Alexandria defense contractor lands $90M Army contract for nuclear facility support
MPR Associates to provide technical services across 17-state region through 2030
MPR Associates Inc., a specialty engineering firm that has been in Old Town for more than three decades, has been awarded a $90 million firm-fixed-price contract to support nuclear facilities within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, according to the Department of Defense.
The contract, announced Wednesday, will run through Nov. 11, 2030, with work locations and funding to be determined as individual orders are issued, the DOD said.
Founded in 1964 by three engineers from Admiral Hyman Rickover’s Naval Reactors program — Harry Mandil, Robert Panoff and Theodore Rockwell — MPR has built a nearly 60-year legacy in nuclear engineering, according to the company’s history. The trio launched the company from an office near the White House.
The company relocated to its current headquarters at 320 King St. in 1992, according to MPR.
Supporting critical infrastructure across 17 states
The Great Lakes and Ohio River Division is one of nine worldwide divisions within the Army Corps of Engineers, overseeing seven districts — in Buffalo, New York; Chicago; Cincinnati; Detroit; Huntington, West Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Pittsburgh — that span 17 states and serve more than 58 million people, according to the Corps.
The Army Corps of Engineers in Huntington served as the contracting activity for the competitive procurement, which drew three bids, the DOD said.
MPR’s work will support the Corps’ mission to maintain and operate nuclear-related infrastructure across this territory.
From Naval Reactors to commercial nuclear power
MPR’s early work in the 1960s and ‘70s included designing and constructing commercial nuclear plants, including Oyster Creek in New Jersey, Calvert Cliffs in Maryland, and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, according to the company. MPR also helped implement the Navy’s SUBSAFE submarine safety program.
When the Three Mile Island Unit 2 partial meltdown occurred, MPR led the task force determining the effects of the event, the company says on its website.
Over the decades, MPR expanded beyond nuclear work into fossil-fueled power, firefighting systems for Navy vessels and the health and life sciences sector, developing products ranging from surgical instruments to stem cell isolation systems, according to the company.
Today, MPR employs approximately 250 people and serves clients across power and energy, nuclear technologies, transmission and distribution, health and life sciences, and federal sectors, according to the company’s LinkedIn page.
The Alexandria Brief has reached out to MPR Associates for comment. This story will be updated when the company responds.