By Wayne Heilman
A company owned by about 3,000 native Alaskans has acquired a majority interest in Colorado Springs-based defense contractor Delta Solutions & Strategies, which employs 400 at locations in 27 states and three countries, and has 46 federal contracts.
Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corp. (UIC) acquired 70% of Delta on Nov. 29. Delta CEO and President Mark Stafford retained the remaining 30% of the company and will continue in those roles for five years, while three other top executives will stay for at least three years. Delta will become part of UIC’s Bowhead Family of Companies, which is part of UIC’s Government Services Division, and will be renamed Delta Solutions & Strategies-Bowhead.
Delta Solutions began seeking a buyer about a year ago, hiring an investment banker to help with the process of sorting through dozens of offers, Stafford said. Bowhead had been a Delta subcontractor for 10 years before the selection.
Delta is a prime contractor for the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs, creating military training products, operations and maintenance, modeling and simulations and technical advisory services for the U.S. Department of Defense. Bowhead has more than 3,000 employees in 16 U.S. offices (including Colorado Springs) and 300 federal contracts to provide systems and information technology, logistics, marine, engineering and program management.
The Delta acquisition provides Bowhead with new capabilities and service offerings that will position the company to win more contracts from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command, UIC says in a news release. The deal is expected to provide Delta with “an expanded market reach with access to a wider range of Department of Defense and federal contracts,” as well as access to funding and other resources, the release says.
“Delta’s expertise and reputation in the space community, matched with Bowhead’s extensive service offerings and well-defined federal contracting practices, will allow us to unlock a new level of value for our organizations and customers,” Stafford says in the release.
“This acquisition strengthens our ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions to the Department of Defense and key government agencies. By leveraging Delta’s specialized expertise, we are positioned to offer an even broader range of services,” UIC President and CEO Pearl Brower says in the release.
