Attachment 13 - Brand Name Justification Redacted_Redacted.pdf

This is a Brand Name Justification document supporting a Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition for a Design-Build construction project.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) is procuring construction services for a new Chiller Plant (Building 153) at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Project 695-24-101). The contractor will furnish all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, and architectural/engineering/construction services through design and construction phases, with the project budget ranging from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000. The justification supports the use of four branded items that cannot be substituted with equal or alternative equipment: Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) MetaSys Building Automation System; JCI C Cure 9000 Physical Security Access Control System; Siemens Pytronics (Systec) Fire Alarm System; and Sargent Locksets for door hardware. These items have been standardized throughout the Clement J. Zablocki VAMC facility, and the document demonstrates that replacing them with competing systems would create significant cost duplications, operational disruptions, interoperability failures, patient safety risks, and extended construction schedules due to the integrated nature of existing infrastructure and established maintenance protocols.

Market research was conducted from November 2025 through December 2025 to evaluate Buy American Act (BAA) compliance. Findings confirm that all four branded items meet BAA requirements as domestic products or assemblies. The justification is based on the "Only One Responsible Source" statutory authority per 41 USC §3304(a)(1), with approvals from the Contracting Officer, Supervisory Contracting Officer, Director of Contracting, and Regional Procurement Office Central leadership, all signed January 2026.