Anonymously contributed:
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During the past 18 months the prime construction contract supporting LLNS, commonly known as Labor Only, was re-competed. In fairness, that process was kept extremely close to the vest which reflects kudos to the leadership managing the process as this was a contentious topic. The standard lab factoid leakage did not occur; if this is a business example of Bechtel Management, it reflects high integrity on communication control. A small business leader participation was required for the bid. Lots of contract details, more then I or any non-participant truly know; what is known is that hundreds of millions of dollars of government construction work was on the line.
In the end, no surprise, a Team comprised of Akima and Jacobs won the competitive bid. Why no surprise?
Who is Akima? From the web I quote ....."Akima, LLC is a $1.2 billion holding company with 5,600 employees worldwide. Akima, LLC is uniting the strengths of three holding companies: Akima Management Services, LLC, Qivliq, LLC and Akmaaq, LLC. On October 1, 2012 these three holding companies officially become one company, Akima, LLC."
Being fair, who is Jacobs? From the web I also quote....."Jacobs, with 2011 revenues of over $10 billion, is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of technical, professional, and construction services. Building strong, long-term relationships with our clients is the key to our success as a company.
Where is the small business?
We know Akima, in one form or another, now controls the Prime Supplemental Labor service for LLNS. Jacobs has provided NIF with construction and engineering services for many years; probably safe to say they know NIF. Now both control the Prime construction service. If we need to hire an Engineer, drafter, designer to support our clients we have Akima Services as our provider. Then we have Akima Construction Services (aka ACS) to perform the work. Yes, for sure they are different companies. I am quite sure they have all signed the right documents to say they will never cross talk.
How is this going to improve business, lower costs, increase efficiencies? The contract was changed during the 4th quarter of the fiscal year; the tightest financial quarter with least room for error. But was it? Some nasty rumors of favoritism are circulating on several fronts. The tightly knit selection committee was comprised of who exactly? A husband and wife (the IFM and Comp Operations Manager respectively), a former Jacobs VP (now a NIF Manager), a LLNS contract manager and a corporate Bechtel Manager. In fairness, I believe this was the composition of the Selection Committee, but I could be incorrect.
Director Albright desires to cut costs. I challenge the lab to track, measure and honestly report if we are better off with these corporate giants.
Comments
September 4, 2012 7:24 PM probably flunked high-school civics class, if it's still tought in the abysmal CA school system. The legislative cannot "force" the executive to do anything. It was simply convenient for the DoE aparatchiks to privatize the labs, so that they would have more power over the them.
1- to obtain temporary labor without making a lifetime employment commitment.
2- To spread buy political support by spreading the wealth a bit.
It doubtful, with the double administrative burden of contract administration, that the actually billed unit labor cost is much lower. Depending on how the lab accountants determine administrative overhead allocation, it could be lower.
Both Akima and Jacobs offer employees significantly less benefits but they are likely offset to some extent by the contractor overheads and the simultaneous LLNL overheads.
September 2, 2012 1:15 PM
Really?? Buzz words used only by people who are 1) also money-centric; 2) are not at all shrewd; and 3) wish they were "fat cats" but haven't a clue how to get there. Give up the clueless class-envy crap, and either get an education that will let you earn some real money, or just accept that you chose a loser's path in life.
These same individuals have decided to have a blacklist and decide who is allowed to make a living. I did not realize that we still lived in a McCarthy era community at LLNL. There are hard copies of emails circulating around showing blacklisted names and surnames. I have one in my hand right now. Someone should seek counsel for Defamation.
I was hoping Akima would replace the $80 union workers.
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Heh. Akima Management Meltdown. Classic.
September 7, 2012 8:42 PM
Nope, just a self-made wealthy person who is tired of all the whining from lazy losers.
You know what they say, if you have to say that your are self-made and wealthy than you are neither.
How many people are aware that the former leadership of Labor Only comprised a father and two of his sons?
What was the reason for that?