Smokey Bear Digital Sign & Base Fabrication & Installation

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Forest Resources Division is seeking a contractor to furnish, fabricate, and install a digital Smokey Bear sign system at the Seney Field Office located at the intersection of M-77 and M-28 in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. This is a state construction project requiring prevailing wage compliance under Michigan Public Act 10 of 2023. The procurement scope includes furnishing and installing two single-sided Daktronics GS6-60x75-15.85 RGB marquee display signs (44 inches tall by 50 inches wide with time and temperature features), fabricating and installing concrete pier footings and post bases using treated 4x6 wood posts and steel framing, installing MDNR-supplied Smokey the Bear signage, trenching and installing approximately 75 feet of underground 3/4" conduit with electrical feed from the field office building to the sign location, and completing site restoration to Michigan Department of Transportation standards. All work must be completed by September 15, 2025, with a mandatory two-week advance notice required before project commencement to allow DNR staff to remove the existing sign. Bidders must submit completed Proposal and Contract Forms (PR1625), proof of valid State Project Registration, current certificates of liability insurance with minimum limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence, and copies of Michigan-issued licenses for any licensable trades to be performed. Performance and payment bonds are required if the bid amount exceeds $50,000, with bond costs included in the base proposal sum. The bid submission deadline is August 1, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. EST, with bids remaining valid for 60 days from the due date. Evaluation criteria include pricing for the digital sign on SIGMA Line 1 and all required labor on SIGMA Line 2, compliance with prevailing wage schedules, and contractor qualifications.

Michigan residency requirements mandate that 50 percent of workers employed by the prime contractor or subcontractors must have been Michigan residents for at least one year prior to beginning work. All contractors and subcontractors must register with the State Project Registration program, pay a $500 annual registration fee, maintain certified payroll records for a minimum of three years, and submit certified payroll to the state within 10 days of each pay period. The prevailing wage rate schedule (ORS-002732), issued May 15, 2025, establishes hourly rates for all applicable construction trade classifications ranging from approximately $15.54 to $96 or more per hour depending on the trade and compensation structure, with rates last updated April 4, 2025. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documents, as this information is typically determined through competitive bidding. The contractor is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and inspections, providing web-based system access with three login credentials, remote operational training for sign operation, and guaranteeing all materials and labor for one year following final acceptance.