Port Authority reaches out to construction community

 

 

There is work out there for those who are willing to sit down and do the paperwork.

 

Michael Zapantis, the assistant director of procurement for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, knows that times are tough these days, especially for those in the construction trades, as more than 100 members of the industry gathered at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce on March 5.

 

As assistant director of procurement, part of Zapantis”™ job is to get as many responsible contractors in the Hudson Valley region to bid on work the authority offers, particularly those in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.

 

The ground rules remain the same for getting on the Port Authority”™s bidders”™ list and contractors in the Hudson Valley will have plans and specifications available to help them with the process.

 

There was a time when only those who had previous airport experience were considered. Today the authority is reaching out in ways it had never had to consider at its other ports of call, which are all within a 25-mile radius its New York City nucleus.

As a result, pilot programs are being introduced so contractors can order documents electronically, rather than driving to New Jersey to look at plans and specifications.

 

The authority is also introducing a “heads-up” feature on its Web site, www.panynj.gov, to let contractors know what”™s in the works, Zapantis said. Contractors must pass muster with the agency, which means qualifying as a bidder. The authority has two lists of prequalified bidders. “If you want to be prequalified, you have to fill out the forms,” Zapantis said.

 

While it historically chooses the lowest bidder, there are times when the authority goes back to its own drawing board to see if it has missed anything, as in the case of a runway job put out to bid for John F. Kennedy International Airport. “We had a drop-deadline,” Zapantis said. But of the seven firms that responded, only two qualified and they were a joint venture. “We went back and looked at others who were pre-qualified and came up with six more companies, so pre-qualifying is going to help your company in the bidding process.”

 

To get on the list, contractors must complete a vendor registration and profile on the Web site and complete the application.

 

Vendors are advised to check the Web site periodically.

 

There is a $100 non-refundable fee for obtaining a bid package, which is waived for disadvantaged business enterprises. “Those are federally funded,” said Ida Perich, manager of business utilization.

 

If the process seems daunting, there are people to help you work through it, said Phyllis Esnes, supervisor of construction contract services in the authority”™s procurement division.

 

Since the Port Authority took over Stewart in November 2007, it has awarded more than $27 million in work at the airport, part of its $500 million capital plan for Stewart.

 

There are other opportunities to work for the Port Authority and the Stewart Air Services Development Office has a list of products and services that airports need from local suppliers ”“ from artwork to wire ties. Hundreds of “ala carte” items the PA buys in bulk also go out for bidding. To learn more about those opportunities, contact StewartASDO@ASDOonline.com or call (845) 565-0220.

 

The forum was made possible by the Builders Association of the Hudson Valley, Orange County Partnership, Construction Contractors Association and Stewart”™s Air Services Development Office.