Portage County Winter Pay Loader Rental

Portage County, Wisconsin, is seeking bids for the rental of two pay loaders for the 2017-2018 winter season through its Purchasing Department. The primary objective is to secure equipment for loading salt during winter weather events, with specific requirements for the rental units. Bidders must provide pay loaders with minimum horsepower and bucket sizes, delivered by December 1, 2017, and picked up by March 31, 2018. The contract term is four months, with potential extensions contingent on mutual written agreement. Sealed bids must be submitted to the Portage County Purchasing Department at 1462 Strongs Ave, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481, no later than 2:00 PM on August 16, 2017, with a public bid opening to follow. Prospective bidders must submit written questions about specifications by August 8, 2017, at 4:00 PM to Calvin Winters, Procurement Director. The County will evaluate bids based on lowest total cost or lowest net unit price, considering responsiveness, responsibility, and delivery timeliness.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Bidders must meet specific qualifications, including being an original manufacturer or authorized distributor, providing three references from similar institutions within the past three years, and demonstrating three years of experience in heavy equipment rental. Additional requirements include offering in-store or depot repair service with a maximum 72-work-hour turnaround, providing 30 minutes of instruction on equipment setup and operation, and including a 110-volt block heater with each unit. All maintenance and warranty work must be completed at no charge to Portage County, with a comparable unit provided if warranty work cannot be resolved within 72 hours. While the specific budget range is not disclosed, the bid documents require firm pricing for 30 calendar days after bid opening and for the entire contract period, with prices including delivery, pickup, fuel, transportation, insurance, and operation manuals on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Included basis.