Photo By Daniel DeAngelis | Norfolk Naval Shipyard Service Acquisition Programs and Data Analytics (Code 1223) Branch Manager Matthew Daigle was among the shipyard representatives who presented during the 2026 Industry Day. see less
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Norfolk Naval Shipyard Hosts Annual Industry Day to Bring Opportunities for Engagement
The main hall of Chesapeake Conference Center was abuzz on Feb. 18 as Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) took the stage of their fourth annual Industry Day event. The event provided a valuable opportunity for NNSY's workforce and contractors to connect, discuss upcoming work scope requirements, and reinforce their shared commitment to the on-time delivery of ships back to the fleet.
“The purpose of this event is for NNSY to provide our private sector with information from our leadership, provide NNSY’s seven-year service requirement forecast, and discuss the capabilities our private sector can provide,” said Service Acquisition Programs and Data Analytics (Code 1223) Branch Manager Matthew Daigle. “With a vision in mind of our way forward as a shipyard, we know that we’ll need the right tools, materials, and more to get the job done. Our mission is a vital piece for our nation’s defense, and with that we continue to see an increase in our workload. With that increase, we also see an added need for the right resources. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to lay out the groundwork for what we need to accomplish in this window of time, and allow the public and private sector to discuss what the needs are and what capabilities can be provided.”
More than 120 companies and various shipyard departments participated in this event. From administrative services, information technology, security platforms, ship repair, shipyard infrastructure, material acquisition, and more – the room was filled with eager attendees who were ready to work together in order to meet the Navy’s needs. With feedback from the previous events from contractors, this year’s morning session consisted of shipyard representatives presenting the acquisition forecast, laying out the ground rules for government acquisitions, their needs with the planned work coming down the pipe and how contractors can solicit to assist. Following the presentations, the room became a networking conglomerate, opening dialogue between NNSY and the contractors on the opportunities to partner to support the shipyard mission of on-time delivery of ships back to the Fleet.
“NNSY’s work profile over the next several years is huge and it’s important that we are able to build these successful partnerships to meet our mission,” said NNSY Business and Strategic Planning Officer Capt. Jason Massey. “We are committed to establishing these connections, developing these partnerships, and working together so that our team at America’s Shipyard has what they need to deliver our ships and submarines back to the front lines as safely and efficiently as possible.”
“Our team has put on a successful event here today and we’re already planning for ways to improve efficiency in the way we link up our shipyard and the private sector,” said Code 1220 Workload Forecasting and Performance Metrics Program Manager Amber Smith-St. Louis.
Daigle added, “Being able to lay out our needs head-on to show the contractors exactly what our people are going to be looking for as we plan out our projects was a big takeaway for us this year. It allowed everyone in the room to understand what the need was and gave the private sector companies a chance to highlight what help they can provide directly related to those needs. We’re already working hard with the feedback to improve what comes next.”
