Berg close to major defense contract

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is close to signing a five-year contract with the Department of Defense to produce fuel storage units for U.S. military operations.

The multi-year contract could ultimately generate $250 million to $500 million in sales for Berg Integrated Systems, a tribal-owned enterprise in Plummer, Idaho, said Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

Allan expects an official announcement by late August. “We’re in the final negotiations,” he said Friday.

Berg Integrated Systems is already gearing up to produce the flexible, plastic fuel bladders, which should begin rolling of the plant’s production line in January. The units can hold up to 210,000 gallons of diesel or aircraft fuel.

About 40 people work at the Plummer plant. The new contract will generate another 50 to 75 manufacturing jobs, according to Allan. Further details will be released after the contract is signed, said Gwen Lankford, a company spokeswoman.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe purchased a majority stake in Berg Integrated Systems in last year, with a goal of expanding the company through government contracts.

Tribal ownership gives the company a competitive edge in bidding on certain types of contracts, Allan said. Berg Integrated Systems qualifies as a minority owned small business, operating in an economically depressed area.

The firm is part of Berg Companies of Spokane, three affiliated firms that make support-systems for remote sites, such as portable shelters and water tanks.

The Plummer facility also manufactures 20-foot mobile units that can be converted into field offices, medical clinics or kitchen facilities.