Mettle Craft Manufacturing, a joint venture between two women-owned small businesses in Macomb county, has secured a new contract worth $19 million.

Mettle Craft, an initiative between Mettle Ops and Prosper-Tech Machine & Tool, is one of four businesses selected to provide fabrication and manufacturing for the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC), previously known as TARDEC. They will supply mechanical parts and assemblies over the next five years through the Multiple Award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (MA IDIQ) contract, including mechanical fabrication, machining, assembly, procurement, verification, quality control and assurance, packaging, and kitting.

“This award is a promising beginning to our joint venture with Prosper-Tech," said Katie Bigelow, founder of Mettle Ops. “We look forward to expanding our defense manufacturing capabilities.”

Bigelow served two years in the Iraq war, returning to Michigan to develop a multi-million dollar business in Sterling Heights. Her company's partnership with Prosper-Tech was catalyzed while in a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

“Winning an award within six months of forming Mettle Craft Manufacturing is a strong way to start 2020,” said Heidi Devroy, founder of Prosper-Tech Machine & Tool.

The joint venture will manufacture or modify parts, components, subsystems, and systems according to government-provided design drawings, computer-aided design models, and technical data packages.