REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR UNDERBODY BLADES JACKSON COUNTY, MICHIGAN

2400 N. Elm Road, Jackson, Michigan 49201 * Phone: (517) 788-4230 * Fax: (517) 788-4237
REQUEST FOR BIDS
FOR
UNDERBODY BLADES
JACKSON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
BID OPENING:
April 20, 2026 at 10:15 AM EST
Submit bids by email to jcouling@mijackson.org.
DO NOT submit bids through BidNet.
1

REQUEST FOR BIDS
JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
JACKSON, MICHIGAN
(517) 788-4230
BID SUMMARY
RFB Number: #196
Commodity/Service Being Requested: Underbody Blades
Type of Solicitation: Request for Bids (RFB) - It is the intention of Jackson County to competitively award
to a qualified company that has demonstrated their ability to provide equipment being sought in this RFB.
Statewide Cooperative Contract: As a result of this RFB, Jackson County will work with the CoPro+
Cooperative Bid Program to market and extend the resulting contract to other government municipalities
throughout the State of Michigan. The firm will be competitively selected as having been qualified as defined
within the qualification section of this RFB. The contract will enable public municipalities to "piggyback" and
purchase underbody blades through this competitive process.
Resulting Contract Term: Pricing shall be firm for 90 days from date of award
Calendar of Events - Timetable
Bid Release: April 6, 2026
Due Date for Receipt of Questions: April 13, 2026
Questions and Answers Posted: April 14, 2026
Quotes Due by (10:00 a.m./ EST) *: April 20, 2026
*Any response received later than the specified deadline may be disqualified.
This Request for Bids is being made by the Jackson County Department of Transportation. All references
contained herein to "county" shall be construed to mean Jackson County. This Request, together with all
pages, documents, and attachments contained herein or subsequently added or made a part hereof,
submitted as a fully and properly executed bid, shall constitute a contract with Jackson County, subject to the
limitations set forth herein and any specific quantities that Jackson County may commit to herein and the
successful and most responsible bidder, as determined by Jackson County.
RFB Access:
Jackson County officially posts bid documents online at https://www.mijackson.org/Bids.aspx and BidNet via
Michigan Inter-governmental Trade Network (MITN) https://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn sites. It will be the
bidder's responsibility to monitor for any addendums or amendments to this solicitation.
Communications and Contacts with Jackson County Personnel:
All contact with Jackson County regarding this RFB or any matter relating thereto must be sent in writing via
e-mail to: Jim Couling (jcouling@mijackson.org). This is to ensure fair consideration for all interested
vendors. The County prohibits communications to or with any other employee at the departmental level
during the submission and evaluation period.
2

Section 1.0 - SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK
1.1 INTRODUCTION TO SPECIFICATIONS
Jackson County Department of Transportation (JCDOT) is seeking bids for both SINGLE BEVEL
through hardened heat-treated steel cutting edges to be affixed to JCDOT snow plow underbodies.
The intent is for the JCDOT to order blades during a 90-day period. Bid prices shall remain firm for
90 days from award. The most responsive bid shall include the following specifications and
requirements:
1.2 SPECIFICATIONS
Jackson County Department of Transportation requests the supply of the following:
Underbody blades:
QTY SIZE
700 3/4" X 8" 72" (6' blade) with 5/8 mounting bolt holes
150 3/4" X 8" 84" (7' blade) with 3/4 mounting bolt holes
1.2.1 Blade Material Description, All Sizes:
Steel AISI 1074 quality within the chemistry specification Unified Number G10740. A
manufacturer's certification shall be furnished with the order guaranteeing the composition of
the blades.
Chemical Chemical Composition Limits (%)
Carbon 0.80 to 0.95
Manganese 0.60 to 1.00
Phosphorus 0.04 maximum
Sulphur 0.05 maximum
Silicon 0.15 to 0.30
1.2.2 Hardness Description, All Sizes:
Each blade shall be selectively hardened front and back with a primary and secondary
hardness.
1.2.3 Under Body Pattern Position, all sizes:
The pattern starts 5/8" ( 1/8") above the bottom edge of the blade and is to be a minimum
of 3 12" in width over the length of the blade with the upper part of the pattern terminating
3

