Alex Casagrande

Alex Casagrande serves as a procurement specialist for the City of Newport, Rhode Island, supporting the agency’s mission to modernize critical public infrastructure and municipal services. In this role, he manages the acquisition lifecycle for civil engineering, construction, and building systems contracts, ensuring compliance with state and federal procurement regulations. His responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for transportation, water, and building infrastructure projects, with a focus on resilient, sustainable, and code-compliant solutions. Casagrande works closely with engineering staff, project managers, and financial officers to align contracting strategies with capital improvement plans and long-term asset management goals. Casagrande maintains collaborative relationships with a broad range of licensed contractors specializing in heavy civil works and building systems. He engages primarily with general contractors, specialty trade firms, and engineering consultants who possess proven experience in public-sector infrastructure delivery. His procurement approach emphasizes competitive sealed bidding and performance-based contract structures, fostering accountability and quality assurance. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently works with firms holding relevant certifications in plumbing, electrical, roofing, and highway construction to meet the city’s technical needs. Casagrande’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of procurements designated as non-set-aside. He does not currently utilize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, instead prioritizing technical capability, past performance, and price competitiveness. This approach aligns with the city’s focus on large-scale infrastructure delivery, where scale and expertise often outweigh socioeconomic preferences in the evaluation process. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 238220 (plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors), 238160 (roofing contractors), and 237310 (highway, street, and bridge construction), reflecting Newport’s emphasis on resilient urban infrastructure. He regularly acquires services related to sewer rehabilitation, seawall stabilization, building envelope systems, and municipal facility upgrades, demonstrating deep expertise in civil construction and building systems procurement.