Industrial Cardboard Balers – Procurement, Installation, and Trade-In

1. Purpose

The Mission Installation Contracting Command (MICC) at Fort Jackson is conducting market research to identify qualified sources capable of providing Industrial Cardboard Balers – Procurement, Installation, and Trade-In services.

This Request for Information (RFI) is not a solicitation for proposals, quotations, white papers, or solutions, and it does not obligate the Government to acquire any products or services. This RFI is issued solely for planning and market research purposes.

The purpose of this RFI is to obtain information, conduct market research, assess technical viability, and explore industry capabilities to inform future requirements and acquisition strategies for the Industrial Cardboard Balers – Procurement, Installation, and Trade-In Services effort described below. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only.

All costs incurred in responding to this RFI are solely at the respondent’s expense. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of submitting a response to this announcement or from the Government’s use of any information submitted.

Information provided by industry will support the Government in requirements prioritization, acquisition strategy development, and the refinement of the Statement of Work/Statement of Objectives and performance specifications.

Interested parties are responsible for properly marking proprietary or competition‑sensitive information contained in their response. Proprietary information, if any, shall be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. The Government will not release any information marked with a proprietary legend to firms, agencies, or individuals outside the Government without written permission in accordance with the marking legend.

RESPONDENTS MUST NOT INCLUDE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS RFI.

Foreign‑owned, controlled, or influenced firms are advised that security restrictions may apply and may preclude their participation in future phases of this effort.

2. Background & Scope

The Department of the Army, Fort Jackson Facility Operations (Building 1776), has a requirement to procure and install two (2) new industrial-grade cardboard balers. The contractor shall provide a complete turnkey package, including freight, offloading, rigging, anchoring, final electrical tie-in, and operator safety training.

Concurrently, the Government intends to utilize Exchange/Sale authority to trade in two (2) existing, functional three-year-old Vestil HCBB-3000-37 balers. The contractor must disconnect, remove, and haul away these legacy machines, providing a trade-in credit against the new equipment purchase.

                Applicable Codes

• PSC:
  • 4250 –Recycling and Reclamation Equipment
• NAICS:
  • 333998 – All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing
  • Size Standard: 1,250 Employees

3. Salient Characteristics

The new machinery must be Buy American Act (BAA) compliant and meet the following minimum physical and operational constraints:

• Standard 60-inch chamber width.
• Minimum bale weight capacity of 1,000 lbs (cardboard).
• Automatic/hydraulic front-side bale ejection system (chain and hook ejectors are strictly prohibited).
• Must operate safely on the facility’s existing 208V, 3-Phase, 60Hz power, utilizing a maximum 30-Amp dedicated circuit breaker.

(Note: A draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is attached for reference).

4. Requested Submission Format

Vendors shall submit capability statements addressing the following:

Company Profile: Company Name, CAGE Code, UEI number, Point of Contact, and socioeconomic status under NAICS 333998 (e.g., Small Business, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, Large Business).

Existing Contracts: Does your company hold a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) or other Government-wide contract that covers industrial balers and installation? If so, provide the contract number.

BAA Compliance: Can your company supply machinery that is fully compliant with the Buy American Act (BAA), and manufactured/assembled in the United States?

Electrical Feasibility: The facility is strictly limited to a dedicated 30-Amp circuit breaker (208V/3-Phase/60Hz). Can your proposed 60-inch baler achieve a 1,000 lb cardboard bale capacity without tripping this breaker?

Ejection System: The PWS explicitly prohibits chain and hook ejector systems. Is an automatic/hydraulic front-side ejection system standard on your proposed model, or is it a custom modification?

Brand Name or Equal: The Government identified Harmony M60CB, PTR 2300HD, and Cram-A-Lot VB-60-B as capable models. Are there other "or equal" platforms you would recommend that meet all salient characteristics?

Trade-In / Exchange: The Government intends to trade in two (2) functional, three-year-old Vestil HCBB-3000-37 balers for credit. Is accepting trade-ins a standard commercial practice for your company? How is the valuation typically calculated?

Lead Times: What is your current estimated commercial lead time from receipt of order to delivery and final installation?

Site Preparation: Outside of providing clear access and the specified electrical disconnect box, what specific site preparations or facility information do you require from the Government prior to installation?

Method of Submission: All responses must be submitted via email directly to Contract Specialist Keishawna Jenkins at keishawna.s.jenkins.civ@army.mil. Please include "RFI Response: Fort Jackson Cardboard Balers - [Your Company Name]" in the subject line.