Wharton-Smith, Inc. is a General Contractor bidding on the above referenced construction project in the City of Asheville, NC. Wharton-Smith would appreciate any assistance you could give us in locating and soliciting subcontract/supplier bids from qualified MBE/WBE vendors for work on this project. Below is the Invitation to Bid we will utilize for this solicitation. If possible, we would appreciate you posting this announcement on your website and any other media, outreach, or recruitment outlet that is available to you for notification purposes. We would also appreciate your assistance in distributing the below ITB via email or fax to eligible minority companies from your local directory. We are interested in obtaining as many quotes as possible for participation on this project.

We kindly request that you provide us with a link or a printout of the advertisement that was posted online for our own documentation. If you were able to distribute the ITB via email or fax, please provide a listing of those companies & their contact information so that we may follow up with them. Please let me know if you would like a PDF or Word version of the information below.

Wharton-Smith, Inc. Charlotte Water/Wastewater Estimating Department

MWBE Invitation to Bid – M/WBE Solicitation Assistance Request – Mills River Water Treatment Plant Miscellaneous Upgrades Phase 2 Re-Bid – City of Asheville, NC

Wharton-Smith is a general contractor who is soliciting proposals from the State of North Carolina HUB, DOT and City of Asheville certified MBE and WBE subcontractors & suppliers for the Mills River Water Treatment Plant Miscellaneous Upgrades Phase 2 Re-Bid for the City of Asheville, NC. This project is scheduled to bid on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 3:00 PM. Please submit your proposed scope of work to us at least 24 hours prior to the bid date & your firm pricing for that scope of work to us by 8:00 am on bid day. Proposals may be emailed to [email protected], &/or phoned in to 704-525-5695. 

Bidding documents are available for free download via www.isqft.com. If you would like to receive a copy of the Plans, Specs, & Addenda, please email your request including your company’s name & contact information to [email protected], or call 704-525-5695 ext. 5301. Please be sure to provide the project name in the subject line. Upon receiving your email, we will send you an Invitation-to-Bid, which provides a link to the project via www.isqft.com. The iSqFt website will provide instructions on how to log in & view or download the bidding documents. Please do not hesitate to contact Danielle Walters (704-525-5695 ext. 5301) with any questions you might have regarding the use of the “iSqFt” website. Please feel free to contact us should you need assistance reviewing the Contract plans & specs. Bidding Documents are also available for viewing at The City of Greensboro and our Charlotte Office located at 5601 Seventy Seven Center Drive, Ste. 120, Charlotte, NC 28217. Please call ahead to ensure someone is available to assist you at 704-525-5695.

Project Scope of Work: The project includes, but is not limited to:  A new 8.9 million gallon (MG) High-Density Polyethylene (HPDE) lined earthen raw water reserve, A new HDPE earthen sludge lagoon, A new 1.0 MG pre-stressed concrete clear well, Replacement of four rapid mixer and eighteen flocculators in the treatment modules, Replacement of three centrifugal intake pumps, Replacement of 60”x60” wall mounted slide gate at intake structure, Replacement of two vertical turbine raw water pumps, plus installation of a third vertical turbine raw water pump and variable frequency drive (VFD), Replacement of three centrifugal transfer pumps and VFDs, Replacement of three filter consoles with new consoles with touch screen OITs, Replacement of three vertical turbine finished water pumps and VFDs, Replacement of polyester baffle curtains and associated hardware in 0.5 MG clear well, Replacement of two caustic bulk storage tanks, and one fluoride bulk storage tank, including, miscellaneous concrete repairs and installation of chemical coating on bulk tank concrete floors and containment wall, Installation of one orthophosphate bulk storage tank and associated piping, including miscellaneous concrete repairs and installation of chemical coating on concrete floors and containment wall, Replacement of chemical metering pumps for zinc orthophosphate (2), fluoride (2), caustic (5), sodium hypochlorite (5), and alum (3), Miscellaneous lighting upgrades, Electrical switchgear replacement, Testing, startup, training and all miscellaneous work as shown on the drawings and as specified Installation, maintenance and removal of all environmental protection measures, including all permits and approvals required. Site cleanup and restoration,  All other work as outlined in the drawings and specifications.

Anticipated areas of work that will be subcontracted for this project are:  Surveying, Hauling, Material Testing,  Sitework (Aggregate, Excavation, Site Clearing, Site Dewatering, Earthwork, Erosion Control, Seeding, Grassing, Paving), Concrete (Concrete Repairs, Modifications to Existing Concrete, Concrete Forming and Accessories, Concrete Joints and Accessories, Concrete Reinforcing, Cast-in-Place Concrete, Concrete Finishing, Concrete Curing, Grouting), Metals (Post-Installed Anchors and Reinforcing Bars, Structural Steel Framing, Metal Fabrications, Pipe and Tube Railing, Bar Gratings), Fiberglass Reinforced Gratings, Penetration Firestopping, Finishes (Resinous Flooring, Painting, Water Treatment Preliminary Treatment Coatings, ), HVAC, Process Piping, and Electrical

If your company requires our help to establish a specific scope of work, which is economically feasible & realistic for your company, and/or if you feel a scope of work is too large for your firm to handle individually, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please advise us should your company require special accommodations with payment terms, bonding, or insurance in order to provide pricing for this project. Depending on the type of subcontract work, we may also be able to waive subcontractor bonding requirements to make it easier for your company to quote the work. We can also provide assistance to qualified minority businesses in need of equipment, loan capital, lines of credit, or joint pay agreements to secure loans, supplies, or letters of credit, including waiving credit that is ordinarily required. If establishing loan capital or lines of credit to purchase materials to be installed on this project is an impediment to your company bidding work, we will gladly work with your material suppliers to set up joint check agreements or assist in obtaining the same unit pricing as our suppliers to enable you to bid this project.

Wharton-Smith, Inc. will offer “Quick Pay Commitment” to all MWBE’s to assist qualified minority businesses with their cash flow, which means a commitment to pay MWBE’s within 20 days after the Contractor confirms that the work has been performed & completed properly. Should the terms of this policy be unacceptable for your company, we will gladly negotiate terms; however these agreements should be complete prior to bid date.

Wharton-Smith, Inc. is willing to review any responsible quote & will negotiate terms, if appropriate.  Any other questions regarding this project may be directed to Walters, 704-525-5695 Ext. 5301 or [email protected].