Government Contracting: 4 contractors named to build border wall prototypes

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING – President Donald Trump’s border wall came a little bit closer to reality today, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced its chosen contractors to build prototype sections along the southern border near San Diego.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald D. Vitiello named four companies chosen to build 30-foot-long prototypes of a concrete wall. One of the them, Fisher Sand and Gravel of Tempe, Arizona, previously lost out on government contracting because of legal issues, including child pornography and tax fraud.

The big reveal, which Vitiello called “a significant milestone,” came after months of delays, most recently while the U.S. Government Accountability Office reviewed a protest from another contractor that had been eliminated.

Vitiello said the winning bids each came in between $400,000 and $500,000.

The Department of Homeland Security had hoped to begin construction on prototypes in early summer. Vitiello said the agency would take a few weeks to negotiate the timing for building prototypes, at which point the companies would have 30 days to complete them.

In contrast to the numerous leaks in the early months of the administration about its border wall plans, Customs and Border Protection kept a tight lid on the chosen contractors, keeping even some senior leaders in the dark until the announcement.

The agency denied a Freedom of Information Act request for records pertaining to the bidding process submitted by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, which has appealed that decision.

The four that won the bids

While they’re not household names, the day’s big winners all have extensive experience in government contracting. None could be reached for comment today.

• Caddell Construction Co., based in Montgomery, Alabama, has received over $4 billion in government contracts since 2007, according to USAspending.gov. It received government contracts to build U.S. embassies in Beijing and Kabul, Afghanistan, and is listed among the top 100 government contractors last year.
• W.G. Yates Construction of Philadelphia, Mississippi, the largest construction company in the state, is a 53-year-old firm with experience that includes building a retaining wall at a convention center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Yates has received over $560 million in federal contracts since 2007.
• Texas Sterling Construction Co., based in Houston, is a subsidiary of the publicly traded Sterling Construction Co. Texas Sterling is a “heavy civil, highway and municipal construction company” that has received over $6 million in federal contracts since 2008.
• Fisher Sand and Gravel is a 65-year-old family business that was founded in North Dakota and has expanded to Arizona. It’s one of the country’s largest sand and gravel producers, with extensive road-building experience. It has run into legal issues in the past that have affected its bids for government work.

Read more: 4 contractors named to build border wall prototypes