Lewiston metal manufacturer wins $4.2M defense contract

File Photo / Tim Greenway Elmet Technologies, headed by Andy Nichols, has won a $4.2 million contract with the Department of Defense.

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By Staff

Elmet Technologies LLC, a Lewiston manufacturer of tungsten and molybdenum products, has won a $4.2 million contract to accelerate its development and supplying of components to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The contract will help preserve 155 jobs and create additional ones, according to a news release Wednesday.

Tungsten and molybdenum items are used in a number of military applications, but there are few domestic suppliers. Elmet is the only 100% U.S.-owned, fully integrated manufacturer of components using these metals, CEO Andy Nichols said in the release.

The Defense Department made the award through a program to prevent supply-chain vulnerabilities and address urgent operational needs. In addition to expanding its manufacturing, Elmet can use the contract funds to upgrade infrastructure and make other improvements, so it can develop new products.

“We look forward to leveraging this contract to provide advanced, U.S.-made prototypes and components to the military,” Nichols said.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said, “Ensuring the availability and technological superiority of tungsten heavy alloy and molybdenum products is an important national security imperative. As a leader in the production of tungsten products with decades of experience working with refractory metals, Elmet is well positioned to supply our military.”

Elmet has occupied the same location, on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, since 1929. In its early years, the company was in the lighting business, manufacturing tungsten filament for incandescent bulbs. At its peak, it was one of three largest light filament manufacturers in world and had more than 1,000 employees.

Today, Elmet specializes in high-purity molybdenum, tungsten and related alloys for the defense, automotive, aircraft and other industries, serving customers globally and growing at over 10% annually.