Yvette K Hairston-Mercer

Yvette K. Hairston-Mercer serves as an Industrial Specialist at Federal Prison Industries (Unicor), where she plays a critical role in managing procurement activities aligned with the agency’s mission of rehabilitation through industry. In this capacity, she supports the acquisition of goods and services produced by incarcerated individuals, ensuring compliance with federal mandates while optimizing cost-efficiency for federal agencies. Her responsibilities include evaluating production capabilities, negotiating contract terms, and overseeing the fulfillment of requirements across a diverse range of manufacturing and support services. She specializes in acquisitions governed by Title 18 U.S.C. § 4124, which authorizes Unicor to supply products and services to federal entities under a unique statutory framework that prioritizes inmate workforce development. Hairston-Mercer maintains established working relationships with key contractors including Veterans Range Solutions, LLC, Krueger International, Inc., Veterans Environmental Group, LLC, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and Nightingale Corp. These partnerships reflect a preference for organizations with proven experience in industrial manufacturing, environmental services, and institutional support operations. Her procurement approach emphasizes reliability, scalability, and alignment with Unicor’s production capacity, often facilitating collaborative arrangements that integrate inmate labor with external vendor expertise to meet federal demand. Notably, Hairston-Mercer’s contracting activity reflects a 100% non-set-aside profile, indicating a focus on full and open competition under Unicor’s statutory authority. While socioeconomic set-asides are not utilized, her work inherently supports workforce rehabilitation and inclusive economic participation through the direct employment of incarcerated individuals, fulfilling a unique public mission distinct from traditional small business programs. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Correctional Institutions (922140), All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (339999), and Telephone Answering Services (561421), reflecting deep expertise in institutional supply chains, industrial product manufacturing, and administrative support services. She routinely procures items such as furniture, textiles, electronics assembly, and call center operations—all produced within federal correctional facilities under strict quality and security protocols.