LSI Awarded SBA SCALE Funding to Strengthen Utah’s Defense Industrial Base

LSI and 47G will partner to help Utah small businesses overcome supply chain barriers, expand capabilities and strengthen participation in the U.S. defense industrial base

LAYTON, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Logistics Specialties, Inc. (LSI) announced that LSI Business Development has been selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as Utah’s recipient of funding through the Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement (SCALE) Program, a national initiative designed to strengthen critical domestic supply chains and expand opportunities for American small businesses.

The SBA awarded $8.9 million to 18 organizations across the country through the SCALE program, with individual grantees receiving up to $500,000 over a two-year period. LSI was selected in the Defense Industrial Base category and is the program’s award recipient in Utah.

Through the SCALE initiative, LSI will work alongside 47G, Utah’s aerospace, defense and cyber ecosystem, to connect small and emerging businesses with the resources, expertise, industry relationships and opportunities needed to compete and grow within the defense industrial base.

“This award is about much more than a grant—it is about creating pathways for Utah companies to become part of the supply chains that support our national security,” said Sarah Bertagnolli, President and CEO of LSI. “Utah has incredible small businesses, manufacturers and innovators with the capability to solve real challenges for the Department of Defense and its industry partners. LSI understands both sides of that equation: what government and major defense contractors need from their suppliers, and what small businesses need to successfully enter and grow within those markets. SCALE gives us an opportunity to bring those two worlds together.”

The SCALE program is designed to help small manufacturers address supply chain constraints, increase production capacity and expand participation in strategically important domestic supply chains. Activities supported through the program include technical assistance, accelerator programming, supplier matchmaking and industry engagement aimed at overcoming operational, technical, workforce and market-access barriers.

For LSI, the SCALE award builds on years of work supporting small businesses and strengthening supply chains across the defense and government sectors. LSI’s Supply Chain Management & Logistics team has worked directly with government agencies, prime contractors, manufacturers and small businesses to identify supply chain gaps, develop solutions and connect capable suppliers with opportunities.

“We’ve spent years working directly in these environments and seeing firsthand both the challenges small businesses face and the capabilities they can bring to the defense supply chain,” said James Taylor, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management & Logistics at LSI. “SCALE allows our team to build on that experience in a very intentional way—identifying gaps, connecting businesses to the right resources and opportunities, and helping companies become stronger, more capable suppliers. I’m incredibly proud of the team that has helped build this capability at LSI, and I’m excited about what we can accomplish through this program.”

LSI will bring more than five decades of experience in defense, government contracting, supply chain management, logistics, economic development and small-business support to the initiative. Together with 47G, LSI plans to leverage Utah’s growing aerospace and defense ecosystem to identify capable suppliers, strengthen connections between small businesses and larger industry partners, and help companies better understand and prepare for the requirements of the defense marketplace.

The partnership combines LSI’s experience in supply chain operations, federal contracting, government programs and business development with 47G’s extensive network across Utah’s aerospace, defense and advanced-industry ecosystem.

“Utah has built one of the strongest aerospace and defense ecosystems in the country because of our ability to connect innovative companies with real opportunities,” said Aaron Starks, President and CEO of 47G. “This partnership with LSI will help us take that work even further by strengthening Utah’s small-business supply chain, creating new pathways into the defense industrial base and helping Utah companies scale their capabilities. When our small businesses succeed, we strengthen Utah’s economy while contributing to the resilience and security of our nation.”

For LSI, success will ultimately be measured by what happens beyond the program itself: more Utah companies positioned to compete, stronger connections between small businesses and defense partners, increased supplier capacity and a more resilient domestic industrial base.

“Our goal is not simply to help companies learn about opportunities,” Bertagnolli added. “We want to help them become stronger suppliers—companies that are prepared to meet requirements, build relationships, increase capacity and ultimately win work. That creates jobs and economic opportunity here in Utah while strengthening the domestic supply chains our country depends on.”

The SCALE awards support organizations across 17 states and focus on strategically important industries including advanced manufacturing, defense technologies and components, biotechnology and biomanufacturing, energy and critical materials, food and agriculture, and transportation and logistics.

The two-year SCALE period of performance begins September 30, 2026.

About LSI

Founded in 1972, Logistics Specialties, Inc. (LSI) is a Utah-based professional services firm supporting government, industry and communities through Supply Chain Management & Logistics; Economic Development & Social Impact; and Government Relations & Advocacy.

For more than five decades, LSI has worked at the intersection of government and industry to solve complex operational challenges, strengthen supply chains, expand economic opportunity and support missions critical to national security.

About 47G

47G is Utah’s aerospace, defense and hard-tech ecosystem, bringing together industry, government, academia and community partners to accelerate innovation, strengthen the industrial base and create economic opportunity. Through its programs and partnerships, 47G helps companies access markets, build strategic relationships, develop talent and integrate into critical aerospace and defense supply chains.