Procurement Process

All purchases and sales of company materials and assets are made on the following basis:

• Competitive bidding in all possible instances.  As stated in the Request for Proposal (RFP), only sealed bids will be considered.
• Bid analysis is made on a total cost of ownership basis.
• Reciprocity is not a basis for awarding business.  The fact that a bidder is a customer does not determine the winning bid.
• Only bids that meet all RFP specifications are considered.  A lack of stated specifications indicates the use of applicable Association of American Railroads specifications.  Any RFP specifications changes are communicated to all potential bidders with the opportunity to modify their bid.
• The bidder’s primary contact is their international purchasing contact.  This person will direct bidders to the appropriate personnel should more information be required.