Evergreen Fire & Security Lands $250M Contract to Protect DoD Facilities

By Ashley Willis

TACOMA, Wash. — A five-year, $250 million contract will allow Evergreen Fire & Security to install electronic security systems at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) sites and non-DoD federal agencies.

Managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the competitive, multiple awards Electronic Security Systems V (ESS V) Restricted Suite contract is now in its fifth cycle.

“The contract is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract (IDIQ) contract,” Evergreen Vice President Jonn Forslin tells SSI. “That means that at this point, we don’t specifically know when the government will need us or how much work they’re going to want us to do. All the work will be done on a task order basis.”

Although the USACE supports the contract, it is a product of the Huntsville, Ala.-based Electronic Security Center (ESC). The center helps U.S. government agencies worldwide receive electronic security systems. Thus, Evergreen will install access control, CCTV, intrusion detection and perimeter detection for the government market. The contract also allows for the installation of other solutions, including fire/life-safety and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, Forslin says.

“This is a contract vehicle that can be used by just about anybody within the federal government,” he says. “We expect that most of the installations will be done at the Fort Lewises and Fort Hoods across the country. Right now, one of USACE’s biggest customers is the city of New York. Even local governments can use this to take care of whatever security needs that they have.”

While Evergreen does offer monitoring services, it is unclear if it will provide such services to government facilities under the ESS V. “We [provide monitoring] through a different contract vehicle,” he says. “But it is our hope that they want to use our monitoring services as well.”

In addition to the USACE Prime Contractor award, Evergreen is also a key small business subcontractor on the Johnson Controls large business prime contracting team. The SAMMY Award-nominated Johnson Controls earned an ESS V IDIQ contract for electronic security projects expected to total more than $650 million in a five-year span.

“To be clear, both the Evergreen contract and the Johnson Controls contract are the same type of work for the same customer,” says Forslin. “Their contract is on the large business/unrestricted market and ours in on the small business side. The government will determine if the scope of work is small enough for the small business contract to handle. If it is too big or too complicated, the job will go to the large business contract.”

Evergreen is no stranger to the government market. Since 2000, the Tacoma, Wash.-based company has provided life safety and security solutions for government entities and corporations. Its business is currently 80-percent government market and 20-percent commercial.

Forslin says that despite the tough economy, the federal government market has remained solid. “The federal budget for this fiscal year hasn’t been passed yet,” he says. “Still, we’ve been operating under a continuing resolution, which has tied up new funds for new work for the most. It has been slow in the past six months, but overall the federal market has stayed strong.”

He notes that as jobs for the commercial market decline, more companies are trying to break into the government sector for work. However, Forslin is not too concerned about the competition, noting that the government has a process that manages how companies perform in other contracts.

“The government is big on successful past performances,” he says. “Other agencies want to review what you’ve done before they hand you the job. Additionally, your company has to have technicians cleared by the government to perform jobs at these agencies. Most commercial companies do not have the proper clearances, and you need that to get any kind of penetration within the federal government market.”

Ashley Willis is associate editor of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.

 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Security Is Our Business, Too

For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.

A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.

Subscribe Today!

Get Our Newsletters