AWARD NOTICE: CAT Dozer Undercarriage Replacement

Contract was not awarded competitively. A primary mission of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is to maintain the authorized navigable waterways, which allow commercial and recreational transportation to commence. During the day-to-day operation of maintaining the channel dimensions, a primary piece of maintenance equipment, a D6T Dozer, became inoperable and must be repaired in order to effectively and efficiently continue mission essential work. Caterpillar is the only Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that designs and builds its own undercarriages, which guarantees a machine-specific match. Aftermarket parts are available but have different dimensions and materials which cause extra wear and tear on the machinery components; therefore, reducing the lifecycle of the dozer. Replacements must be purchased from a Caterpillar authorized sales/service center. There is a very small market for the required dozer undercarriage need, and specialized repairs are broken up by various heavy equipment industries such as agriculture, marine and construction. Within the operational/geographical range of Utica, IL, there are three CAT dealers/repair centers specializing in construction equipment - all three (3) of them are Altorfer CAT. One is 4.9 miles, one 35.3 miles and one 47.4 miles away. In light of the fact that the contractor will have to pick up and deliver the Dozer from Utica, IL, the most cost-effective course of action is to utilize one the Altorfer CAT dealers/repair centers within that roughly 50 mile radius.