BREMERTON, Wash. –
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 7, 2023, to celebrate the grand opening of a new Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) Micro Market in Bldg. 1246, on the north side of Farragut Ave. across from Dry Dock 2.
Since its soft opening Oct. 17, the 24-hour self-service, self-checkout Micro Market has had strong sales and provided the Sailors and civilian workforce of PSNS & IMF with a new option to purchase food and drinks on the shipyard.
This new Micro Market location was pursued in response to command surveys and employee requests for more food options within the shipyard. With this new addition, there are now 9 meal locations within the PSNS & IMF Controlled Industrial Area. In the short time since the NEXCOM facility opened, it has become one the highest selling stores of its kind across Navy installations, according to Robert Bianchi, the chief executive officer of NEXCOM.
“Locations like this one are now in naval hospitals, bases and buildings across the country,” Bianchi said. “We are also looking to have two of these on active duty ships in the near future, to provide our Sailors with other options 24/7.”
Senior leaders from Naval Sea Systems Command and PSNS & IMF were also on hand to celebrate the opening of the facility.
“This facility represents more than just a convenient cup of coffee and a bite to eat,” said Capt. JD Crinklaw, commander, PSNS & IMF. “It is, most importantly, another step on our journey to bring the Navy’s team everything it needs to succeed. No gesture is too big or small when it comes to taking care of our people and making the day-to-day easier and better.”
The Micro Market currently offers nearly 1,000 items to choose from, including traditional snack and beverage choices such as chips and soda, as well as healthier options such as zero-calorie infused water, fresh sushi, salads and fruit.
Getting the Micro Market up and running has been a team effort from the beginning. The current location had been operating as a Shop 38 work space supporting the USS Ohio Project Team, who graciously worked around the construction planners. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command transformed the workspace to prepare it for its final conversion into the Micro Market. NEXCOM took over the space in August, and was able to soft launch the Micro Market in October.
Crinklaw noted how crucial the partnership was in making the grand opening a success.
“The team from NAVSEA 04, NEXCOM, NAVFAC and Puget helped bring this to life because you needed it and you asked for it,” he said. “For that, I am incredibly grateful.”