Notice of Intent to Sole Source-Upgrade Control System at Wenatchee WA
Forest Service · USDA-FS, CSA SOUTHWEST 5
Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.
Where this opportunity stands
Every notice posted under solicitation 1174354 in this department, oldest first.
- Sep 8, 2026 · this noticeSpecial Notice
Next steps for this stage
Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.
- Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
- Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
- Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.
What the notice says
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Identification Number: 1174354 Upgrade Control System at Wenatchee WA Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Contracting Activity: USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) The USDA Forest Service intends to negotiate a sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract with Empire Controls LLC (Unique Entity ID: VGHCJEXSKAG8) for the Replacement of oxygen and carbon dioxide analyzers due to ending service life and unavailability of replacements for 140 chambers in 3 different cold rooms and associated modules/software, with on-site commissioning, to existing… (show all)
controlled atmosphere (CA) control system at USDA � ARS Tree Fruit Research Lab in Wenatchee, WA. Statutory Authority: This non-competitive acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), soliciting from a single source for purchases not exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT), and is fully documented in accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) frameworks. Justification: The existing system requiring an upgrade was custom designed, constructed, and installed by Empire Controls, LLC. Custom system controls use proprietary software and firmware coded by the company. Accordingly, new components or hardware replacements cannot be completed without Empire Controls, LLC. Empire Control�s CA control systems are highly customized with unique components and software for that meet our very specific requirements. Given the unique composition and components, Empire Controls LLC is the only company that can replace obsolete and non-functional oxygen and carbon dioxide detectors on the system they designed that will work for that system. This announcement is published for informational purposes only. This is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations. The specialized, proprietary software and expertise are not widely available in the commercial marketplace, making Empire Controls, LLC uniquely positioned to perform the required services. Request for copies of a solicitation in response to this notice will not be honored or acknowledged. This action will be executed as a sole source purchase order to Empire Controls LLC. Please submit all questions via email to Shavera Leveille at shavera.leveille@usda.gov NLT 1700 PDT 9/14/2026.
Who won similar work
3 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Forest Service), same NAICS 811210.
| Winner | Awards | Value | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWELL, DALE E. Mena AR 71953 USA | 1 | $32K | May 5, 2025 |
| AMERICAN HEAVEN CMC LLC | 1 | $20K | Jun 10, 2026 |
| RETRAC, INC. | 1 | $10K | Sep 24, 2026 |
Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in.
- Sep 24, 2026RETRAC, INC.$10KAED Medical Oversight and Management Services
- Jun 10, 2026AMERICAN HEAVEN CMC LLC$20KCarson NF Copy Machine Maintenance and Service
- May 5, 2025POWELL, DALE E. Mena AR 71953 USA$32KParticulate Filter Changeout-Maintenance-Equipment Calibration
Competitive landscape
For the 3 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.
- 0 of these past winners lobbied U.S. Forest Service since 2024 (0 filings)
- 0 of their lobbyists list a past U.S. Forest Service job
- No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
- 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
Policy around it
Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.
- 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
- 15 rules from the department in the last 12 months
- 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
Market
For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards.
- 0 of the past winners are listed companies
- 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.
Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.