Gunnar Prutz

Gunnar Prutz serves as a Contracting Officer for the Western Federal Lands Division of the Federal Highway Administration, where he manages the acquisition of critical transportation infrastructure projects across federally managed lands in the western United States. His responsibilities include planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering contracts for highway construction, bridge rehabilitation, road preservation, and related civil works essential to public access and emergency response in national parks and forests. Prutz applies full lifecycle contracting expertise under the FAR and agency-specific guidelines to ensure compliance, efficiency, and mission alignment with the Division’s infrastructure stewardship objectives. Prutz maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of experienced contractors, including STRIDER CONSTRUCTION CO INC, MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC, M.A. DEATLEY CONSTRUCTION, INC., OFTEDAL CONSTRUCTION, INC., and HAZ-TECH DRILLING INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven technical capability in heavy highway construction, site development, and specialized drilling operations. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, with a focus on firms demonstrating safety compliance, environmental stewardship, and experience in remote or ecologically sensitive terrain. While the majority of his acquisitions—81%—are conducted without set-asides, Prutz actively supports small business participation, with nearly 19% of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. He consistently prioritizes small business eligibility and encourages competition among qualified firms, aligning with federal socioeconomic goals without compromising project complexity or technical requirements. His procurement focus centers on NAICS codes related to hotel and motel operations (721110), nonmetallic minerals mining support (213115), and professional organizations (813920), reflecting the need to support visitor services, materials procurement, and technical consulting for infrastructure projects. He also procures scientific and technical services (541690) to support environmental assessments and geotechnical analysis, underscoring his domain expertise in integrating civil engineering with regulatory and ecological compliance.