[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 148 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 41338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20357]
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COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY DISABLED
Procurement List; Additions
AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled.
ACTION: Additions to the procurement list.
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SUMMARY: This action adds to the Procurement List commodities and
service to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are
blind or have other severe disabilities.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 2, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely
Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403, 1735 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3461.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Milkman (703) 603-7740.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 21, June 6 and 13, 1997, the
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
published notices (62 F.R. 8003, 31065 and 32288) of proposed additions
to the Procurement List.
The following comments pertain to Strap, Webbing (5340-01-114-
7712): Comments were received from the current contractor for this
webbing strap and from another manufacturer of webbing straps. The
current contractor indicated that addition of the strap to the
Procurement List would have a severe adverse impact on the company
because of the loss of tooling and equipment costs and possible loss of
jobs in a firm that had recently substantially reduced its
manufacturing staff. The other manufacturer objected to the Committee
removing from the competitive marketplace yet another Government item
it considers itself capable of making.
This strap represents a very small percentage of the current
contractor's total sales. Tooling and equipment costs are a business
decision a contractor undertakes to get specific business. Because no
company is guaranteed continuing contracts under the Government's
competitive bidding system, the contractor could lose this investment
even if the Committee did not add the strap to the Procurement List.
While the contractor noted that it had reduced its staff recently, it
did not indicate that its sales, which expanded considerably over the
past decade, had fallen to the point that this contract represented a
significant portion of its business. In addition, the Committee has
been advised by the contracting activity that there is a substantial
amount of other webbing strap business that has not been placed on the
Procurement List, which represents potential business for the current
contractor and other commercial firms. For all these reasons, the
Committee has concluded that addition of the strap to the Procurement
List will not have a severe adverse impact on the current contractor.
The Committee does not consider loss of the opportunity to bid on
Government procurements of an item for which a bidder does not hold a
contract to constitute severe adverse impact on a company, because the
company would lose only the hope of getting a contract and not actual
business. While the commenting manufacturer has been raising the same
argument periodically with the Committee for many years, it has not
been able to show actual impact on its business from Procurement List
additions where it has not been the current contractor. Moreover, as
noted above, a large number of webbing straps remain available for the
commenting manufacturer to compete to supply. Consequently, the
Committee has concluded that addition of this webbing strap to the
Procurement List will not have a severe adverse impact on the
commenting manufacturer.
After consideration of the material presented to it concerning
capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the commodities
and service and impact of the additions on the current or most recent
contractors, the Committee has determined that the commodities and
service listed below are suitable for procurement by the Federal
Government under 41 U.S.C. 46-48c and 41 CFR 51-2.4.
I certify that the following action will not have a significant
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The major factors
considered for this certification were:
1. The action will not result in any additional reporting,
recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities other
than the small organizations that will furnish the commodities and
service to the Government.
2. The action will not have a severe economic impact on current
contractors for the commodities and service.
3. The action will result in authorizing small entities to furnish
the commodities and service to the Government.
4. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would
accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46-
48c) in connection with the commodities and service proposed for
addition to the Procurement List.
Accordingly, the following commodities and service are hereby added
to the Procurement List:
Commodities
Strap, Webbing
5340-01-114-7712
Tape, Electronic Data Processing
7045-01-086-2044
Mophead, Looped-end
7920-01-437-8636
7920-01-437-9805
7920-01-437-9806
7920-01-437-9810
7920-01-437-9811
Vest, Grenade Carrier
8415-01-317-1622
Service
Administrative/General Support Services,
Various Field Offices,
Richmond/Charlottesville, Virginia
This action does not affect current contracts awarded prior to the
effective date of this addition or options that may be exercised under
those contracts.
Beverly L. Milkman,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 97-20357 Filed 7-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6353-01-P