below the position of the bottom edge of a standard moldboard.
1.2.4 Blade Length:
Blade lengths shall be equal to both 6.0 feet and 7.0 feet. Length as noted in the
specifications shall not be exceeded and must not be shorter than 1/8" specified in order to
fit total moldboard length in various blade combinations. Ends shall be square and cleanly
cut.
1.2.5 Blade Punching, all sizes:
Bolt holes will conform to the Society of Automotive Engineers Specifications No. J740 for
countersunk square holes for cutting edges. All blades should be furnished with appropriate
bolt holes, punched or drilled as required to a diameter 1/16" or larger than the normal
diameter of the 5/8" or 3/4" bolt. Hole spacing dimensional tolerances shall be 1/16" non-
accumulative.
1.2.6 Blade marking, all sizes:
Each blade shall have a legibly identifying mark indicating a heat treated-through hardened
type blade.
1.2.7 Camber Tolerance, all sizes:
The actual camber (edge of straightness) shall be measured at the midpoint of the edge from
a straight line extending from one end of the edge to the other. Maximum camber shall not
exceed 1/8" for all lengths 3 foot through 10 foot and 3/16" for all lengths greater than 10 feet.
1.2.8 Other Requirements:
All sizes of cutting edges shall have a radius of curvature of 10.75" 0.25, 5/8" x 8" x 144"
(12 ' plow blade) which are a flat square edge top punched blade.
Bidders shall state the weight per foot after holes are punched.
Cutting edges will be ordered and delivered in industry- standard bundles (10 each).
The County reserves the right to have blades tested for material composition before payment
is remitted.
4

The 6-foot and 7-foot cutting edge bolt holes shall be spaced from each end at 3" for first
holes and 6" for a second hole, then bolt holes between the second hole from each end will
be spaced at 6-inch centers.
Thickness Tolerances - (0.03")
Width Tolerances - (+0.12"; - 0.06")
1.3 PRICE
Pricing as submitted by bidders on Attachment D shall be for the duration of the
agreement.
1.4 STATEWIDE COOPERATIVE CONTRACT
Jackson County will host the resulting contract for the CoPro+ Cooperative Bid Program.
The awarded contractor will work with the CoPro+ program to market and extend the
resulting contract to other government municipalities throughout Michigan. This contract will
enable public municipalities to "piggyback" and purchase from the competitively awarded
contract.
Agreements will be initiated by participating entities as specific needs arise. Participating
entities will issue individual agreements along with specific response information required,
deliverables, and any special terms and conditions. The requests will be executed by, and
the contractor will respond directly to, the requesting entity.
All pricing submitted to Jackson County and participating entities through the resulting
contract shall include 1.5% administrative/remittance fee to be remitted to CoPro+ by the
awarded vendor. It is the awarded vendor's responsibility to keep all sales reports up to
date and on file with CoPro+.
5

Section 2.0 - BIDDER INFORMATION AND ACCEPTANCE
1. The undersigned declares that the Bid Documents, including, without limitation, any RFB
Addenda and Exhibits have been read.
2. The undersigned is authorized, offers, and agrees to furnish the articles and/or services
specified in accordance with the Specifications, Terms & Conditions of the Bid Documents of
RFB #196 - Underbody Blades.
3. The undersigned has reviewed the Bid Documents and fully understands the requirements in
this Bid including, but not limited to, the requirements under the County Provisions, and that
each Bidder who is awarded a contract shall be, in fact, a prime Contractor, not a
subcontractor, to County, and agrees that its Bid, if accepted by County, will be the basis for
the Bidder to enter into a contract with County in accordance with the intent of the Bid
Documents.
4. The undersigned acknowledges receipt and acceptance of all addenda.
5. If selected for award, the following certifications will be required before work commences:
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion
Certification Regarding Nondiscrimination Under Federally and State Assisted Programs
Assurance Regarding Access to Records and Financial Statements
Iran Economic Sanctions Act
6. The undersigned acknowledges that Bidder will be in good standing in the State of Michigan,
with all the necessary licenses, permits, certifications, approvals, and authorizations necessary
to perform all obligations in connection with this RFB and associated Bid Documents.
7. It is the responsibility of each bidder to be familiar with all of the specifications, terms and
conditions and, if applicable, the site condition. By the submission of a Bid, the Bidder certifies
that if awarded a contract they will make no claim against the County based upon ignorance of
conditions or misunderstanding of the specifications.
8. Patent indemnity: Vendors who do business with the County shall hold the County of Jackson,
its officers, agents and employees, harmless from liability of a nature or kind, including cost and
expenses, for infringement or use of any patent, copyright or other proprietary right, secret
process, patented or unpatented invention, article or appliance furnished or used in connection
with the contract or purchase order.
9. Insurance certificates are not required at the time of submission. However, if awarded, the
Contractor agrees to meet the minimum insurance requirements posted in the terms and
conditions. This documentation must be provided to the County, prior to award, and shall
include an insurance certificate and additional insured certificate, naming the County of
Jackson, which meets the minimum insurance requirements, as stated in the terms and
conditions.
6

