[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