Ports of Indiana looking for crane manufacturers
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The Ports of Indiana (POI) has issued a Request for Information for manufacturers that could build and deliver a new heavy-lift crane to the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon.
The RFI follows the award of a $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help the port acquire the new crane.
The Ports of Indiana is investing a total of $3 million to purchase the crane, which the port authority says will more than double the Mount Vernon port’s lifting capacity from less than 60 tons to 120 tons. The crane will also support the handling of new large project cargo and dimensional steel shipments.
The RFI is seeking manufacturers to submit a bid to provide a Build America, Buy American Act-compliant crane with a minimum lift capacity of 120-tons.
“Manufacturers have made great strides toward Buy America compliance,” the Ports of Indiana said in the RFI. “POI, however, has limited familiarity with manufacturers of this product and the goal of this RFI is to build relationships with additional manufacturers who will, in turn, present bids in the Procurement process.”
The Buy America requirements include ensuring that all iron and steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are manufactured in the United States.
Reponses to the RFI are due by 3 p.m. on Nov. 22.
The Ports of Indiana previously said that it expects a contract for the procurement of the crane to be completed by mid-January. Manufacturing of the crane is tentatively slated for completion by the end of 2024, with installation at the port to be completed by mid-2025.
The Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon sits on 1,200 acres of land and ships an average of 6 million tons of cargo annually. The port is currently searching for a general cargo terminal operator.