2.1 CONTENTS OF BID
Bids shall have all requests for information numbered and answered completely. The narrative portion
and the materials presented in response to request for information shall be submitted in the same
order as presented in this request for bid. Bids must include the following:
2.1.1 Pricing - Attachment D (pricing sheets, fully completed & signed)
2.1.2 Compliance with Required Specifications
2.1.3 Delivery
2.1.4 References
Provide at least three (3) references for companies or relatively local road departments for
which you have provided the types of service requested in the RFB. Include the type of
product or services supplied, as well as a contact name and corresponding phone number or
email address.
2.1.5 Qualifications of Firm - Briefly describe firm. Include date firm established, services provided,
brief history of organization, and firm's qualifications.
2.1.6 Attachment A (Non-Collusion Affidavit)
2.1.7 Attachment B (Certificate of Authorization for Contract Execution)
2.1.8 Attachment C (Legal Status of Bidder)
2.2 SUBMISSION OF BIDS
Submit and electronic version of your bid via email to jcouling@mijackson.org not later than
10:00 a.m. on April 20, 2026. DO NOT submit bids through BidNet.
Jackson County has no obligation to consider any bid that is not timely received. Note: Timely
delivery is regarded as to the time and date that the e-mail arrives within Jackson County not when
the e-mail was sent. Bids will not be accepted via U.S. mail or any other delivery method.
The material should be in sequence and related to the RFB. Jackson County will not provide any
reimbursement for the cost of developing or presenting bids in response to this RFB. Failure to
include the requested information may have a negative impact on the evaluation of the offeror's
bid. Fancy bindings, colored displays, promotional material, etc., will not receive evaluation credit.
Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.
APPLICANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSURING THAT THE FOLLOWING IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION APPEARS IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL: "RFB #196" with Company
Name, and "message 1 of 3" as appropriate if the bid consists of multiple emails. Note: All e-mails
from a Proposer must be received by Jackson County by the stated time and date in order for the
bids to be deemed submitted on time.
7

Bids will be publicly opened via Teams virtual meeting on April 20, 2026 at 10:15 A.M. If you
would like to attend this meeting, please RSVP by providing your name and email address to Jim
Couling (jcouling@mijackson.org). An invitation will be sent to you with details on how to access
the Teams meeting.
2.2.1 To be considered, bidders must submit a complete response to this RFB. No other
distribution of RFB is to be made by this bidder. The bid must be signed in ink by an official
authorized to bind the contractor to its provisions. Bids must remain valid for at least ninety
days from the opening date.
2.3 PREPARATION OF BIDS
2.3.1 The bid shall be legibly prepared either in ink or typed.
2.3.2 Should the bidder find it necessary to alter the bid's terms, such alterations shall be crossed
out with ink, and the correction entered. All alterations and/or corrections must also be
initialed in ink and dated by the bidder.
2.3.3 The bid shall be legally signed and the complete address of the bidder provided thereon.
2.4 ACCEPTANCE OF RFB CONTENT
It is the responsibility of all offerors to examine the entire Request for Bid package and seek
clarification of any requirement that may not be clear and to check all responses for accuracy
before submitting a bid. Negligence in preparing a bid confers no right of withdrawal after due time
and date. The contents of this RFB and the bidder's bid will become contractual obligations if a
contract ensues. Failure of the successful bidder to accept these obligations may result in
cancellation of the award.
2.5 INQUIRIES
2.5.1 Any significant explanation desired by a bidder, regarding the meaning or interpretation of
the Request for Bid (RFB) and attachments, must be requested in writing and with sufficient
time allowed for a reply to reach all prospective bidders before the submission of their bid.
Any information given to a prospective bidder concerning the RFB will be furnished to all
prospective bidders as an amendment or an addendum to the RFB if such information
would be of significance to uninformed bidders. Jackson County Department of
Transportation shall make the sole determination as to the significance of the information.
Oral explanation or instructions given before the award of the contract shall not be binding.
2.5.2 Questions that arise as a result of this RFB must be submitted in writing to the issuing office
via e-mail by April 13, 2026. Any correspondence related to a solicitation should refer to
the appropriate Request for Bid number, page, and paragraph number.
Questions must be addressed to: Attention: Jim Couling
Jackson County Project Mgr-Contracts & Purchasing
E-Mail- jcouling@mijackson.org
8

