Chesterton Products

Sarasota County is conducting a sole source procurement for Chesterton Products, specifically mechanical seals and seal repair kits for vertical turbine pumps used in County Water and Wastewater Plants. The procurement seeks to renew the contract with Southeast Pump Specialist, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Chesterton products for Florida. The solicitation was released on February 21, 2024, with a response deadline of February 26, 2024, at 5:00 PM, and requires electronic submission through the ProcureNow portal. Vendors who believe they can provide equivalent goods or services are invited to respond by completing an Intent to Sole Source Response form and uploading supporting documentation. The county reserves the right to cancel the sole source procurement and advertise a competitive solicitation if other vendors can demonstrate the ability to provide substantially similar products or services. The procurement is managed by Elena Diesen, Procurement & Contracts Specialist, from the Sarasota County Office of Financial Management, and questions were due by February 23, 2024, at 3:00 PM.

The procurement does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. Southeast Pump Specialist, Inc. is the incumbent vendor and current contractor, with a contract valid from 04/20/2022 to 04/19/2024. The estimated annual expenditure is $25,000, with a total expenditure range not to exceed $150,000. The justification for sole source highlights the vendor's unique capabilities, including maintaining a complete inventory of Chesterton Products, employing specialized technical staff, and offering warranties and guarantees. The procurement emphasizes that Chesterton products offer time and money savings through efficient repair and reassembly processes and can be customized for various water and wastewater applications. The county's procurement manual allows for pre-approval of expenditures up to $50,000 by the Procurement Official.