2025_Sole_Source_Letter.pdf

This is a Notice of Intent to Sole Source procurement document issued by the City of Plant City in Hillsborough County, Florida. The city intends to procure hauling and delivery services along with a proprietary water treatment chemical called Aqua Solv SC from Flo Tec Automation Associates, Inc., the original developer of the product. Aqua Solv SC is a specialized chemical designed to mitigate corrosion issues in municipal metal piping systems and has been supplied to the city for over 35 years. The Notice of Intent serves to verify with the vendor community that no alternative vendors can provide equivalent hauling and chemical delivery services. The solicitation period opened November 13, 2025, with vendor responses due by November 20, 2025. No explicit site visits or bidders' conferences are mentioned in the documentation, and no specific award date or contract term has been disclosed.

Flo Tec Automation Associates, Inc. is the incumbent vendor and proposed sole source provider, with a documented relationship spanning nearly 45 years with the City of Plant City Water Department. The chemical is NSF/ANSI 60 certified and manufactured using high-quality raw materials in a climate-controlled blending facility with complete lot traceability. Pricing is proposed based on a 35 percent markup of raw material costs with flexibility for market condition adjustments. Flo Tec has emphasized its commitment to competitive pricing through multiple vendor relationships and significant manufacturing scale. No specific contract award values are disclosed in the documentation, nor are there any explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent organizations. The procurement is focused on maintaining continuity of service and preserving the existing successful water treatment approach critical to the city's water infrastructure.