Of the 10 New Mexico companies selected to provide an estimated $156 million in Sandia general construction, mechanical, and electrical work, eight of them are small businesses. The agreements can be extended for up to six years.
The companies will be prime contractors for the Labs, and will compete on individual construction projects as they occur, says Camille Gibson, manager of Infrastructure Operations Procurement Dept. 10243.
GREAT PARTNERS Gilbert Aldaz, center, project manager for the Ion Beam Laboratory (IBL), has worked with several of the companies recently selected to provide an estimated $156 million in Sandia general construction, mechanical, and electrical work. Gilbert has characterized the companies as excellent partners. Seen here with Gilbert are Barney Doyle, manager of Radiation-Solid Interactions Dept. 1111, which is a primary user of the IBL, and Janelle Armijo-Sanchez, federal project engineer with the NNSA/Sandia Site Office. The three are standing in front of the IBLs 6MV Tandem Van de Graaff-Pelletron Accelerator. (Photo by Randy Montoya).
“Sandia has successfully used construction partnerships for several years. They provide an ongoing exchange of ideas that has been and will continue to be beneficial to both Sandia and our contractors,” Camille says.
“Having an established group of highly qualified prime contractors allows for competitive prices and a quick turnaround when individual construction projects arise. Construction partnerships also have improved Sandia’s construction safety performance over the last decade.”
The prime contractors selected for general construction projects are B&D Industries Inc., Engineering Constructors Inc., Summit Construction Inc., and T.E.F. Construction Inc. The mechanical contractors are BRYCON Construction, Cross Connection Inc., and JB Henderson Construction. The electrical contractors are Del Rio Enterprises Inc., Enterprise Electrical Services Inc., and U S Electrical Corp. All the companies are based in Albuquerque, except BRYCON, which has headquarters in Rio Rancho.
80 percent for small business
Don Devoti, manager of Small Business Utilization Dept. 10222, says Sandia’s review team should be commended for setting aside 80 percent of the agreements for small businesses.
“Sandia is committed to discovering and using diverse, highly qualified, small business suppliers to assist the Labs in achieving our national security mission. These construction partnership agreements clearly demonstrate and reinforce our commitment to New Mexico’s small business community,” Don says.
Gilbert Aldaz, project manager for Sandia’s Ion Beam Laboratory, says he’s worked with four of the companies that were selected for the most recent agreements and is glad they’ll be working at the Labs.
“They have been excellent partners. It’s the way projects should be built,” Gilbert says. “When you have issues or you have problems, they’re the partners that you want with you.”
Gilbert says when he needs top-quality construction to get a project done under budget, Sandia’s partner companies “come up with the solutions to get problems resolved or determine the most cost-effective and safe method to perform the work.”
Getting the word out
Don says Sandia did an “outstanding job” informing suppliers in the community about the construction partnership agreements. There were outreach efforts to announce the construction partnership agreements, including two town hall meetings in Albuquerque in 2008.
The companies were among 25 firms that submitted bids for the construction partnership agreements. More than 60 companies expressed interest in the agreements.
The bidders under went a competitive selection process that included meeting minimum mandatory requirements, providing information about their qualifications and technical skills, undergoing a review by a five-member technical and safety team at Sandia, and successfully completing multiple reviews by NNSA, says Christine Riddle, a contracting representative for Infrastructure Operations Procurement Dept. 10243.
The minimum requirements included being in business for at least three years, being licensed and bonded, and having a safety record that meets certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, Christine says.
While the vast majority of construction at Sandia will be covered by these partnership agreements, there are opportunities for other companies to obtain work from Sandia, says Mateo Aragon, who is also a contracting representative for 10243.
These projects include maintenance, demolition, subcontracting with the prime contractors, and other work, Mateo says. Companies interested in working at Sandia can find out more at http://supplier.sandia.gov/opportunities/selection.aspx.