2.6 RESPONSIVE BID
All pages and documents and the information requested herein must be furnished completely in
compliance with the instructions. The manner of submission is essential to permit prompt
evaluation of all bids on a fair and uniform basis. Jackson County reserves the right to accept or
reject any or all bids and to waive informalities and irregularities in bids, or bidding procedures, and
to accept any bid determined by Jackson County to be in the best interests of Jackson County,
even though not the lowest bid.
2.7 BID EVALUATION CRITERIA
Jackson County will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of the bids received in
response to this Request for Bid. The bid selected will be that response deemed most advantageous
to Jackson County, based on the following criteria:
2.7.1 Pricing
2.7.2 Delivery
2.7.3 References
2.7.4 Compliance with Required Specifications
2.7.5 Qualifications of Firm
2.8 RESPONSE TO RFB
Bidder's response must arrive to the Jackson County Department of Transportation on or before the
date and time specified on the first page of this RFB. Bidders are responsible for the timely receipt by
the Jackson County Department of Transportation of their bid not withstanding delays.
LATE BIDS MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED.
2.9 AWARD OF CONTRACT
Upon award of contract, the successful contractor may be required to attend (a) start-up meeting(s)
with JCDOT personnel to discuss the projected work schedule, equipment to be used, and intended
hours of work.
2.10 SPECIAL CONDITIONS
2.10.1 Quantity Commitment
Nothing herein is a guarantee of purchase; any and all purchases shall be made at the sole
discretion of Jackson County, unless otherwise stated. Jackson County shall be obligated
only to purchase the specific quantity that it commits to purchase in writing as set forth
herein, subject to any limitations set forth herein.
9

2.10.2 Informed Bidders
a) Before submitting bids, Bidders must fully inform themselves of the conditions,
requirements, and specifications of the work or materials to be furnished. Failure to do
so will be at the Bidder's own risk and they cannot secure relief on the plea of error.
b) Contractors shall investigate and become familiar with conditions relating to the work to
be performed according to the contract and specifications. Failure upon the part of the
contractor to investigate or inspect will not be grounds for additional compensation
under the contract and shall be the Contractor's responsibility to address to each
county's satisfaction.
c) Submission of a bid will be construed as conclusive presumption that the contractor is
thoroughly familiar with the bid requirements and specifications and that he/she
understands and agrees to abide by each and all of the stipulations and requirements
contained therein.
2.10.3 Right to Inspect
Jackson County shall have the right to inspect any material and equipment to be used in
carrying out the terms of this contract. Jackson County shall not be held responsible for any
damage to the contractor's equipment.
2.10.4 Availability of Material
Jackson County assumes no responsibility for the availability of any materials, equipment,
nor components required under the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the
quality and standards of all materials, equipment, components, or completed work furnished
under this contract.
2.10.5 MDOT Standards
Materials, equipment, components, or completed work not complying with the current
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Standard Specifications and/or as
specified within this bid may be rejected and shall be replaced by the Contractor at no cost
to Jackson County.
2.10.6 Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be submitted by Contractor with any bid or quote for a
product or service that requires the use of a product that is required to have a Safety Data
Sheet.
2.11 LATE BIDS
Any bid received at the office herein designated after the exact time specified for receipt may not
be considered. All bids must be submitted in compliance with the instructions designated in Sec.
2.2. No other manner of submission will be accepted. The prevailing clock shall be www.time.gov.
10