Page 22 - May-June2019 Vol37 No1
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TENNESSEE By Lisa Hood Skinner
Heavy Equipment Procurement
Program Innovates and Expands
Government agencies throughout the single engine combination Carolina purchasing program in South
nation, including Tennessee, now can truck for more than Carolina and Tennessee.
benefit from a North Carolina-based $300,000,” she said. Goals of the Procurement Program
cooperative purchasing program that Program Expanded into
focusses on the sale of more than 3500 Tennessee in 2018 Mitman said the primary goals of the
pieces of heavy equipment...potentially NCSA Heavy Equipment Procurement
saving city and county agencies money in Pat Barnett, Regional Program are efficient delivery, best value
the process. Sales Rep with Southern through competition, fair and equitable
Vac (a part of Carolina contracting opportunities for suppliers,
The innovative North Carolina Sheriffs’ Caterpillar,) was the contact and maintaining of public confidence
Association’s Cooperative Purchasing for the dealership side of that through ethical and transparent
Programs primarily deal with heavy Gallatin transaction last May. procurement practices. The NCSA
equipment, ranging from lower-priced provides any county or city agency with
items such as lawn mowers and light “Gallatin needed to ongoing customer support throughout the
towers… all the way up to earthmovers, replace an aging dual- procurement process.
refuse truck bodies, trailers, salt spreaders, engine combination truck, For More Information
sign alert systems, generators, tractor- and was able to get a newer, much more
mounted booms and rodding machine powerful single-engine combination Since 1922, the North Carolina
trucks. truck. The purchase process went through Sheriffs’ Association has been active in its
Eliminating Duplication in the so seamlessly, I’d seriously recommend community offering a variety of programs,
Procurement Process this method for any qualified government including the procurement process. The
agency. It was smooth all the way around,” association website is www.ncsheriffs.org/
Kaylyn Mitman, Senior Coordinator of Barnett said. procurement.
Business Development for the nonprofit
North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, He said other government entities
said for the past five years, their North outside North Carolina may not realize
Carolina programs have helped eliminate they can purchase heavy equipment in
duplication of effort by creating one this manner. He said he prefers dealing
bid that can be used by all government with the sheriffs’ association, “because
agencies. they’re a nonprofit. They do a lot of good
for our law enforcement.”
“Our administrative fee is considerably
lower than some state contracts, allowing “The financial savings were great, but
the city and county agencies to save here’s another key advantage…the process
money… sometimes enough money to allows the end-user to acquire exactly
purchase another vehicle,” Mitman said. the type of equipment they want, without
having to re-bid it.,” Barnett said. His
“Based on our key successes, we’re territory covers the state of Tennessee,
expanding into other states. Last spring, North and South Carolina and parts of
Tennessee’s City of Gallatin purchased a Georgia, and he’s already used the North
22 TPW May/June 2019
