The Barnes Global Advisors will work with BlueForge Alliance to enhance advanced manufacturing strategy, qualification, and certification processes.
SEWICKLEY, Pa.—The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) and BlueForge Alliance (BFA) are collaborating to support the U.S. Navy Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program’s advanced manufacturing initiatives. According to a release from TBGA, the collaboration is in response to “the urgent demand for maritime supply chain capability, capacity, and workforce development for the U.S. Navy.”
The Barnes Global Advisors, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is an independent engineering consultancy with extensive experience in advanced manufacturing. BlueForge Alliance (BFA) is a nonprofit defense industrial base integrator that supports the U.S. Navy’s industrial base initiatives and efforts to strengthen and sustain the maritime manufacturing sector.
The partnership between the two entities is expected to enhance advanced manufacturing strategy, qualification, and certification processes, and to provide consultation on investment opportunities that strengthen the nation’s maritime industrial base, the release stated.
The Barnes Global Advisors will play a key role in supporting the U.S. Navy’s efforts to strengthen the resilience of the nation’s maritime supply chain. With a combined 400-plus years of manufacturing expertise, the TBGA team is “well positioned to expertly guide manufacturers on their journey to innovate to serve the needs of the nation,” according to the release.
TBGA Founder and President John E. Barnes commented on the significance of the partnership.
“TBGA’s enthusiasm to support the maritime industrial base runs deep. It aligns with our values, sense of mission, emphasis on teamwork, and our experience operating in high consequence environments,” Barnes said in the release. “As a partner with BlueForge Alliance, we are keen to draw upon our robust experience and our network across the U.S., U.K., and Australia to solve technical, workforce, and regional supply chain challenges.”
The Barnes Global Advisors helps companies work through their advanced manufacturing adoption via qualification and certification, systems and process economics, supply chain mapping, manufacturing ecosystem development, communications strategy, and workforce development and training.
“It is essential that we embrace advanced manufacturing technologies in order to increase the resiliency and competitiveness of America’s supply chain,” said Chris Holshouser, managing director of advanced manufacturing at BlueForge Alliance, in the release. “With their proven success in accelerating the adoption of technologies like additive manufacturing, we look forward to working with The Barnes Global Advisors to support our efforts to strengthen and expand production capacity across the maritime industrial base to ensure on-time construction and improve operational readiness of our nation’s ships and submarines.”