JHSN Logix Refrigeration Control System Upgrade

Added: Mar 25, 2016 11:55 am The USDA Forest Service, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, intends to issue a sole source firm fixed price contract for J Herbert Stone Nursery (JHSN) Logix Refrigeration Control System Upgrade to: Logix-Controls (Kirkland, WA).

The JHSN seedling cold storage facility was upgraded to an ammonia refrigeration system in 2000. The system is controlled by a Logix brand computerized system which includes hardware and software customized to run and monitor the six refrigerated rooms. The JHSN has not upgraded this Logix system since 2000 (even though there have been two significant upgrades over the last 16 years). To insure a catastrophic system failure does not occur, key reasons for the control system upgrade are:

• The nursery stores plant materials valued at over $2,000,000 in our cold storage facilities. This is a perishable product that can be lost if our refrigeration system is not modern and reliable.
• Age of the software. Two major upgrades did not occur. Our current system is not compatible with modern computer operating systems.
• Failure of individual components which will be difficult to replace. The alarm system that notifies JHSN staff of system failures is currently unreliable placing our seedling crops at risk. The problem cannot be identified and replacement parts for the alarm components are not available.
• Lack of technical support. Due to the age of our system our software is too old to trouble shoot remotely and they no longer program systems in the software language of our current system. The ability for Logix-Controls to remotely access the system for trouble shooting is essential in this complex system.

This action is taken pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 253(c) (1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency requirements.