Cullen Glass, former Vice President of Supply Chain at Newport News Shipbuilding, launched Williamsburg-based Strong Chain LLC to address the operational hurdles he witnessed over a 28-year career. While managing relationships with over 2,000 suppliers, Glass observed that smaller firms frequently struggled with fragmented quality systems and the prohibitive costs of federal cybersecurity compliance. His new platform aims to replace instinct-based planning with data-driven management.

The suite includes the CMMC Accelerator for cybersecurity self-assessments, a Quality Management System for tracking non-conformance, and a Capacity and Scenario Planner for modeling throughput. These tools arrive as legal and financial risks mount; in 2025, firms like MORSECORP and Georgia Tech Research Corporation faced significant settlements related to Department of Defense cybersecurity mandates.

To drive adoption among smaller contractors, Strong Chain offers tiered annual subscriptions starting at $2,000, alongside free entry-level access for core features. Glass expects to deploy 5,000 licenses across the defense industrial base within the next year, providing smaller players the technical infrastructure required to remain competitive in federal contracting.