Vit Plant awards $111M in subcontracts to regional businesses

In 2015, the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant project, also known as the Vit Plant, has awarded more than $111 million in subcontracts to businesses based in Washington and Oregon and, of that, nearly $90 million to those in the Tri-Cities. These subcontracts represent 68.7 percent and 55 percent respectively of all those awarded for construction of the Vit Plant – and represents the largest percentage awarded in the past five years to Tri-Cities and regional businesses.

Bechtel National Inc. is building the plant for the Department of Energy.

“We value the relationships we have with local and regional companies and appreciate being able to work closely with our large and small business neighbors to realize the mission of the Vit Plant,” said Peggy McCullough, Vit Plant project director and Bechtel senior vice president. “Local and regional businesses are an extended part of our team and are important to the completion of the Vit Plant.”

The figures represent spending in Fiscal Year 2015.

Examples of local or regional businesses that received subcontracts for work at the Vit Plant include:

• Dade Moeller is a small local business started in 1994 and headquartered in Richland. Its first Vit Plant contract covers development and review of a radiation protection program, which includes reviewing overarching legal documents and developing and reviewing relevant Vit Plant procedures, technical basis documents and radiological safety. A second contract includes teaming with Strata-G, LLC, a veteran-owned small business based in Knoxville, Tenn., to conduct a waste management requirements gap analysis; develop waste management program plans and procedures; and identify enhancements and readiness documentation needed for moving the program to commissioning and operations.
• Horizon Distribution is a veteran-owned small business established in 1881 in Yakima, Wash. The company has supplied the Vit Plant with a variety of maintenance, repair, operations and construction needs such as tools, personal protection equipment, and electrical, plumbing, HVAC and instrumentation needs. Two custom-support projects included pallet racks and specialty shelving for the Vit Plant’s Material Handling Facility and a complete tool and material handling package for use when operations begin.
• Abadan is a small business founded in 1953 and now headquartered in Richland. Abadan has provided office technology and services to the Vit Plant since the project began. The company provides copiers, wide-format engineering plotters, scanners and associated technical support for Vit Plant needs.

Tess Klatt, Vit Plant Small Business Program manager, said Bechtel makes a concerted effort to support the local business community.

“The complexity of the Vit Plant – in the construction of four nuclear facilities in one footprint – provides opportunities for both large and small businesses in industries from professional and technical services to complex fabricated metal manufacturing,” she said.

Since Bechtel began construction of the Vit Plant, it has purchased more than $1.7 billion in goods and services from Washington and Oregon businesses with $1.2 billion of that from Tri-Cities businesses.