John J Ricker

John J Ricker, doing business as J R Backhoe, a sole proprietorship based in Arroyo Grande, California, provides heavy equipment rental services for wildland fire suppression and incident response to the Department of Agriculture Forest Service as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides. The vendor operates exclusively within fire suppression and emergency response support, with all six awards concentrated in support activities for forestry (NAICS 333923) and natural resources conservation fire suppression/presuppression (PSC 7540).

J R Backhoe holds two active indefinite delivery contracts with the National Interagency Fire Center and the Forest Service Regional office, totaling $750 thousand in combined ceiling value. The primary vehicle is a $500 thousand multiple-award IDC awarded February 6, 2026, covering heavy equipment rental for West Zone Regions 5 and 6 (California, Hawaii, and Pacific Islands) through June 10, 2028, under total small business set-aside. A secondary vehicle is a $250 thousand multiple-award IDC awarded June 10, 2023, also running through June 10, 2028, under the Virtual Incident Procurement system for the same geographic scope. Three delivery orders issued under the older contract—valued at $57,200, $56,285.50, and $38,381.10—were placed without set-aside restrictions despite the parent contract's small-business status. Recent delivery orders include a $60,489.50 order dated August 12, 2026, under total small business set-aside, and orders dated July 25, 2024, and September 10, 2024, both issued without set-aside designation. All work is firm fixed price, with performance concentrated in Solvang and San Bernardino, California.

The vendor's customer base is narrowly concentrated: the Fire and Aviation Management National Interagency Fire Center holds the larger combined potential value ($750 thousand across 2 awards), while the Forest Service Region 5–Pacific Southwest Region accounts for four awards valued at $212 thousand combined. Activity has been episodic—one award in 2023, two in 2024, one in 2025, and two in 2026—with $212 thousand obligated against a combined potential value of $962 thousand. The vendor competes exclusively under total small business set-asides and holds no subcontractor relationships in the source data. Equipment provided includes dozers and excavators for emergency response and forestry operations.