Chiller Replacement at Alumni Hall_GSC

Gordon State College, a Board of Regents institution of the University System of Georgia located in Johnson County, issued an Invitation to Bid for the replacement of an air-cooled chiller system at Alumni Hall. The procurement requires installation of a new 70-ton nominal capacity scroll water chiller with BACnet/MSTP communication capabilities, hot gas bypass compressors, and variable speed condenser fan operation, along with associated piping modifications, electrical connections, controls integration with the existing JCI Building Automation System, and site restoration including grass reseeding and concrete protection. Acceptable manufacturers are limited to Trane or JCI/York International Corporation, with the chiller requiring factory assembly, delivery fully charged with refrigerant and oil, installation on vibration isolators, and commissioning by a factory-trained representative including a minimum of one day of startup services (leak testing, pressure testing, and four hours of operational observation) plus a minimum of two hours of owner personnel training. Contractor qualifications must demonstrate at least four years of operation, successful completion of three comparable mechanical projects each valued at a minimum of $275,000, current Georgia mechanical licensing, a designated project manager with a minimum of two years' relevant experience, and a superintendent with four years of comparable experience. Sealed bids were due by 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time on January 12, 2026, with a mandatory pre-bid conference held on December 18, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. at the GSC Facilities conference room (Building 5, 419 College Drive, Barnesville, Georgia), which attendance was required for all interested bidders. Written questions were due by January 2, 2026, with responses and addenda posted by January 7, 2026. The contract will be awarded on a lump-sum basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with evaluation criteria including debarment status, prior contract defaults or terminations, a current ratio of 1.0 or higher demonstrating adequate cash flow, a Workers' Compensation Experience Modification Rate not exceeding an average of 1.2 over three years, and demonstrated past performance on public works projects.

No set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent eligibility are documented in the procurement materials, though all contractors must comply with Georgia's Security and Immigration Compliance Act requirements and provide evidence of federal work authorization. The existing infrastructure includes the current JCI Building Automation System to which the new chiller controls must integrate via BACnet open protocol, and the project requires coordination with the existing water treatment company for system treatment protocols. Mann Mechanical was selected as the successful offeror and awarded a fixed contract value of $172,589.00, with the contract requiring completion within 180 consecutive calendar days from issuance of the Proceed Order and a project objective of six months from notice to proceed. Performance and payment bonds, each equal to one hundred percent of the contract sum, are required prior to contract execution, along with bid security in the form of a bond equaling at least five percent of the bid amount. A mandatory five-year parts and labor warranty is required for all work. Eight unsuccessful bidders (Atlanta City Guys, Bold Air, Air South Inc., Greene & Associates, John F Pennebaker, JM Clayton, Kent Mechanical, and T&D Mechanical) were rejected on the basis of submitting bids exceeding the lowest responsive bid price.