The Daily Dig
Conti Federal Services LLC has won a $43.9 million firm fixed price contract to build the B-21 60 Row South Environmental Protection Shelters at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District awarded the deal. It marks Conti Federal's eighth project supporting the B-21 Raider program at the installation. The shelters are designed to protect the aircraft from UV exposure, snow, and other weather while extending its lifespan.
Scope on this project covers the environmental protection shelters, maintenance kiosks, sitework and utilities, flightline and airfield paving, and airfield ground support equipment. The shelters also give crews added space for flight-line maintenance work. They support rapid deployment of aircraft and eliminate the need to relocate them in and out of hangars.
This award adds to a growing list of B-21 infrastructure work Conti Federal has built at Ellsworth. That list includes the Flight Simulator Facility, Phase Maintenance Hangar, Radio Frequency Hangar, Fuel Systems Maintenance Dock, Dock 81, the 60 Row EPS North shelters, and the Weapons Loader Training Facility. That track record has made Conti Federal the contractor holding the nation's largest portfolio of B-21 bed-down projects at a single installation.
Construction on the 60 Row South shelters is expected to finish by October 2028. Project Executive Ed Novak said the award reflects the confidence USACE places in Conti Federal's ability to consistently deliver complex, mission-critical facilities that strengthen national defense.
Snapshot:
Project Name: B-21 60 Row South Environmental Protection Shelters (EPS)
Contractor: Conti Federal Services LLC
Awarding Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
Contract Value: $43.9 million
Contract Type: Firm fixed price
Location: Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Program: B-21 Raider Program
Scope: Environmental protection shelters, maintenance kiosks, sitework and utilities, flightline and airfield paving, airfield ground support equipment (GSE)
Portfolio Position: Eighth Conti Federal award supporting the B-21 program at Ellsworth AFB
Timeline: Construction expected complete by October 2028
Related Prior Projects: Flight Simulator Facility, Phase Maintenance Hangar, Radio Frequency Hangar, Fuel Systems Maintenance Dock, Dock 81, 60 Row EPS North, Weapons Loader Training Facility
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Eight awards at one installation from one agency signals a level of trust that gets built over years, not one bid cycle. Program familiarity like this tends to translate into smoother coordination between contractor and base, since the same team is working around known utilities, airfield operations, and site conditions on every new task order. For GCs pursuing federal aviation work, the pattern here is worth studying: consistent performance on smaller scopes can lead to a much larger, ongoing program relationship.
The subcontractor angle is where this story has real staying power. Conti Federal has said it integrates local trade partners early into planning and execution across its Ellsworth program, which suggests a role for regional labor and specialty trades as the broader B-21 build-out continues. Subs who build a relationship with Conti Federal now put themselves in a stronger position when future scopes do come up for bid, even though federal procurement rules still govern how those opportunities get competed and awarded.
