Single Source for Kraft Werks Engineering (KWE) Expellers

Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are pursuing a single-source procurement for Kraft Werks Engineering (KWE) Expellers at the McKay Bay Waste to Energy (WTE) Facility. The procurement specifically targets replacement parts and components for four Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators, each equipped with an ash extractor manufactured by KWE. The primary objective is to minimize maintenance costs and standardize equipment by utilizing KWE's proprietary ash handling technology and designs. KWE has been the primary vendor for these extractors since June 2018, having recently fabricated four ash extractors under project numbers 2475 and 3119. The procurement documents indicate that KWE possesses exclusive rights to all ash extractor-related designs, drawings, and handling information, which justifies the single-source selection. The contract opportunity was posted on February 17, 2025, with a stated due date of January 30, 2025, though this appears to be a chronological inconsistency. The estimated procurement value is $60,000.00, covering replacement parts and potential maintenance services for the facility's ash handling equipment.

The procurement appears to be unrestricted in terms of vendor type, with no specific set-aside designations or enterprise restrictions noted in the documentation. KWE is positioned as the sole-source supplier, effectively eliminating competitive bidding for this specific equipment and service. The existing infrastructure involves four Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators at the McKay Bay WTE Facility, each currently equipped with KWE ash extractors installed during previous projects in 2022-2023. The vendor has a corporate history tracing back to ash handling groups from Howden NA and TLT-Babcock, Inc., which provides additional context for their specialized expertise. No alternative vendors are mentioned, and the procurement strategy is explicitly designed to maintain a long-term, exclusive relationship with KWE for ash extractor maintenance and parts. The contract aims to ensure continuous, specialized support for the facility's waste management equipment through a targeted, single-source approach. The procurement documents suggest this is a strategic move to simplify maintenance and leverage KWE's unique technological capabilities.