Forged to Deliver Immediate Impact
Competitive advantage through more productive relationships and AI-enhanced strategies
Forged to Deliver Immediate Impact
Competitive advantage through more productive relationships and AI-enhanced strategies
About Fortress Forge LLC
Our Mission
Fortress Forge LLC empowers defense innovators to conquer complex markets with precision and foresight. By coupling proprietary AI-driven analytics and strategic intelligence with deep productive relationships, we transform business development from art to science—accelerating contract wins and forging unbreakable partnerships. Our commitment: Deliver mission-critical results to redefine what's possible in an era of rapid change and uncertainty.
Services to Forge Your Company's Success
Business Development
Strategic/Capture Planning
Relationship Management
We identify market opportunities, develop plans, and conduct customer engagement to help you win business.
Relationship Management
Strategic/Capture Planning
Relationship Management
We develop customer/partner/teammate engagement strategies that fit your business needs and drives real growth. Experienced in all aspects of industry event/tradeshow planning and execution.
Strategic/Capture Planning
Strategic/Capture Planning
Strategic/Capture Planning
We build the near-, mid-, and long term plans which allow you to focus business processes and successfully pursue contracts.
Market Research
Customer/Competitive Intelligence
Strategic/Capture Planning
Our AI-enhanced research services help your business make informed decisions by providing valuable market insights. We conduct focused market research, analyze data, and help you make informed decisions to optimize your business.
Customer/Competitive Intelligence
Customer/Competitive Intelligence
Customer/Competitive Intelligence
Our AI-enhanced research services help your business understand the market landscape by providing valuable customer/competitor assessments in order to write better informed proposals.
Packages Tailored to Fit the Needs of Your Company
Fortress Forge understands with uncertain times comes risk in hiring a full-time professional, but your business needs the competitive edge to win lucrative defense contracts. Fortress Forge is an agile firm focused on your company's requirements, respectful of your available resources, providing customized AI-enhanced products and services to maximize your probability of winning (P-win) new business. Whether your customer is the US Government or a defense prime, let us develop a package and provide you the expertise to overmatch the competition.
Below are sample packages with a menu of products and services which can be added/substituted. All packages include the monthly Fortress Forge Dispatch with industry trends, events, and news.
Frontline Essentials
Designed for startups and smaller operations needing foundational support, customer development, and growth strategies. Affordable AI-enhanced entry points in a 3-6 month contract (always options for longer terms or extension).
- Opportunity Assessment (Identify and prioritize 5-10 high value opportunities)
- Targeted Market Analysis (Competitive landscape and funding trends)
- Stakeholder Identification and Engagement (Introductions/networking)
- Bi-Weekly Consult/Check-in
- Customized Add-ins as Desired
Innovator Breakthrough
AI-enhanced strategies intended for tech startups and international companies looking to showcase innovative technologies or products in order to break into the US defense market. Options for this package include:
- Opportunity Assessment (Identify and prioritize 5-10 high value opportunities)
- Market Entry Roadmap (Requirements mapping, applicable programs, development agencies)
- Pitch Deck Development
- Stakeholder Identification and Partnership Engagement Plan (Contacts/scheduling)
- Identification/assistance with industry Events/Technology Conferences/Demonstrations
- Bi-Weekly Consult/Check-in
- Customized Add-ins as Desired
Mid-Market Assist
AI-enhanced strategies crafted for mid-sized or established defense companies requiring business development augmentation or a fresh look. Options for this package include:
- Comprehensive Opportunity Assessment (Identify and prioritize high value opportunities)
- Market Expansion Roadmap (Requirements/programs mapping, development agencies)
- Detailed Competitive Intelligence and SWOT Analysis
- Stakeholder/Partner Engagement and Industry Event Support
- Identify Opportunities for Supply Chain Diversification
- Bi-Weekly Consult/Check-in
- Customized Add-ins as Desired
Add-Ins and Substitutions
Additional expertise and AI-enhanced capabilities which can easily be added/substituted with any package, or built "ala-carte" to precisely meet your requirements and maximize immediate impact to your business. Options include:
- Customer Relationship Management (Development and execution)
- Partner/Teammate Development (Teaming agreements)
- Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term Strategic and Capture Planning
- Detailed Competitive Intelligence and SWOT Analysis
- Defense Budget Analysis
- Requirements Mapping and Prioritization
- Industry Event/Tradeshow Representation
- Comprehensive Tradeshow Planning, Budgeting, Scheduling and Execution
- Brand Positioning and Presentation Decks
- Facility Clearance Process and FOCI Mitigation
- Media Planning and Preparation
- Supply Chain Diversification
Meet the Team
Brad Herndon, Principal
Brad Herndon, Principal
Brad Herndon, Principal
Brad is Principal at Fortress Forge LLC bringing almost two decades of business development, planning, and market intelligence to serve your company's defense needs.
Brad has a BS in General Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and has worked in the field since retiring from the US Army in 2007.
Cole Herndon, Partner
Brad Herndon, Principal
Brad Herndon, Principal
Cole is a partner at Fortress Forge LLC bringing AI and advanced computing skills to enhance our business development, planning, and market intelligence offerings.
Cole has an AAS in Computer Science and earned a BS in Virtual Reality Design from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. He has worked in the field since 2022.