Lab announces intent to compete services contract

Contact: John Gustafson, pogo@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9197 (02-004)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 10, 2002 -- Los Alamos National Laboratory officials today announced their decision to recompete the Laboratory’s subcontract for facility maintenance and support.

The current contract held by Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico expires Sept. 30. The contract, currently valued at about $145 million, is the largest at the Laboratory.

“We greatly appreciate the quality of service provided by JCNNM and the professional leadership provided by General Manager Mike Barr,” said Joe Salgado, Los Alamos principal deputy director. “In keeping with the realignment of Lab operations that has been instituted by Director John Browne, we are moving toward a different approach to facility operations and maintenance. Therefore, recompeting this key contract is an obvious and necessary decision to accommodate this new business direction.”

Browne’s realignment efforts will result in a better overall integrated management approach to enable the Laboratory to meet higher standards of performance and accountability.

“The critical skills and services provided through this support contract underpin our ability to operate safely and effectively and thereby fulfill our mission of certifying the safety and reliability of the nuclear stockpile,” said Los Alamos Director John Browne.

The support provided under the existing contract includes engineering services, construction, facilities maintenance and repair, utility operations, custodial services, waste removal, roads and grounds maintenance and other associated support services.

“We fully expect that our needs in this area will remain steady for the foreseeable future and we are mindful of the benefits derived from a skilled and stable workforce,” Salgado said.

“We also expect that all of our major subcontractors will continue to be proactive in their involvement in and support for our local and regional communities. As the largest employer in Northern New Mexico, the Laboratory has a special obligation to demonstrate that we engage effectively with our neighboring communities,” Salgado said.

Salgado said the Laboratory expected to issue a request for proposals within 45 days. The review of proposals and awarding of the contract will follow on a timeline to allow for a smooth transition to the new contract requirements by the Sept. 30 deadline.

JCNNM, which has held the current contract since 1997, employs approximately 1,500 people.

Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico was formed specifically to bid on the Los Alamos support services subcontract. Johnson Controls World Services Inc. of Cape Canaveral, Fla., holds a majority interest in the company. Other JCNNM partners are Morrison Knudsen Corp. of Boise, Idaho, Jacobs Engineering Group of Pasadena, Calif., and Duke Engineering and Services of Charlotte, N.C.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring safety and confidence in the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction and improving the environmental and nuclear materials legacy of the cold war. Los Alamos’ capabilities assist the nation in addressing energy, environment, infrastructure and biological security problems.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy.

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