Jose Gutierrez, Contracts Specialist

Jose Gutierrez serves as a Contracts Specialist with the USDA Forest Service’s Intermountain 7 Regional Office, where he manages the acquisition of critical infrastructure and maintenance services essential to sustaining national forest lands. His responsibilities include planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering contracts for heavy civil construction, transportation, and utility systems in remote and rural environments. Gutierrez plays a pivotal role in executing the agency’s mission to ensure resilient forest infrastructure, from road and bridge maintenance to water and sewer line repairs, aligning procurements with federal regulations and operational priorities across challenging terrains. He maintains strong, recurring relationships with a core group of contractors specializing in heavy construction and specialty trades, including Nehemiah Construction LLC, McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, Peterson Plumbing Supply, and Reliance Contractors Inc. These partnerships reflect a pattern of engagement with established regional firms capable of delivering complex, site-specific work under demanding environmental and logistical conditions. Gutierrez prioritizes vendors with proven capacity in field execution, safety compliance, and responsiveness to seasonal and emergency maintenance needs. His procurement strategy is heavily oriented toward small business participation, with nearly 90% of contracts set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. He consistently leverages 8(a) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides, reflecting a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic equity and regional economic development. This pattern underscores a strategic emphasis on building capacity among disadvantaged and veteran-owned firms in the construction sector. Gutierrez’s primary technical focus lies in NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) and 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction), complemented by significant activity in specialty trade contracting and local freight transport. He procures services ranging from earthwork and drainage systems to plumbing, electrical, and site development, demonstrating deep expertise in civil infrastructure procurement for federal land management operations.