term fuel supply agreements, storage infrastructure support, and energy distribution logistics. His role is integral to DLA Energy’s mission of maintaining resilient, secure, and responsive energy supply chains in dynamic operational environments. Merritt maintains a concentrated contracting relationship with Qatar Fuel (WOQOD) and United Capital Investments Group, both of which serve as primary vendors for international fuel procurement and logistics coordination. These partnerships reflect a preference for established, global energy suppliers with proven capacity to meet DoD standards for quality, delivery timing, and security compliance. His contracting patterns emphasize performance-based outcomes, with contracts structured to ensure continuous fuel availability under austere conditions, often involving multi-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) mechanisms. His procurement strategy demonstrates strong support for small business participation, with nearly 47% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate effort to broaden vendor diversity. Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and 8(a) firms receive limited but consistent consideration, indicating a balanced approach that prioritizes capability while advancing socioeconomic goals. Merritt’s portfolio is overwhelmingly focused on NAICS 324110 (Petroleum Refineries), underscoring deep expertise in fuel production, refining, and bulk distribution systems. He also manages specialized contracts in testing laboratories (NAICS 541380) for fuel quality assurance and compliance, ensuring adherence to military specification standards such as MIL-DTL-83133 and ASTM D975. His technical domain expertise lies in the lifecycle management of energy supply chains, from refinery throughput to forward-area distribution.