Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/53564
68 • FEBRUARY 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Are you a sub on the verge of at- tending your first bid letting to see which of the general contractors that you work with gets the project? Well, here's a little preview of what to expect, from one who knows – me: At five minutes to two (bids are due by 2 p.m.), you enter a hazy room filled with tired, anxious people. The bid-letters are the sterile, erect cast of characters perched behind the table in the front of the room. The lettees are assembled in the audience, doing their best to balance broad, builder bodies on tiny folding chairs. It's Tuesday, August 17, tor- ridly hot, and the windows in the room are painted shut. The A/C is broken and the stale, musty chamber hasn't completed one entire air-change in all of its 35 years of existence. But never mind that. This is no time to be concerned over petty human comfort. You see, you are about to at- Attending your first blood...er...bid letting BY STEVE SAUCERMAN tend.....a bid letting. The fate of a builder will be de- cided today! He who hesitates You pause in the doorway to take in this auspicious moment – and are immediately trampled from behind by Bill "Bruiser" Boudreaux of B&O construction, who is storming through the doorway to deliver his proposal in time. His elbow catches you squarely in the back and you go instantly from vertical to horizontal. Stunned and disoriented, you pick yourself up and BAMMM! you're blind-sided once again by Ima Biggun from J&X Builders, who (you've come to realize) is a large woman... and surprisingly quick for her size. You assess the situation. Your in- LOGICAL DECISIONS, INC Gate operators Access control Safety loops Loop detectors Safety edges Photo beams Battery backups Preformed fence ties 800-676-5537 www.LDI.com Operator parts Support rollers Roller covers Timers S.O.S. sensors Wheels, tracks, & rails Solar solutions 225-274-1115 juries seem mostly internal, so you crawl to the rear of the room and find an empty chair. The clock strikes two. The bid deadline is passed. Herman Frail of Frail Construc- tion didn't make it – and lies weeping in a dejected, molten mass inches away from the table. Harold Heinlicker, the city admin- istrator, ignores the sobbing diversion and calls the meeting to order. In front of him are 26 legal-size envelopes con- taining proposals – all bearing the im- print "City of Plymouth Sludge Storage Building" – today's prize. Heinlicker addresses the crowd. Your vision begins to clear up, so you survey your surroundings. You look out the window and see Lou Zerr of Zerr Builders leaning up against a tree out front – his back to the proceedings. He's on his cell phone back to the of- fice and still thinks he's got two min- utes left before the bid deadline. He drove 82 miles per hour through six residential neighborhoods to make it here on time. Others in the room point and laugh. He's not going to be happy, you think. You turn your attention to the room. The membership is a virtual who's who of the local building com- munity; many your customers. You, of course, are here to see who ends up with the project, for there's a decent size job in it for you if it's one of your guys. Heinlicker reads the first proposal. He speaks slowly and deliberately... and appears inordinately pleased with Stand Alone and PC Controllers Stand Alone Card Reader Advantage DG 2000 card capacity 2 door Controller 26 bit Wiegand Printer capability Simple programming Anti Pass Back ProAccess 8 4-6-8 door/gate Controller 4,000 card capacity 7 time zones Printer History buffer Door operation from Controller PC Based ProAccess 200 2 door/gate Controller Choose AAS ~ Quality You can Count on! 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He's squirm- ing, for it was he who gave the owners the original $200,000 budget for the job; one just low enough (imagine the luck!) for the council to award the ar- chitectural package to Jimmy's firm. $365,000, $390,000, $402,000... He sinks lower in his chair as each bid is read. Other members of the table cast glances in Jimmy's direction. Busily engaged in calculating his fee for the pending re-draw – he doesn't ac- knowledge them. Finishing, he sits up- right in his chair; spirits buoyed once again by the number at the bottom of the page. He checks his watch and ad- justs his electric fan. The pile grows smaller. Two left. "$388,000," Heinlicker snarls, no longer trying to disguise the mutiny in his voice. He snaps up the last remain- ing envelope. Jimmy's drifted off again – chagrined over not having the proper Chianti for tonight's much-an- ticipated Beef Wellington. The final proposal is from T&J Construction. It so happens that Ted from T&J has been seated next to you through- out the letting – recording the results on his laptop. But he doesn't look well. Well, maybe it's the heat, you think. Hackney pauses momentarily, then blurts: $188,000! Jimmy – bal- ancing his checkbook – looks up with renewed interest. A gasp arises from the room as everyone does the math. Heinlicker thanks the bidders and adjourns the session.The throng rolls out of the room as you turn to con- gratulate Ted. But he doesn't move. The room empties and soon it's only you and Ted remaining. Ted sits mo- tionless – staring straight ahead. Suddenly – in catatonic splendor – he springs from his chair to his feet, appearing poised and calm as he ap- proaches the table; a man confident in his bid and his abilities. contin ued on pa g e 70