Wilbur W. Turner

Wilbur W. Turner serves as a Contracting Officer for the Maritime Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he manages the acquisition of critical maritime infrastructure and operational support services essential to national defense and commercial shipping readiness. His portfolio centers on sustaining the National Defense Reserve Fleet, modernizing merchant marine assets, and ensuring the operational viability of U.S. maritime training facilities. Turner routinely handles complex, multi-year contracts for vessel maintenance, technical support, and engineering services, applying full lifecycle procurement practices in alignment with FAR and DFARS requirements to meet mission-critical maritime objectives. His primary contractor relationships are anchored by CONNECTA SATELLITE SOLUTIONS LLC, a key provider of secure communications and satellite-based maritime logistics support. Turner cultivates long-term partnerships with vendors offering specialized maritime technology, testing services, and shipyard modernization solutions, favoring contractors with proven expertise in naval engineering and water transportation systems. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting and vendor accountability to ensure mission continuity and operational resilience. Turner’s set-aside preferences reflect a strong but selective commitment to small business participation, with nearly 18% of his awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. While the majority of his acquisitions remain open to all competitors, he consistently leverages small business programs to foster innovation and capacity building within the maritime supply chain, particularly for firms with niche capabilities in vessel support and maritime logistics. His industry focus is concentrated in NAICS 488390 (Other Support Activities for Water Transportation), which accounts for half of his acquisitions, followed by shipbuilding and repair (336611) and engineering services (541330). He specializes in procuring technical services related to vessel maintenance, marine testing, and infrastructure modernization, demonstrating deep expertise in the unique regulatory and operational demands of federal maritime asset management.